Technology as a factor of competitiveness: recent international performance indicators

Abstract

Under rapid technological advances, the processes of research, development and innovation play a crucial role for Salvadoran industries as a factor of international competitiveness; however, El Salvador is one of the world economies with the least investment on research and development (R&D) in relation to GDP. Another indicator that makes perceptible the country´s gap on science, technology and innovation is the lag in the number of articles in scientific and technical publications.

On the other hand, globally, an economic trend and potential opportunity is the so-called fourth industrial-digital revolution; in which, the information and communication technologies (ICT) will play a key role in the productivity and competitiveness of many sectors, as well as in the development of new activities of greater technological intensity. In the Network Readiness Index 2015 of the World Economic Forum, El Salvador upgraded its world ranking by escalating from the 93th position to the 80th among 143 countries. However, the key terms in this index such as Internet access in the population, to reduce the digital gap should improve. As well as, the need for greater investment in R&D in the business and academic sectors and, at the same time, the need of renovated public policies to strengthen the digital economy and the knowledge society that could lead to a productive transformation in El Salvador.

Entorno, may 2016, issue 61: 68-75