The European Commission has published the results of the 2022 Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), which measures the progress of EU Member States towards a digital economy and society, on the basis of both Eurostat data and specialised studies and collection methods.

According to this analysis, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Member States have been advancing in their digitalisation efforts but still struggle to close the gaps in digital skills, the digital transformation of SMEs, and the roll-out of advanced 5G networks. The Recovery and Resilience Facility, with about €127 billion dedicated to reforms and investments in the area of digital, offers an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate the digital transformation, which the EU and its Member States cannot afford to miss.

Furthermore, the findings of this analysis show that, while most of the Member States are making progress in their digital transformation, the adoption of key digital technologies by businesses, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data remains low. In addition, the index highlights that efforts need to be stepped up to ensure the full deployment of connectivity infrastructure (notably 5G) that is required for highly innovative services and applications. Digital skills is another important area where Member States need to make bigger progress.