Education has always been a driving force behind economic prosperity. However, this has become especially important in a globalized knowledge-and new-technology-based economy. The research presented in this paper focuses on the relationship between ICT, population education, and economic growth and development. The analysis of this relationship is based on the latest data collected from relevant national and international institutions. The results obtained from a survey conducted at the Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade, are also analyzed. The paper highlights the challenges faced by the education systems in general, and the education system of the Republic of Serbia in particular, confronted with the new wave of technological innovation which is fundamentally changing the nature of work and imposing new requirements with regard to the necessary knowledge and skills. Our research results indicate that ICT and education have been recognized by the Government of the Republic of Serbia as the important determinants of economic and the overall social development. UVODInformaciono-komunikacione tehnologije (IKT) dramatično menjaju svet, omogućavajući bolje veze između ljudi i zajednica, inovacije i rast produktivnosti, kao i povećanje životnog standarda stanovništva na globalnom nivou. Uporedo sa promenom međuljudske interakcije i poslovanja, IKT su se pokazale i kao ključni preduslov za ekonomsku i društvenu modernizaciju, jačanje konkurentnosti, ali i kao bitan element u cilju prevazilaženja društvenih i ekonomskih podela (WEF, 2011, 6).

Composite indices have recently become a very popular measure for tracking the progress of national economies. One of them is Legatum Prosperity Index (LPI), a relatively new and comprehensive indicator, which describes in a unique way the level and the dynamics of prosperity in the countries across the world. In this paper, prosperity of European Union and Western Balkan states during the last ten years was analyzed and its drivers investigated, using data for LPI. Also, analysis was performed of the relationships of LPI with GDP per capita and Human Development Index, as well as of the deviation of LPI level from the one that could be expected based on GDP per capita level for each observed country. In addition, the paper examines convergence/divergence between developing European countries and old EU members according to the level of LPI and the key dimensions and components of this indicator. Results indicate that new member states have the most room for improvement in the Institutional dimension, or more precisely in the Personal Freedom component, whereas Western Balkan countries could speed up their prosperity by investing more into Environment, as well as into Education, Health, and Personal Freedom.

Previous empirical researches have mostly confirmed the existence of positive impact of transport infrastructure investments on economic growth of national economies. There are a very few researches carried out at the lower levels of territorial units, mostly at the levels of NUTS-1 or NUTS-2 statistical regions. The aim of this paper is to analyse economic effects of transport infrastructure development at even lower level of territorial units, i.e. at the level of NUTS-3 statistical regions. The paper compares economic performances of the TENT European regions characterized by developed core trans-European road and rail transport network, with economic performances of other regions without the core network. A significant difference in favour of the TENT regions was identified, both in the case of gross value added of the entire economy and gross value added of the manufacturing industry. No significant differences were identified in terms of the employment rate. On the other hand, the labour productivity is higher in the TENT regions, primarily in the manufacturing industry, as a direct consequence of reducing transport time and transport costs.

In this paper the aim is to identify key drivers that have contributed the most to the prosperity of European Union and Western Balkan countries in the 2007-2016 period. Empirical analysis is based on data for cumulative growth rate of values of nine original Legatum Prosperity Index (LPI) pillars and on implementation of Multivariate Data Analysis. Using Principal Component Analysis, four principal components are obtained and we named them: Economic Environment, Social Infrastructure, Institutional Framework and Life Conditions. Based on standardised score values of four new variables, we distinguish the countries that had the highest positive and negative score in each component. With cluster analysis based on LPI pillars growth rates, four clusters of countries have been formed: the first cluster consists of three Western Balkan countries, the second and third of, respectively, ten and four mostly new EU member state countries, and fourth of fourteen predominantly "old" EU member countries. The analysis points out the fundamental drivers of prosperity in countries belonging to different clusters according to changes in values of nine LPI pillars in the previous decade. In all observed countries it is possible to identify certain similarities in the change of components of prosperity, as they are EU members or candidates for membership.

After Second World War (WWII) a true evolution in understanding of economic development happened, which affected the ways of measuring prosperity, i.e. perceiving changes in people’s welfare. Numerous indicators have been created, which go ‘beyond GDP’ and cover different aspects of development and well-being. The aim of this paper is to analyse prosperity convergence in 32 European countries with a composite indicator – Legatum Prosperity Index (LPI). LPI is more complete than other indicators used in convergence analysis and reflects multidimensional nature of modern development and prosperity. Our research of absolute beta convergence is based on cross-sectional and panel data. Results indicate the existence of convergence in the overall index and its constitutive parts – dimensions and pillars, with different convergence speed regarding LPI and its segments for the total sample of countries, as well as for the countries of Eastern and Western Europe.