Albania is the only country in the region that does not prioritize the use of technology for human capital development, unlike Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia, and Montenegro, which are considering harnessing the digital revolution to empower people and the workforce.<\/p>\n
This result emerged from a report by the World Economic Forum, based on a survey conducted in about 120 countries worldwide, recently referred to by the Regional Cooperation Council.<\/p>\n
The Fourth Industrial Revolution has created wide-ranging opportunities for businesses and governments worldwide. According to \u201cMarkets of Tomorrow\u201d, which has processed the results of the global survey, three technologies, in particular, are likely to become strategically important in the Western Balkans.<\/p>\n
Firstly, there seems to be a need for greater use of agricultural technologies, including basic techniques such as mechanization and irrigation, up to recent technological developments, such as precision agriculture or the use of agricultural drones. This trend is particularly high in all Western Balkans economies, being the number one priority in Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro, and somewhat less important in Albania, Kosovo, and Bosnia.<\/p>\n
Secondly, the survey considered education and workforce development technologies as a strategic priority for all Western Balkans economies (except Albania), the report points out.<\/p>\n
The use of technology to enhance people\u2019s skills includes computerization, collaboration technologies, artificial intelligence, and blockchain. The importance of this trend is particularly significant according to experts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Montenegro, while somewhat important in Kosovo and Serbia, whereas it is not considered in Albania.<\/p>\n
Thirdly, technologies related to energy storage and generation are expected to become strategically important. While this trend has been reinforced by the conflict in Ukraine, technologies for storage and flexibility are key in the global energy transition. While the importance of this trend varies among the six economies of the Western Balkans, it is higher in Bosnia.<\/p>\n
Overall, companies investing in new technologies can gain a competitive advantage by improving innovation, efficiency, sustainability, market access, and collaboration. However, the level of adoption and investment in technology must be accompanied by education and training programs to ensure that the workforce is equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively adopt and implement new technologies.<\/p>\n
In the Western Balkans, human capital continues to suffer from talent shortages and mismatched skills, exacerbated by both emigration and outdated educational systems. These trends reinforce each other, producing a growing trend of youth unemployment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Albania is the only country in the region that does not prioritize the use of technology for human capital development, unlike Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia, and Montenegro, which are considering harnessing the digital revolution to empower people and the workforce. This result emerged from a report by the World Economic Forum, based on a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":65900,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[153],"tags":[270,6063,150,243,151,586,326],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n