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Finland Tops Rankings In The Global Information Technology Report 2002-2003 - USA Slips from First to Second Place
Finland Tops Rankings In The Global Information Technology Report 2002-2003 - USA Slips from First to Second Place
Published 02-19-03
Submitted by World Economic Forum
The Report, the second in the series, benchmarks performance and monitors progress across nations amid a backdrop of continued consolidation in the technology sector and dramatic changes in the global economic and political landscape. The World Economic Forum, in partnership with INSEAD and the Information for Development Program of the World Bank (infoDev), has released the 2003 Networked Readiness Index, which rates the economies according to their degree of preparedness to capture fully the benefits of the networked economy. Soumitra Dutta, Professor of e-Business and Information Technology at INSEAD, explained: "The fundamental role of information and communication technologies (ICT) has long been recognized as a catalyst for organizational transformation and change. As a consequence, gaining a better understanding of the economic and business impact of ICT has been identified as a key research priority."
This study explicitly considers the roles played by the major stakeholders - individuals, businesses and governments. The study specifically examines the networked readiness of the 82 economies according to three dimensions. First, the environment for ICT, i.e., the market conditions, the political and regulatory framework, and the infrastructure for ICT. Second, the readiness of individuals, the business community and government. And, third, the actual usage of ICT by the three stakeholders.
"We need to go from anecdotes, which can illustrate, to experience, which can be shared, to knowledge, which can be disseminated, and then to strategies and actions, which can make a difference in the lives of people," said Bruno Lanvin, Program Manager of infoDev at the World Bank.
Fiona Paua, Economist at the World Economic Forum, stressed that "beyond just providing a yearly snapshot, the Report intends to aid leaders in crafting the best policy environment for competing in a networked global economy. This annual assessment establishes a process whereby governments and other decision-makers can evaluate progress on a continual basis."
Highlights of the Global Information Technology Report 2002-2003 are:
· The US continues to offer the best market environment for networked readiness, but slips from first to second place due to less competitive performance in terms of connectivity and diffusion of ICT.
· Finland ranks first in the Networked Readiness Index (NRI), boosted by the best performance in terms of technology usage by its citizens, businesses and the government.
· Singapore which ranks third worldwide is most notable for ranking number 1 not only in terms of political/regulatory environment but also in terms of the readiness of its government to employ ICT in its internal processes and delivery of services.
· Germany ranks tenth in terms of networked readiness but is the strongest of the 82 economies in terms of ICT usage by businesses.
· France holds the 19th position in networked readiness rankings buoyed by ranking 4th in terms of availability of scientists and engineers and 5th in terms of capacity for innovation. However it ranks 54th in terms of the ability of companies to use innovation to generate revenues.
· Among the emerging markets, Israel emerges as a leader in 12th place due to its strong ranking in innovation.
· Estonia, in 24th place, ranks even higher than Spain, Italy and Portugal; its ranking boosted by superior ICT government readiness and usage.
· Brazil, in 29th place, is the leader among Latin American countries in terms of networked readiness; its performance leveraged by high ratings in e-government.
· Among African countries, notable performance has been posted by new entrants, Tunisia and Botswana, in 34th and 44th place respectively.
Should you require further specific information on this study, please contact public.affairs@weforum.org or gcp@weforum.org
General information on the Global Information Technology Report 2002-2003 and the Global Competitiveness Programme of the World Economic Forum is available at http://www.weforum.org/gitr
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