Despite the first steps taken with the Digital Agenda and the decree for Startups launched by the Monti government, Italy still does not know how to benefit from the advantages of the digital economy, neither in terms of technological progress nor in terms of GDP. While in fact the World Economic Forum has established that a 10% increase in the index calculated by Global Information Technology Report leads to a growth of 0,75% of the GDP, the Belpaese registers yet another unsatisfactory ranking: 50th out of 144 countries around the world.
The ranking drawn up by the Wef promotes Finland to first place, in the wake of the great Scandinavian tradition which also brings Sweden to third place, Singapore to second and then only European countries up to the United States to ninth and Taiwan to tenth, which completes the top -ten. One country out of three therefore, among those analysed, does better than Italy. There are also Malta, Malaysia, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, Hungary, Montenegro and even Panama and Puerto Rico to do better than Italy in terms of hi-tech and digital economy.
The ranking is based on an index that elaborates 54 parameters, from the diffusion of the Web to the penetration of smartphones: e if Italy in Mobile stands out in the standings (the average is almost two mobile phones per citizen), it sinks instead due to the diffusion of PCs and broadband, burdened as it is by a worrying Digital and Cultural Divide. The result is an index of 4,18 for Italy, which places us ahead only of Greece, but behind countries such as Barbados and Jordan and just ahead of Croatia and Uruguay.
Finland on the other hand, “only” third in 2012, climbed the podium, positioning itself for the palm of gold with an index of 5,98 and reversing the position with neighboring Sweden, which a year ago had been the best. Surprisingly negative, in addition to Italy, also China, which loses 7 positions and is only 58th, Brazil just 60th, and Argentina which with its 99th position precedes only African and third world countries.
