ICT world beaters

The Nordic Region fares particularly well in the World Economic Forum (WEF) rankings of the best countries in the world for information and communications technology. All five Nordic states feature near the top of the table, with Sweden and Finland right at the top.

Apr 15, 2011

Photographer: Johannes Jansson/norden.org

Technology as a lever for economic growth

The WEF published "The Global Information Technology Report 2010-2011" this week, and the Nordic countries stand out among the most digitally connected countries in the world. Four of them are in the top 10: Sweden (1), Finland (3), Denmark (7) and Norway (9) – with Iceland in an honourable 16th place.

The report highlights the Nordic countries' impressive ability to use ICT as a lever for long-term economic growth. This is particularly important “in the wake of one of the most serious crises for decades" the WEF writes.

Reasons for "the Nordic wonder"

Professor Soumittra Dutta is one of founders and authors of the WEF report. Asked about the reasons behind "the Nordic wonder", the professor jokingly infers that it is down to the weather before launching into an analysis. Soumittra thinks that certain common features have facilitated Nordic progress in ICT.

He points out the countries' extremely innovation-friendly business environments with open and encouraging regulations. "The Nordic Region’s strong position is a result of positive policy work by official bodies, smart investments in education and the emergence of strong technology companies, e.g. Ericsson and Nokia," he says.

According to the report, the key factors are a first-class education system, research conducted in partnership with the ICT industry and a strong, socially rooted innovation culture. These factors allow the Nordic countries to integrate new technologies into their competitiveness strategies.

The WEF report, which studies 138 countries, covers a variety of parameters, e.g. entrepreneurial climate, the rules and infrastructure environment for ICT, and how individuals, businesses and governments use and reap the benefits of ICT.

Interview with one of the authors

Watch Professor Soumittra Dutta talk about the WEF report and explain the Nordic ICT rankings.

Watch Soumittra Dutta talk about how the countries were ranked in "The Global Information Technology Report 2010-2011". He also talks about the development of the report, how it is used and its significance for governments the world over.