Switzerland has reached fifth place in the “IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking” by the Institute for Management Development (IMD). This is one rank higher than in 2021 and shows the country's growing digital competitiveness. The top ten in this ranking are distinguished by several trends, including the efficient use of digital talent, education and research as main drivers of digital growth, and the increasing importance of robotics in the educational process.
Switzerland owes its rise primarily to the knowledge factor, which includes the necessary know-how to discover, understand and develop new technologies. It is in the top 10 for all sub-factors in the area of knowledge and reaches second place for talent and eighth place for scientific concentration and training and further education.
In the area of technology, Switzerland ranks twelfth for capital and eleventh for technological framework conditions. The regulatory framework has improved slightly.
However, there are also areas in which Switzerland needs to catch up. The availability of digital skills is viewed less positively than last year, and Switzerland has fallen to 18th place. The number of university graduates in the natural sciences, women with university degrees, female researchers and R&D productivity are also comparatively low.
When it comes to cybersecurity, Switzerland ranks 27th out of 63 in terms of government capacity and 15th in terms of the importance of cybersecurity for managers. It ranks 18th for e-participation and 16th for e-government.
The Director of IMD's World Competitiveness Center emphasizes that the introduction of a digital identity program will be a key success factor in the future to become a fully developed digital nation. Countries like Denmark and Singapore can serve as role models in this area.