A
new report by the World Economic Forum says that the
US has lost its position as the world''s primary engine
of technology innovation. The US is now ranked seventh
in the rankings measuring the impact of technology on
the development of nations.
Denmark,
followed by Sweden head the list followed by Singapore,
Finland, Switzerland and the Netherlands ahead of the
US. Iceland, the UK and Norway are the other among the
top 10.
According
to the report, the decline in the political and regulatory
environment in the US was responsible for the fall.
Countries
were judged on the integration of technology in business,
the infrastructure available, government policy favourable
for fostering a culture of innovation and progress and
leadership in promoting the usage of the latest information
technology tools.
The
sixth annual ranking of the Networked Readiness Index
published by the World Economic Forum with the Paris-based
business school Insead, evaluated the progress of 122
economies worldwide.
Despite
losing its top position, the US still maintained a strong
focus on innovation, driven by one of the world''s best
tertiary education systems and its high degree of co-operation
with industry, the report said.
While
countries from Asia and the Pacific continued to improve
their rankings, China and India''s rankings declined.
India declined from 40
in 2005 to 44 in 20-06, thanks to weak infrastructure
and a very low level of individual usage of personal
computers and the internet.
China
slid to 59th place, down nine positions, with information
technology uptake in Chinese firms lagging.
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