The Alpine nation has slipped one place to sixth in the “World Digital Competitiveness ranking” compiled by the Lausanne-based IMD business school.
This content was published on
2 minutes
IMD/swissinfo/sb
The United States and Singapore came first and second in the ranking, which analyses how well economies employ digital technologies. They were followed by Denmark, Sweden and Hong Kong, IMD said in a reportExternal link published on Thursday.
IMD said Switzerland slipped down due to a change in “scientific concentration”: mainly a “stagnant performance in the percentage of female researchers” and lower R&D productivity by publication.
Other “major weaknesses” are its regulatory framework (for contract executions and business creation for example) and a significant decline in high-tech exports, something which IMD said weakens Switzerland’s competitiveness in digital technology.
IMD’s World Digital Competitiveness ranking 2020
IMD
The business school said in the case of the US, education and research and development are the major engines of its digital growth, with robotics ever more prevalent in the education process. The US has also seen an increase in e-participation from citizens this year.
Singapore came first in the talent and regulatory framework ranking indicators. Sweden and Denmark stood out for their excellent scores in knowledge building (making economies productive and efficient for citizens), it said.
“Analysis across the globe positions Eastern Asia, Western Europe and North America as the most progressive regions in terms of digital prowess. Conversely, regions including Latin America, Central Asia and Eastern Europe have the most room for improvement,” the school wrote.
The IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking study analysed 63 countries, ranking them according to their level of technology, sustainability or digital knowledge.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Thousands of emigrants’ descendants in Argentina demand Swiss citizenship
This content was published on
The latest figures from the Federal Office of Public Health show that lab-confirmed cases dropped from nearly 2,340 to under 2,000 last week.
Swiss cities targeted by Russian hackers during WEF
This content was published on
Russian hackers have targeted canton Schaffhausen and the cities of Geneva and Sierre, paralysing their websites on Wednesday morning.
This content was published on
Paul Hottinguer, a member of one of Switzerland’s most famous banking families, will face trial in Paris for tax fraud and money laundering.
Swiss man who died in Iranian prison had photographed military site
This content was published on
The Iranian judiciary said that the Swiss man who died in an Iranian prison on January 9 had been detained for photographing a restricted military site.
Swiss researchers patent new device for avalanche detection
This content was published on
The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research said it has granted a group of Swiss researchers a patent for a device to enhance avalanche warnings.
Berset discusses ECHR climate ruling implementation at Davos
This content was published on
Switzerland has submitted a report on the court's ruling in Strasbourg. Berset told Justice Minister Beat Jans that the Council of Europe is reviewing it.
This content was published on
A 27-year-old ski tourer has died in the hospital in Sion, in southwestern Switzerland, after being caught in an avalanche on Saturday.
Swiss health minister criticises Trump’s ‘rash’ WHO exit
This content was published on
Switzerland has expressed “deep” regret over Trump’s decision to withdraw from the WHO, Swiss Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider said in Davos.
This content was published on
Job vacancies in Switzerland fell by 10% in 2024, marking the first negative annual balance since the Covid-19 pandemic, says Adecco.
Swiss president meets Zelensky in Davos amid tensions with Europe
This content was published on
Swiss President met Zelensky at Davos. As Zelensky thanked Switzerland, Keller-Sutter said it's too early to discuss a new summit, awaiting Trump's actions.
Switzerland ranked third in global competitiveness ranking
This content was published on
The Alpine nation has been awarded third place in the “World Competitiveness ranking 2020” compiled by the Lausanne-based IMD business school.
Private university thinks like a business to tackle skills shortage
This content was published on
Entrepreneur responds to IT skills shortage by establishing a private university, to be run like a business for the needs of business.
This content was published on
For the second year in a row, Switzerland was only outclassed by Hong Kong in the 2017 IMD World Competitiveness YearbookExternal link, released on Wednesday. The ranking of 63 nations is compiled by comparing relative strengths in 261 areas – from the economy to political stability, health, education and the environment. Switzerland gained strong marks…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.