On 10 April 2026, the Mauritian government launched its 2025–2029 National AI Strategy and FAIR guidelines, leaning on the Mauritius National Data Strategy and the Côte d’Or Technopole to attract AI research, cybersecurity activities and startups.

The core question is   how a small island state like Mauritius can use AI, cybersecurity and a technopole to gain weight in the African and Indian Ocean digital economy  .

On 10 April 2026, the Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation (MITCI) officially launched in Phoenix the 2025–2029 National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, branded “AI for Mauritius (AIM)”, together with the FAIR guidelines designed to govern how AI systems are developed and deployed in the country.

Minister Avinash Ramtohul presented the strategy as a way to turn AI into a new driver of economic and social transformation while positioning Mauritius as a regional technology hub built on the principles of fairness, accountability, inclusiveness and responsibility grouped under the FAIR framework.

A strategic backbone: data, AI and governance

In January 2026, the government unveiled the Mauritius National Data Strategy 2025–2029 at the Ébène Cybercity, setting out a roadmap for data governance, privacy protection and the modernisation of information‑sharing infrastructure in the country.

The Digital Transformation Blueprint 2025–2029 places AI, applied research and cybersecurity at the core of ICT policy, with plans to create a National Research and Innovation Institute under the Ministry of Higher Education and an AI Innovation Start‑Up Programme run by the Ministry of ICT and Innovation to structure the ecosystem.

Work on the new AI strategy started as early as July 2025 with an Industry Kick‑off Meeting bringing together Business Mauritius, telecom operators (Mauritius Telecom, Emtel, MTML), universities and several ministries to co‑design a framework aligned with industrial demand and local research capabilities.

The initiative also builds on an earlier AI strategy developed in the previous decade, which had already identified use cases in health, FinTech, transport and agriculture but remained short on implementation detail and operational governance.

Côte d’Or Technopole: a physical showcase for digital ambitions

The Côte d’Or Technopole, officially launched in October 2023 by Landscope Mauritius in the presence of Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, is being developed on more than 143 arpents of land and is expected to attract over 25 billion Mauritian rupees (MUR) in investment in the long term, while creating up to 15 000 skilled jobs.

During the inauguration of Ocorian’s new headquarters at the Côte d’Or Technopole in January 2026, financial‑sector speakers stressed that the park should act as a convergence point for Indian firms, digital‑finance companies and developers of AI solutions looking for a stable regulatory base in the region.

A “Gen AI for Sustainable Development” conference held at the technopole highlighted AI as a lever for education, health, agriculture and water and energy management, with government officials calling on students and young professionals to engage in the digital and climate transition.

By combining a national strategy, data governance and a technopole anchored between India and East Africa, Mauritius is trying to give concrete shape to its long‑standing “cyber‑island” ambition first articulated with the development of the Ébène Cybercity.

Cybersecurity: from regulatory imperative to value proposition

The Ministry of ICT has announced that the Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Act will be updated and complemented by new institutional mechanisms, with an enhanced role for the Data Protection Office after several high‑profile incidents of customer data being leaked on the Dark Web.

The Digital Transformation Blueprint provides for the creation of a national Cyber Security Operation Centre modelled on a Security Operations Center (SOC) and inspired by the United Kingdom, as well as aligning the Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Act with international standards. The aim is to reassure investors, financial institutions and operators of critical services.

Within the FAIR guidelines, the integrity pillar explicitly covers cybersecurity, data governance and the prevention of malicious use, putting digital security on the same level as concerns about algorithmic discrimination and transparency.

For companies wanting to build research in generative AI or machine‑learning‑based financial services, the combination of a data‑protection framework, an updated cybersecurity law and ethical AI guidelines becomes a location factor, alongside tax incentives or access to talent.

Research, talent and links with the African ecosystem

The planned National Research and Innovation Institute is meant to organise public research in coordination with Mauritian universities and existing research councils, giving priority to applied projects in AI, big data and cybersecurity aligned with the country’s sectoral priorities.

A regional workshop organised in 2026 by the International Telecommunication Union in collaboration with the Mauritian government on AI, data and emerging technologies illustrates the authorities’ intention to make the island a platform for training and knowledge‑sharing for African states on AI and inclusive connectivity.

The MITCI also highlights public‑private‑people partnership (PPPP) models for the future AI Tech Park, with the goal of bringing laboratories, startups and large companies into a single ecosystem and avoiding fragmentation between offshore service zones and the domestic economy.

Against this backdrop, African fintechs already using Mauritius as a base for international financial services structures have access to a setting that mixes financial regulation, data infrastructure and the possibility to test AI use cases for compliance or fraud detection.

Risk factors for technology investors

The experience of the first AI strategy, whose recommendations were only partially implemented because of limited resources and coordination, shows that an ambitious framework does not in itself guarantee project execution or a sustained build‑up of national capabilities.

Financial‑sector players gathered at Côte d’Or Technopole have also pointed out that the country’s sovereign rating, regulatory stability and the availability of data‑science and cybersecurity skills remain decisive for attracting technology firms and foreign research teams in the long run.

For funds, telecom operators or large African payment platforms considering locating R&D teams or advanced service centres in Mauritius, the AI‑cybersecurity package therefore needs to be assessed through two lenses: the real capacity to train and retain talent, and the actual pace of implementation of the promised institutions (NRII, national SOC, AI Tech Park).

Key takeaways

• On 10 April 2026, Mauritius launched its 2025–2029 National AI Strategy and FAIR guidelines to govern AI use.
• The Mauritius National Data Strategy 2025–2029 and the announced review of cybersecurity law structure digital governance.
• The Côte d’Or Technopole is expected to host large‑scale investment and act as a showcase for AI and cybersecurity activities.
• A National Research and Innovation Institute and an AI Tech Park are planned to strengthen applied research and innovation.
• For investors, execution capacity and the availability of AI and cybersecurity talent remain the main variables to watch.

✍️ Want to contribute a high-value article?

Contact us for a guest post : [email protected]

Write to the editorial team