In terms of the IT sector, Poland is the most competitive of the 23 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, and Serbia, although at the top when it comes to talent, is not among the top 5 countries in the region, according to Emerging Europe’s research on the future of the IT sector.
A survey conducted by the London-based website Emerging Europe showed that among the 23 countries in the region, Serbia and Hungary are ranked better than Poland when it comes to talent and that Estonia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Latvia have a better business environment in the IT sector.
Taking all criteria into account, Poland won with an overall score of 61.40, ahead of Estonia in second place with a score of 58.13. The Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania are also among the top 5 leading countries.
In the research, getting a total of 46.46 points, Serbia scored a good 7th place, behind Slovenia, and ahead of Latvia.
The authors of the report, who claim that this is the first independent research of its kind in this part of Europe, applied the same methodology across all countries to analyze how much each country contributes to the region’s IT sector. The analysis was conducted with the goal of being a guideline for the business community and investors and to show which country best suits their needs.
The research used basic indicators such as labour market, talent availability, the policy implemented in relation to the IT sector, legislative framework, connectivity and infrastructure.
Serbia received the best grade in the baseline for talent and, along with Hungary, leads the region.
However, it fared worse when it came to the quality of the IT sector, and according to this criterion, with a score of 6.64, it ranked 14th, between Croatia and Montenegro, among 23 countries.
Serbia received an even lower score, 6.22, for the business environment, and according to this criterion, it ranks in 17th place, just behind North Macedonia and Montenegro, and ahead of Kosovo, which is 18th with a score of 5.34.
The report also says that Serbia has made great progress in the development of the IT sector and has positioned itself in that area as a leader in the Western Balkans and that it could become an IT powerhouse on a larger scale. It adds that, like many countries in the region, it has extensive experience in technology.
The report estimates that about 2,500 information and communication technology (ICT) companies operate in Serbia.
“Serbia has the second-highest number of ICT students per 100,000 inhabitants in the region and the fifth-highest number of university graduates per 100,000 inhabitants. Excellent English proficiency ranks it 4th among the countries in the region and 15th globally, which is an advancement of three positions compared to 2018. However, there is room for improvement in the value-added per capita from ICT,” the report states.
(Euractiv, 02.03.2021)
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