Romania intensifies IT competitiveness
Romania holds the 36th spot in this year's world classification on Information Technology (IT) competitiveness, according to a new study. Data from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) showed that Romania boasts a number of impressive performances in business, juridical and legal environments, and it has been instrumental in giving the IT industry a boost. The EIU White Paper assesses and compares the IT level and business environment of 66 countries including the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Hungary and Slovenia. Out of 100 possible points, Romania received 39.6 in 2009 (moving up to the 36th spot from the 2008 level of 39). Estonia clinched 55.6 points, followed by the Czech Republic with 47, Slovenia with 46.3 Hungary with 46.1 and Lithuania with 43.3. The EU Member States ranked in the top 6 were Finland (73.6) Sweden (71.5) the Netherlands (70.7) and the UK (70.2). The study, now in its third year, determines the extent to which the IT industry environments stimulate the competitiveness of the sector. 'In the present economic climate, the support of a powerful technological sector is more important than ever,' explained Magda Popescu, a representative of Business Software Alliance (BSA), which cooperates with international governments to advance the objectives of the software industry and their hardware partners. ''Technology can help boost the economy and can generate economic growth in the long run. We should not forget that this sector brings [...] incomes to the IT industry and businesses using technology.' According to the EIU report, six factors compete to establish a strong environment for the IT sector: an ample supply of skilled workers; an innovation-friendly culture; world-class technology infrastructure; a strong legal regime (including copyright, innovation and cyber security); an open and competitive economy; and a government leadership capable of finding the perfect balance between technology promotion and market responsibility. 'Broadband networks are a vital factor for IT competitiveness, while the delay in competitiveness boost may deepen for those countries with a slower adaptation,' the EIU report showed. 'Technological companies request rapid, performing and safe Internet access, and the importance of broadband networks will grow when more IT services and applications are supplied on the Internet,' the report said. For his part, Francisco Mingorance, senior director of European public policy for BSA, said: 'In today's economic climate, supporting a strong technology sector is more important than ever. Governments are realising that technology can play a pivotal role in driving the economic recovery and generating long-term growth.' Members of BSA are leading groups on the global market and include Germany's Siemens and Finland's Tekla, as well as the US-based companies Adobe, Apple, Autodesk and Microsoft.
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Romania