Anders Bekeken

The digital economy of the Netherlands has topped a major new study for network readiness, by the Portulans Institute.

The findings are published in the new report ‘Shaping the Global Recovery: How digital technologies can help make the post-COVID world more equal’.

The US was ranked #4 in the study – up from #8 in last year’s report – behind the Netherlands (#1), Sweden (#2) and Denmark (#3). Singapore (#7) was the only other market outside of Europe in the top ten. The USA’s overall NRI ‘score’ of 81.09 was also significantly higher than the average for high-income countries in the study (67.45).

Bruno Lanvin, co-founder of the Portulans Institute and co-author of the report comments, “This year’s report puts the spotlight on post-pandemic recovery with strong digital transformation strategies. Digital transformation is creating new digital divides in some global regions, but high-income markets such as the US have demonstrated success in building resilient and sustainable digital economies with strong performances across all four pillars.”

The USA was the number one ranked market in the Technology pillar. This reflected its global leadership in areas such as the accessibility of its digital networks (including device affordability); investment in emerging technologies such as AI and IoT; robust cybersecurity; and high citizen engagement with digital content, apps and service. This high rankings – a significant improvement compared to the same study a year earlier – were driven by the positive contribution technology made to the country’s economic prosperity and social development.

The 2021 edition of the Network Readiness Index (NRI), developed by the Portulans Institute in partnership with digital networks integrator STL, ranked 130 markets worldwide based on a broad range of indicators. These ranged from a country’s preparedness to embrace new technologies to its ability to use ICT to drive quality-of-life and social inclusion goals.