Assessing the level of digitalization and robotization in the enterprises of the European Union Member States

Abstract

One of the main reasons for the dynamic global economic development observed in recent years is the process of digitalization, referred to as Industry 4.0. The significance of digitalization for this development is appreciated by the EU-27. In order for these actions to be effective, it is necessary to diagnose the current level of digitalization in the EU-27countries. The article presents the results of the assessment of the level of digitalization of enterprises in the EU-27 countries. An empirical analysis was conducted using 16 determinants which describe the digitalization in a sample of 27 EU countries. Based on the adopted criteria and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution method, these countries were divided into four classes in terms of the level of digitalization. The analysis looked at the size of enterprises and was performed independently for small, medium and large enterprises. The adopted indicators allowed for the analysis of similarity between the EU-27 countries in terms of digitalization, using the Kohonen’s networks. The result of this research was the division of the EU-27 countries into groups, also taking into account the size of studied enterprises. Due to the immensely diverse EU-27 economy, such a huge undertaking as the digital transformation process requires building logical internal "digital coalitions". The designated assessment and similarity between countries creates such opportunities, also in terms of building an effective policy to support these processes by the EU. This increases the chances of success of joint ventures and building a sustainable European community based on the latest technologies.

An Assessment of China’s Digital Trade Development and Influencing Factors

“…Third, the present study demonstrates an innovative application of the entropy–TOPSSI model for the assessment of a country’s digital trade development level. Other studies have mostly used the TOPSIS model to evaluate socioeconomical phenomena ( Watrobski et al, 2016 ; Beyaz and Yıldırım, 2020 ; Brodny and Tutak, 2021a ). The combination of the entropy weight method and TOPSIS model leads to more objective assessments that serve as an example for the researchers in digital trade field.…”

Business Digital Maturity in Europe and Its Implication for Open Innovation

“…This concept, as a strategic initiative of the German government, was adopted as part of the action plan "High-Tech Strategy 2020" in 2011 to revolutionize the production process [18,19]. Thus, the idea of Industry 4.0 encompasses the digital transformation of the entire industrial, service, and consumer markets, from the emergence of smart manufacturing to the digitization of all of the channels necessary for the flow of all resources and value [20][21][22][23]. So far, nine core technology pillars have been identified and have been shown to have a significant impact on industrial and service activities in this regard.…”

The Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Blockchain in True Cost Accounting for Energy Transition in Europe

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“…The Netherlands, Poland, and Germany energy markets were selected for the study. Poland and the Netherlands are among the least sustainable European energy markets [80] but show contrasting trends in industry 4.0 developments; the Netherlands is one of the most advanced, Poland the least [10,11]. Germany, in contrast, is currently reducing the amount of CO 2 emissions significantly and is on the way to becoming the pioneer in renewable energy [81].…”

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