Digitalisation landscape in the European Union: Statistical insights for a Digital Transformation
Panorama de la digitalización en la Unión Europea: Perspectivas estadísticas para una Transformación Digital
Palabras clave:
digital transformation, European Union, digitalisation, digital divide, factor analysis, cluster analysisResumen
The widespread adoption of digital technologies is transforming societies, bringing with it both opportunities and challenges. This article examines the level of digitalisation in different European Union (EU) countries, with the aim of providing insights and lessons for advancing digital transformation. The research methodology uses a quantitative approach, with Eurostat as the primary data source. Principal component and cluster analyses were conducted to identify the key factors shaping digital transformation in the EU-27 countries. The results show the existence of three key factors that can help to understand digital transformation in the EU, namely “digital empowerment”, “digitalisation of enterprises” and “broadband access”, and four clusters with heterogeneous performances along these dimensions, classified as “digital access leaders”, “digital transformation champions”, “digital empowerment laggards” and “empowerment driven disparities”. By recognising interdependencies and understanding each country's digital performance, policymakers can develop targeted strategies to close the gap and ensure that the benefits of digitalisation are accessible to all. An integrated approach focusing on digital empowerment, enterprise digitalisation and broadband access can promote inclusive and sustainable digital development, contributing to economic growth and improved quality of life.
Resumen
La adopción generalizada de las tecnologías digitales está transformando las sociedades, trayendo consigo tanto oportunidades como retos. Este artículo examina y analiza el nivel de digitalización en diferentes países de la Unión Europea (UE), con el objetivo de aportar ideas y lecciones para avanzar en la transformación digital. La metodología de investigación utiliza un enfoque cuantitativo, con Eurostat como fuente primaria de datos. Se realizaron análisis de componentes principales y de conglomerados para identificar los factores clave que configuran la transformación digital en los países de la UE-27. Los resultados muestran la existencia de tres factores clave que pueden ayudar a comprender la transformación digital en la UE, la "capacitación digital", la "digitalización de las empresas" y el "acceso de banda ancha", y cuatro grupos con resultados heterogéneos en estas dimensiones, clasificados como "líderes del acceso digital", "campeones de la transformación digital", "rezagados de la capacitación digital" y "disparidades impulsadas por la capacitación". Al reconocer las interdependencias y comprender el rendimiento digital de cada país, los responsables políticos pueden desarrollar estrategias específicas para cerrar la brecha y garantizar que los beneficios de la digitalización sean accesibles para todos. Un enfoque integrado centrado en el empoderamiento digital, la digitalización de las empresas y el acceso a la banda ancha puede promover un desarrollo digital inclusivo y sostenible que contribuya al crecimiento económico y a la mejora de la calidad de vida.
Palabras clave: transformación digital; Unión Europea; digitalización; brecha digital; análisis factorial; análisis de conglomerados.
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