DIGI⁺ Taiwan

The International Institute for Management Development (IMD) released the 2023 World Digital Competitiveness Ranking (DCR) today (30th). In this assessment of 64 major countries and economies worldwide, Taiwan has secured the 9th position, marking an improvement of 2 places compared to 2022. Notably, Taiwan leads globally in five key indicators.

1 Taiwan Secures Top Global Rankings in Five Key Indicators

In the latest assessment, seven indicators worldwide ranked among the top three in the global standings. Notably, Taiwan claimed the top position in five key indicators: “Total R&D personnel per capita,” “IT & media stock market capitalization,” “Mobile broadband subscribers,” “Agility of companies” and “Use of big data and analytics.” Following closely, Taiwan secured the third position in two additional indicators: “Higher education achievement” and “Total expenditure on R&D (%).” This underscores our digital prowess in areas such as research and development capacity, information technology, widespread internet access, higher education, and corporate performance.

2 Assessment of Taiwan’s Performance in the Three Major Dimensions: Knowledge, Technology, and Future Readiness

The IMD evaluation is structured around three major dimensions, consisting of nine sub-dimensions and a total of 54 indicators. This comprehensive framework aims to assess each country’s capacity and preparedness in adapting, exploring, and effectively harnessing the power of “digital transformation.” The three primary dimensions under consideration are Knowledge, Technology, and Future Readiness.

2.1 In the “Knowledge” dimension, reflecting the assessed country’s learning capacity for new technologies, Taiwan is ranked 18th globally. Notably, Taiwan maintains the top global position in “Total R&D personnel per capita,” while ranking 3rd in “Higher education achievement” and “Total expenditure on R&D (%).” Furthermore, improvements are observed in rankings for indicators such as “Digital/Technological skills” and “Women with degrees.” Recognizing the critical importance of talent and research and development capacity within the Knowledge dimension, future efforts will focus on integrating resources from both government and private sectors to cultivate and attract more digital talents, thereby accumulating research and development capabilities with the aim of consistently enhancing Taiwan’s global ranking.

2.2 In the “Technology” dimension, which primarily evaluates a country’s ability to develop digital innovation technologies, Taiwan is ranked 3rd globally, marking a progress of 3 positions compared to the previous year. Notably, Taiwan maintains the top global position in “IT & media stock market capitalization” and “Mobile broadband subscribers.” Additionally, improvements are seen in rankings for indicators such as “Investment in Telecommunications,” “Communication Technology ,” “Wireless Broadband,” and “Internet bandwidth speed.” These advancements highlight the effectiveness of government initiatives, including subsidies for 5G network construction, guidance and incentives for telecom businesses to expand communication services, and the promotion of 5G frequency and network deployment operations.

2.3 In the “Future Readiness” dimension, which primarily assesses the extent of a country’s digital transformation, Taiwan is ranked 7th globally, marking an improvement of 1 position compared to the previous year. Notably, Taiwan secures the top global position in indicators such as “Agility of companies” and “Use of big data and analytics.” This underscores the advantage of our predominantly small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)-oriented economic structure, demonstrating flexibility and quick responsiveness. The government’s efforts to subsidize digital transformation in SMEs, promote technological innovations such as cloud computing and data analysis, have proven effective. Moreover, there is progress in the “Tablet Adoption Rate” indicator, indicating an increased acceptance and usage of digital tools among the population. This reflects an enhanced level of readiness and acceptance of digital technologies among the general public.

The Ministry of Digital Affairs(moda) has stated that the government will take the IMD report into consideration, assessing Taiwan’s strengths and challenges in digital development across dimensions such as knowledge, technology, and future readiness. The moda is committed to develop the digital economy, promote cyber security, and expand Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to facilitate digital transformation, ultimately enhancing overall digital resilience.

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Date: 2023-11-30
Source: Department of Digital Strategy