CONCERNS RAISED AT WCIT 2010 OVER ICT PROGRESS IN EUROPE

From Siti Hawa Othman

AMSTERDAM, May 26 (Bernama) –- The World Congress on Information Technology
2010 (WCIT) opened on a positive note here Wednesday but with a tinge of concern
over the progress of information and communications technology (ICT) in Europe.

Spanish Secretary of State for Telecommunications Francisco Ros Peran said
ICT in Europe continued to lag in terms of research and development and
competitiveness.

He said this was because the sector only accounted for five per cent of the
European Union's (EU) gross domestic product (GDP) and 50 per cent of
productivity growth as compared to the United State’s ICT contribution of 6.5
per cent to the GDP and 63 per cent of productivity growth.

“But we are making up and working with the European Commission to turn
things
around,” he said.

He said the future of competitiveness would be measured by the ability to
facilitate the widespread take-up of ICT.


Therefore, investing in the economy was fundamental and the need to
prioritise the European Digital Agenda to invigorate the economy and
productivity, he said.

European Commission vice-president Neelie Kroes also shared Peran’s views
that Europe was lagging behind the US, adding that its broadband was also
slower than some countries in Asia.

“We need to step up. ICT is already a policy issue as it is creative,
innovative and closer to the people and it makes a difference,” she said in her
keynote address.

She said the recent financial crisis had exposed the weaknesses in Europe’s
economy and without the proper use of ICT, it could become a broken economy in
future.

Kroes said the situation needed to be fixed and said it could get fresh
inputs and guidance from the younger generation.

Meanwhile, WCIT 2010, which saw 2,500 delegates from 90 countries attending,
was opened by Maria van der Hoeven, Minister of Economic Affairs of the
Netherlands.

–- BERNAMA


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