Portugal, Brazil and Cabo Verde are the most “future-ready” societies among Portuguese-Speaking Countries (PSCs), according to the latest Network Readiness Index (NRI) report, which shows China rising in 5G and AI.
The results and rankings of the latest edition of the NRI, released by Portulans Institute, the Washington DC-based think tank which publishes the annual rankings assessing how countries are ready to leverage information technologies to be future-ready, includes a total of 134 economies are covered rated on their performance across 60 variables.
Portugal is number 31 on the ranking, bellow the United Arab Emirates and ahead of Italy. In number 59 of the ranking is Brazil, ahead of Argentina and bellow Montenegro. Cabo Verde is the best posititioned PSC, at number 86, ahead of Bosnia and India.
The NRI model rests on four fundamental dimensions: Technology, People, Governance and Impact, covering issues ranging from future technologies such as AI and Internet of Things (IoT) to the role of digital transformation in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“COVID and lockdown strategies have accelerated digital transformation. This creates both opportunities and challenges, such as possible increases in inequalities. Appropriate governance mechanisms are required to mitigate the matter without hindering the former”, says the report, titled ‘Accelerating Digital Transformation in a Post COVID Global Economy’.
“In all types of economies, investments in technology alone cannot guarantee higher levels of network readiness. The ability of national economies to sustain efforts to allow reskilling and up-skilling of their local workforce and talents is key to their future. Recovery packages will have a key role to play”, it adds.
At the bottom of the list are Mozambique (128) and Angola (131), just three positions above the last.
“Africa continues to trail behind other regions, especially when it comes to access, affordability and usage of ICTs. Once the ‘ripple effect’ of COVID starts to hit international trade and investment flows, such divergences between ‘network-ready economies’ and ‘laggards’ may be amplified”, says the NRI.
This year´s NRIis led by Sweden, Denmark and Singapore and Europe, with three countries in the global top 4, is the leading region in the world.
The United States remains the undisputed global leader when it comes to Future Technologies, ranked in the top 10 in each of the sub-pillar’s five indicators (claiming the top spot in two of them).
According to the NRI China is now a global contender in key areas such as AI, e-commerce, 5G.
