IP Democracy: U.S. Slips from Top Technology Spot

The U.S. now ranks seventh globally in terms of technology innovation, according to a report from the World Economic Forum. The group produces an annual Global Information Technology Report, which looks at four measures of information and communications technology readiness for countries around the world.

This year the Forum examined the “network readiness” of a 122 countries, double the number it looked at in 2000, the first year the report was produced. According to the analysis, the U.S. has dropped from the top slot on these measures to seventh, with Nordic nations including Denmark (which ranked number one), Finland, Sweden amoving up rapidly to top the U.S. Also beating out the U.S. were Singapore, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Notably, Estonia, a growing hot-bed of technology export, has entered the top 20 nations globally for the first time.

Clearly the role of government places a big part in the Nordic countries’ climb up the ranks.

“Denmark, in particular, has benefited from the very effective government e-leadership, reflected in early liberalisation of the telecommunications sector, a first-rate regulatory environment and large availability of e-government services,” said Irene Mia, senior economist at World Economic Forum.

Posted by Cynthia Brumfield on March 29, 2007 9:12 AM to IP Democracy