While the Covid-19 epidemic is forcing the planet to work, consume and live at a distance, the Euler Hermes “digital agility” index puts each country in its digital place.
Based on data stopped at the end of 2019, the credit insurer assesses, for the fourth consecutive year, the capacity of countries to provide businesses with an environment conducive to digital transformation through five criteria: regulation and the business environment , the education system and research devices, connectivity, logistics infrastructure and market size.
It places France in fifteenth position.
In other words, far behind the United States, still first in the class, or China, which has made a big leap from the ranking at the end of 2018 and is in fourth position.
Also far behind Germany with a slight loss of speed to 3rd place, Denmark (2nd) and South Korea (12th).
This indicator "
allows us to know which country offers the best conditions for traditional companies to succeed in their digitalization and the best environment for digital companies to develop
", explains Alexis Garatti, director of economic research at Euler Hermes.
The United States dominate with a score of 88/100.
They benefit from a large market, a solid educational system and research facilities, as well as a business environment and regulations favorable to digital development.
China (73/100) is the country which progresses the most, passing from the 9th to the 4th position.
Beijing is relying in particular on its progress in regulations and the business climate as well as in logistics infrastructure and the education system.
And the whole Asia-Pacific region is doing well.
In Europe, Denmark (77/100) is ahead of Germany, slowed down by "
connectivity which has grown less quickly
" than elsewhere.
For its part, France (67/100) gained two places while remaining a mediocre student.
In France, each year, “
we see real progress on most indicators, but this year, it is investments in the education system and research devices that have made the difference.
France has decided to invest in knowledge, in order to promote a sustainable improvement in the digital ecosystem provided to companies, and therefore an increase in their capacity for innovation,
”Alexis Garatti puts into perspective.
In parallel with the ranking of digital or digital agility operated by Euler Hermes, Unctad, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, published its latest global electronic commerce index on Thursday.
France is not in a good position either.
It is the 17th country in a ranking where eight of the top ten states are European (Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland ...).
With more recent data, Euler Hermes also analyzed digital development and the capacity of countries to react to the Covid-19 crisis.
“
Digital has been essential in adapting the economy, for companies and for States
”, estimates the insurer, which compared the score obtained to its digital agility index and the economic performance recorded in 2020. It This shows that "
for 1 point more in the index, an economy improves its absorption capacity of the Covid-19 shock by 0.25 point of GDP growth
," says the Allianz subsidiary.