BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. The Permanent Secretariat of TRACECA [Europe-Caucasus-Asia Transport Corridor] Intergovernmental Commission informed last week about work conducted by the commission to create a single digital ecosystem of the TRACECA member countries, Trend reports.
The ecosystem is planned to be built on the basis of decisions that have already been made in Europe.
The concept of digitalization contains specific recommendations for the practical implementation of the digital ecosystem of the TRACECA member countries.
Besides, the ecosystem will enable to the integration of the local systems of all participating countries of TRACECA into a single system and subsequently exchange data not only with ports on the Caspian Sea but also with the Black Sea ports, as well as data on rail and road transport.
TRACECA also continues to work on the implementation of containerization, digitalization initiatives, and the development and creation of unified conditions for the transportation of goods.
Last week, the sixth edition of the EU Business Climate Survey report said that nearly 85 percent of the EU companies in Azerbaijan in 2021 were increasing the digitalization process as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
According to the report, European companies keep seeking further development of Azerbaijani IT infrastructure as a crucial factor for the digitalization of the private sector. Also, 40 percent of the EU companies think that in order to boost the Azerbaijani IT sector, the digital skills of the sector employees should be developed.
The report also noted that rural areas require special attention, as they suffer from a remarkable gap in digital infrastructure, compared to large cities.
According to last week’s report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), over 60 percent of the Azerbaijani small and medium enterprises (SMEs) increased their digital skills since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report also said that in Azerbaijan, national digitalization strategies are narrowly focused on connectivity issues, the development of e-government services and the development of the ICT sector. Some measures are envisaged to support the development of digital culture and awareness, the development of digital skills among students, the general population and entrepreneurs, as well as the introduction of digital solutions by enterprises in non-ICT sectors.
The EU Business Climate Survey further said that more than 60 percent of small, and 70 percent of medium-sized enterprises increased their online activity over the last two years in Azerbaijan.
According to the report, Azerbaijan's e-commerce sector has developed intensively, which raises an issue of cybersecurity improvement.
The report also noted that Azerbaijan's e-commerce sector recorded continuous growth in 2021, having reached 3.2 million euros from January through November 2021, which is an increase of 78 percent year-on-year.