Switzerland ranked sixth in digital competitiveness study

Sixth formers use Lego Mindstorms to make robots at a school in Glarus, Switzerland, on May 17, 2018. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally

The Alpine nation has slipped one place to sixth in the “World Digital Competitiveness ranking” compiled by the Lausanne-based IMD business school.  

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.