Speaker
Description
Introduction/Purpose/Objective: The research explores the differences in digital public administration across EU member countries using the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) scores from 2018 to 2024. With the EU's ambitious digital agenda under the Digital Decade, it is important to evaluate national progress. The purpose of this study is to identify trends of digital transformation in EU public administrations, classify countries based on their DESI performance, and provide insights into the variation in digital preparedness and uptake across member countries.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The study employed a k-means clustering algorithm in examining overall Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) scores for the 27 EU member states based on the latest available data from 2018 to 2024. Countries were grouped into High, Medium, and Low clusters based on their digital performance. Growth rates were examined to determine dynamic progress. Data processing was conducted using KNIME. The study took into account the four DESI dimensions: connectivity, human capital, integration of digital technology, and digital public services.
Results and Discussion/Findings: It reveals that countries like Finland, Denmark, and the Netherlands regularly get higher DESI scores, which represent their state of digital maturation. On the other hand, countries in the medium cluster had varied trends with some countries (e.g., Estonia, Slovenia) recording steady improvement. Low cluster had countries like Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece, which face challenges with infrastructure as well as digital skills. However, some countries in the low and medium cluster (e.g., Italy, Poland) recorded improving DESI scores and hold promise towards convergence. It emphasizes that challenges related to the digital divide are yet present but can be managed with the help of well-designed interventions.
Significance/Implications/Conclusions: The findings highlight the need for individualized digital policies in the European Union, given the differing levels of digital maturity among its member states. Clustering insights can guide strategic investment in the fields of infrastructure, digital competencies, and interoperability. The study highlights the importance of continuous benchmarking and policy harmonization. Finally, this research contributes to a more inclusive and prosperous digital Europe by providing evidence-based suggestions to national and EU-level policymakers.
Limitations: DESI data changes annually in methodology and indicators, which may affect comparability. Aggregated scores limit insight into specific public sector reforms. The analysis does not account for regional disparities within countries.
Future Research: Further studies can attempt to examine the individual sub-dimensions of DESI or conduct case studies of best practices. Exploring causal linkages between policy interventions and improvement in digitalization using longitudinal panel data is also suggested.
