The digital potential of the EDB member countries

In recent decades, the world economy has been undergoing a digital transformation that continues to bring about substantial changes in all areas of life. This global trend has had a considerable effect on the business, society and state structures of all the EDB member countries. After the global crisis of 2008–2009, digital industries became some of the most dynamic and promising ones in the global economy. In many developed countries, growth rates of digital and information industries have overtaken that of GDP. Nevertheless, the growing digital gap between countries and regions, narrow, nation-focused approaches to digital security issues and asymmetric opportunities and risks of the digital economy for different economic agents are among the main barriers to digital transformation and the implementation of breakthrough technology

• full text

  PDF, 1.01 Mb

In recent decades, the world economy has been undergoing a digital transformation that continues to bring about substantial changes in all areas of life. This global trend has had a considerable effect on the business, society and state structures of all the EDB member countries. After the global crisis of 2008–2009, digital industries became some of the most dynamic and promising ones in the global economy. In many developed countries, growth rates of digital and information industries have overtaken that of GDP. Nevertheless, the growing digital gap between countries and regions, narrow, nation-focused approaches to digital security issues and asymmetric opportunities and risks of the digital economy for different economic agents are among the main barriers to digital transformation and the implementation of breakthrough technology.

International experience shows that digitalisation contributes to the acceleration of regional integration processes. The purpose of this report is to comprehensively analyse and estimate the EDB member countries’ digital potential on the basis of quantitative and qualitative indicators of leading international organisations for a more objective evaluation of the opportunities and challenges presented by digitalisation in the context of the EDB member economies. Analysis of the EDB member countries’ digital potential has shown that the countries involved in the Eurasian integration project possess considerable resources for creating a digital economy, but the development potential is rather asymmetrical across different States. This poses a risk of the digital gaps among them further widening. In the region generally, there is a need to develop a digital culture: for now, business is the key driver of the digitalisation process in all the EDB member countries. The Report is dedicated to analysing the potential the six EDB member states possess and possible ways to realise their potential.