Spain beats Russia and China in world 'digital development', says United Nations

SPAIN is better prepared for the global expansion of new and emerging technologies such as 5G, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data than giants like Russia and China, according to the United Nations' Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Internet of Things, Blockchain, 3D printing, robotics, drones, genetic editing, nanotechnology and solar energy are some of the current and future technologies analysed in the Launch Technology and Innovation Report 2021, which revealed that the world market was worth US$350 billion in 2018 and, by the middle of the 2020s, is likely to move up to 10 times that amount – around US$3.2 trillion, of which US$1.5bn in Internet of Things and US$500 million in robotics.

Of the 158 countries ranked, Spain comes 21st, whilst the USA, Switzerland and UK, in that order, head up the list.

Spain scored particularly highly in research and development, coming 14th worldwide, and for its 'healthy' telecomms industry, which came 16th out of the 158.

Some of Spain's poorer positions came from its skill base in these new sectors (22nd), facilities for financing new technologies (25th) and general development of its digital industries (39th).

Whilst Spain still lags behind parts of northern Europe – such as the UK (3rd), The Netherlands (6th), Germany (9th) and France (13th), it was comfortably ahead of Italy (24th), China (25th), Russia (27th) and India (43rd). 

UNCTAD's report sought to highlight how new technologies were widening the economic gap between developed and developing countries – an inequality that has been getting bigger since the various and successive industrial revolutions began changing the financial face of their societies in the last 250 years.

Secretary-General of UNCTAD Isabell Durant, presenting the report, stressed that it is 'essential' for developing countries not to fall behind in latest-generation technology use, as this would worsen global inequality.

She called for countries and companies to prepare themselves as well as possible to avoid this, pointing out that although modern digital tools present 'huge opportunities', they also bring 'great challenges', such as the risk of technology replacing humans 'on a major scale' in the job markets, and workers' rights suffering as a result.

Ms Durant highlighted the 'fundamental rôle' of governments in making the process smoother, especially through creating an environment where technology and people can flourish alongside each other and in 'guaranteeing that the benefits of these technologies are shared equally among everyone'.