The top two, Denmark and Sweden are better placed than even the United States which from its first place in 2006 has still managed to make it back to number three according to the recent survey and as the ranks show, the UK lags behind Singapore, Switzerland, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Netherlands and Canada.

And the UK also falls behind Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia, and its small consolation to just fractionally manage to outrank Estonia and France and Germany within the top 20 countries. By 2009-2010 there's a close certainty that the UK ranking will be outside the first 20 networked and informed nations.

The Networked Readiness Framework, underpinning the NRI and stable since 2002, measures:
• the presence of an ICT-conducive environment, by taking into consideration a number of features of the broad business environment, some regulatory
aspects, and the soft and hard infrastructure for ICT;
• the degree of preparation needed to use ICT for the three main national stakeholders—individuals, the business sector, and the government;
• the actual use of ICT by the above three stakeholders.

Quicker economic recoveries
Nordic countries score particularly well  in mobile telephony, the ubiquity of internet access, and their investment in research and development. Better networked economies are more equipped to rebound from the current woes, says the WEF. Against such a daunting economic outlook, it is important to reaffirm the crucial role of IT for general competitiveness and progress.

The index, which measures the range of factors that affect a country's ability to harness information technologies for economic competitiveness and development, cited America's low rate of mobile phone usage, a lack of government leadership in information technology and the low quality of mathematics and science education, yet the US stands at third place.

And even in the midst of an economic crisis, the report indicated the United States was well placed for a technology-driven recovery as it has the top scientific research institutions in the world and best collaboration between universities and industries.

There are no such reassuring words for the UK and its frightening decline.

Source: INSEAD
Press Association