Ireland is one of the top 10 markets for technology infrastructure and human capital globally, according to Cisco’s Digital Readiness Index (DRI). Cisco measured the digital readiness of 141 countries to uncover key insights, help bridge the digital divide and build a more inclusive future.
On top of ranking ninth in two of seven categories, Ireland came 20th in overall ‘digital readiness’. This placement was based on Ireland’s basic needs; business and government investment; ease of doing business; human capital; start-up environment; technology adoption; and technology infrastructure. It added that the country’s technology adoption and start-up environment show the most room for improvement.
Global rankings
Singapore came out on top of the index overall with strong performances in all seven categories. It was also number one in terms of human capital and business and government investment.
Luxembourg ranked the highest in Europe, at number two overall. In the Middle East and mainland Africa the highest ranked were Israel (21) and Botswana (76) respectively. In East Asia, South Korea (8) came out on top, while Australia (12) ranked the highest in Asia-Pacific. The US’s number three spot saw it come up trumps in North America, Chile (34) took the top spot for South America, and Costa Rica did so for Central America at number 47.
There is a correlation between a countries’ digital readiness scores and other performance indicators, such as GDP per capita. However, of the 10 largest global economies, only the US ranked in the index’s top 10.
Instead, Cisco found that the strongest components of digital readiness are basic needs, human capital, and technology infrastructure. Improvements in these categories have the most significant impact on digital readiness. Japan, Singapore and Spain were the top-three countries for basic needs; Singapore, Iceland and New Zealand for human capital; and Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland for technology infrastructure.
Indeed, technology alone is not the key to digital readiness. To futureproof a countries digital economy, Cisco recommends developing skills, meeting basic human needs, creating a friendly business and start-up environment, and making private and public investments in innovation and technology.
Three stages of digital readiness emerged based on the findings; ‘activate,’ the lowest stage; ‘accelerate’, the middle stage; and ‘amplify’, the highest stage. The factors which have the biggest impact differs depending on which stage a country is in.
Countries in the activate stage would benefit from making improvements in basic needs and human capital development. While counties in the amplify stage are the global leaders in digital readiness, there is still room for advancement. Universally, these countries scored well for basic needs and ease of doing business, but they must continue to invest in these areas to retain their positions, it said. The research highlighted that, across the board, all countries would benefit from boosting investment in technology infrastructure such as broadband and secure Internet servers.
Recommendations
“Technology has the potential to be the single greatest catalyst for economic and social progress,” said Tae Yoo, senior vice president of corporate affairs at Cisco. “In every corner of the world, digital technology is helping us become more connected to each other and the organisations upon which we rely. It opens markets, creates jobs, and better connects citizens and customers.
“Our hope is that through Cisco’s Global Digital Readiness Index, we can partner with private and public sectors to evaluate how investments in the basic underpinnings of a digital society can serve to raise the quality of life for all citizens around the world.”
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