Digital Ranking 2022

experiences a slight decline in adaptive attitudes (18 th ). Canada’s strength in the technology factor is in the capital sub-factor in which it ranks 6 th , which is an improvement of three positions. Its ranking in regulatory framework remains strong (13 th ). In technological framework, however, the country’s position is its lowest (31 st ) at the sub-factor level.

with strong increases in regulatory framework (46 th ) and capital (35 th ). Under the knowledge factor (40 th from 47 th ), it ranks highest in training and education (34 th from 42 nd ) and scientific concentration (remains 34 th ), reaching 52 nd position in talent (up from 61 st ). Conversely, Luxembourg experiences the largest downturn; it falls from 22 nd to 30 th . The country drops in all factors with its steepest decline in future readiness (35 th from 24 th ) followed by knowledge (35 th from 29 th ) and technology (19 th from 14 th ). At the sub-factor level, the most deficient performance is in adaptive attitudes in which it ranks 47 th (from 38 th ) and in scientific concentration, 42 nd (from 38 th ). The talent (35 th ) and business agility (36 th ) sub-factors are also of concern. Our results also underline the central role that an effective regulatory framework play in the strengthening of the private sector’s cybersecurity capacities. The data reveals some asymmetries between the services that governments provide and their readiness to counteract a cyber attack. A deficient allocation of resources is potentially to blame for this. At the organizational level, most virtual security breaches occur because of human error. At the same time, cyber-criminals are becoming ever-more sophisticated in their tactics. It is thus key to provide staff with up-to- date, relevant training and to establish a well-coordinated cybersecurity program. One of the by-products of securing digitalization, through its impact on the widespread use of online services, is the greater adoption and diffusion of new technologies which, in turn, increase digital competitiveness. Neglecting the security side of digitalization can, conversely, lead – at the very least – to disruptions in government activities and business operations, and thus to a loss in credibility of those very services provided.

Largest shifts

Croatia displays the largest advancement, from 55 th position to 43 rd . At the factor level, its greatest improvement is in future readiness in which it ranks 48 th (from 60 th ). In this factor, Croatia achieves strong gains in business agility (58 th from 64 th ) and IT integration (44 th from 58 th ). In the technology factor, it improves from the 50 th spot to the 42 nd

5. Concluding remarks

In the current context, the sustainability of digital compet- itiveness is greatly dependent upon economies’ ability to secure the digitalization process through increasing their country’s cybersecurity capacities. As we become more reliant on technology, sensitive data such as intel- lectual property and personally identifiable data must be protected against malicious attacks. To that end, making online services secure and protecting users’ privacy are fundamental. The results of the 2022 IMD Digital Competitiveness Ranking provide evidence about those elements that are essential for securing digitalization. Both governments and the private sector need to boost the security of their digital infrastructure so as to minimize potential data theft and damage. Greater investment in R&D will not suffice to tackle this task successfully. Increasing the effectiveness of the regulatory framework as it applies to business creation and technology and scientific development is also vital. A robust knowledge foundation is, in addition, highly important.



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