How rapidly advancing nations can prosper in the Information Age: Leveraging information and communications technologies for national economic development

Globally, the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) continues to rise sharply. The overview of this series, “How nations thrive in the Information Age,” describes research findings where the world’s nations occupy one of three tiers: the most advanced “Established Leaders,” the heterogeneous middle tier of “Rapid Adopters” and the “Late Entrants”. In this paper, we highlight the opportunities for Rapid Adopter nations to become more competitive in the world economy. Countries in this tier need to work toward liberalizing their market regulation and implementing flexible labor practices to enable faster ICT diffusion. Focus of ICT needs to move from improving connectivity to increasing uptake of online services by citizens and businesses.

All nations in developing and advanced economies have become such extensive users of information and communications technologies (ICT) that their economic success now depends on governments' wise promotion and deployment of ICT at a national level. Most governments are committed to using these technologies to enhance their nations' competitiveness in the global economy and to improve the internal operations of public agencies.

However, just as ICT can offer nations potential opportunities to improve the economic and social quality of life of citizens, challenges to national success also exist. Thoughtful policies and effective implementation of national economic development policies that integrate economic, social, and technological strategies are essential to compete effectively in the globalized economy of the twenty-first century.

There is growing urgency for policy makers to incorporate ICT into economic policies because of expanding international competition for such resources as skilled labor, investment funds and trade. ICT has clearly become an important part of national strategy, largely due to remarkable improvements in various technologies over the past two decades.

To read the full study, download the PDF file at the top of this page.