Portugal climbed one position in the Index of Digitization of the Economy and Society (IDES), now ranking 15th among the 27 member states of the European Union (EU), but registering “slightly lower” progress than the other countries.
The information was released this Thursday by the European Commission in the report on this year’s IDES and on Portugal, the institution highlights that the country “ranks 15th among the 27 EU Member States in the 2022 edition of the index moving up one position. from 2021”.
In the document that emerges from the follow-up of the community executive on the digital progress of the Member States, Brussels also points out that “the relative progress of Portugal is, in general, slightly lower than that of its counterpart countries, so there is room for country to accelerate its digitization efforts.
all in all, Portugal has a score of 50.8which compares with the EU average of 52.3, below the rest of the EU.
Noting that “Portugal has taken a series of measures to equip its population with skills, expand connectivity and support the adoption of technologies by small businesses”, the European Commission highlights that, however, “disparities between companies and people”. the adoption of information and communication technologies.
According to Brussels, the country also has “good quality connectivity infrastructures, with room to expand 5G coverage“, the fifth generation mobile networks, and still must work to solve the “excessive dependence on an advanced e-line Public Administration”, which in the opinion of the institution “can, however, leave behind an excessive number of people, taking into account the Digital Skills Deficit in Portugal”.
The digital transition is one of Portugal’s strategic prioritieswhich is also expressed in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), financed with post-Covid-19 community funds.
The digital dimension represents 22.1% of the total amount of the Portuguese PRR, above the European objective that requires an allocation of at least 20% for digital measures, with Portugal committing to initiatives in the field of education and training in digital skillsthe digital transformation of companies and the digitization of the State.
The report also highlights that, “following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the country facilitated displaced Ukrainians’ access to services and employment, simplifying paperwork and administrative requirements and ensuring access to tax services, social security and the National Service”. Health”.
Published each year by the European Commission, the IDES assesses the progress made in EU countries towards a economy and a digital societybased on data from the Eurostat statistical office and on specialized studies and collection methods, aimed at helping Member States to identify priority sectors that require specific actions and investments.
Source: Observadora
