INSEAD : launch of the 2014 Global Information Technology Report

THE 2014 GLOBAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY REPORT


 
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New INSEAD-WEF-Cornell global technology report stresses
continued digital divide, highlighted by risks and rewards of big data

Study shows little progress in bridging the gap between the world's networked economies and rest of world;
Nordic countries dominate Networked Readiness Index, while emerging markets struggle most in realising digital potential

Fontainebleau (France), Singapore and Abu Dhabi - April 23, 2014 - INSEAD, the leading international business school, in partnership with the World Economic Forum and the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University, today released the findings of its latest annual technology survey, "The Global Information Technology Report 2014: Rewards and Risks of Big Data." The report indicates an alarming lack of progress in bridging the "digital divide" between emerging and developing nations and the world's networked economies. The implications of this growing disparity suggest that less developed countries may miss out on many important benefits from information and communications technology (ICT).

Launched in 2002, the GITR project assesses the digital ecosystems of 148 developed and developing countries, ranking each using the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) to understand how these markets use ICT to enhance economic productivity and social development.

This year's findings indicate consistency among the top of the rankings: Finland (1), Singapore (2), Sweden (3), The Netherlands (4), Norway (5) and Switzerland (6) all retained their positions from the previous year. The United States moved up two places to 7^th position, while Hong Kong (8) and the Republic of Korea (10) both move into the top 10. The United Kingdom, meanwhile, is the only nation in the top ranks to fall, sliding from 7 to 9 in the survey.

Networked Readiness Index 2013: Top 10

Lower in the rankings, many large emerging nations continue to struggle to realise their full technological potential. China (62), Brazil (69), Mexico (79) and India (83), all drop in this year's survey.

One of the report's major findings is that countries need more than just ICT infrastructure development to increase their competitiveness. They also need a holistic strategy that creates an environment conducive for gaining the skills, innovation and entrepreneurship for people to flourish along with this modern infrastructure.

Given this insight, "digital strategies should not focus exclusively on developing ICT infrastructure, but also on creating the proper conditions for an effective use of ICT to boost innovation, competitiveness and higher social inclusion," said GITR co-author Bruno Lanvin, the Executive Director of INSEAD's European Competitiveness Initiative (IECI) and of the Global Indices projects at INSEAD.

To assess such factors, the researchers developed the NRI framework to determine the relative readiness of an economy to leverage its ICT across business, government and society. Diverse factors, such as a market's political and regulatory policies, are among the elements measured by NRI, using a combination of data from publicly available sources and insights from the Executive Opinion Survey, an annual comprehensive study by WEF and its partners.

First published 12 years ago, the GITR and NRI were designed to provide policymakers and investors with metrics to assess a rapidly evolving, yet still emerging, global technology landscape. Today, the report continues to deliver important insights about how the massive changes in technology over the past decade are shaping global markets and their potential. Among these changes has been the rise of Big Data. But while this tool holds great potential for business and society, the report's experts say that it must be integrated within a knowledge environment that enables people to extract value from the data.

"Big data has the potential to infuse executive decisions with an unprecedented level of data-driven insights," said Bahjat El-Darwiche, Strategy& (formely Booz & Company) and sponsor of the report. To do so, though, it requires a robust knowledge infrastructure that enables critical thinking and analysis to thrive.  

Reflecting on technological advances made over the last decade, Lanvin noted: "Business models have been redefined and the workplace redesigned, with start-ups evolving into large companies and many major social functions-including healthcare, education and privacy-being rethought."

The report, like other studies, traces the connections between ICTs and economic development. With the NRI, the INSEAD-WEF-Cornell University analysis seeks to identify the complex and sometimes subtle ways that technology is transforming the economy and society. The researchers point out that despite the fact that ICTs are becoming increasingly universal, "the question of access and usage remains important-especially for developing countries, given their need to narrow the digital divide."  

To Read the full report and view the rankings, please go to: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GlobalInformationTechnology_Report_2014.pdf

Please find an interactive heat map here:
http://widgets.weforum.org/global-information-technology-report-2014/

About INSEAD, The Business School for the World

As one of the world's leading and largest graduate business schools, INSEAD brings together people, cultures and ideas to change lives and to transform organisations. A global perspective and cultural diversity are reflected in all aspects of our research and teaching.

With campuses in Europe (France), Asia (Singapore) and Abu Dhabi, INSEAD's business education and research spans three continents. Our 146 renowned Faculty members from 34 countries inspire more than 1,300 degree participants annually in our MBA, Executive MBA, specialised master's degrees (Master in Finance, Executive Master in Consulting and Coaching for Change) and PhD programmes. In addition, more than 12,000 executives participate in INSEAD's executive education programmes each year.

In addition to INSEAD's programmes on our three campuses,  INSEAD participates in academic partnerships with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia & San Francisco); the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University near Chicago, and  Johns Hopkins University/SAIS in Washington DC. In Asia, INSEAD partners with Tsinghua University in Beijing and with CEIBS.  INSEAD is a founding member in the multidisciplinary Sorbonne University created in 2012, and also partners with Fundação Dom Cabral in Brazil.

INSEAD became a pioneer of international business education with the graduation of the first MBA class on the Fontainebleau campus in Europe in 1960.  In 2000, INSEAD opened its Asia campus in Singapore. And in 2007 the school began an association in the Middle East, officially opening the Abu Dhabi campus in 2010.

Around the world and over the decades, INSEAD continues to conduct cutting edge research and to innovate across all our programmes to provide business leaders with the knowledge and sensitivity to operate anywhere. These core values have enabled us to become truly "The Business School for the World."

More information about INSEAD can be found at www.insead.edu

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