Is Greece Falling Behind in the E-Economy? What is to be Done?

Contributor(s): Effie Bitrou, Dr Charalambos Tsekeris, Professor Calliope Spanou |
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted further – and indeed raised critically – the importance of digital connectivity and digital literacy for economic and societal resilience. From enabling teleworking during times of lock-downs to facilitating social contact with vulnerable or self-isolating individuals, digital connectivity and internet use have become essential prerequisites of everyday life.
Even prior to the pandemic, Greece had been a laggard within the European Union with regard to its digital infrastructure, its internet penetration and its use of e-services (digital economy). As an example, the country ranks 27th out of the 28 EU Member States in the EU Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI 2020). The panel will draw on data from the latest wave of the World Internet Survey to discuss a number of issues related to this: the extent and patterns of internet use; the size of the e-economy and r