2 THE LOCAL ICT LANDSCAPE In the GCI for 2013-2014, Malta has climbed six places and now ranks number 41, out of 148 countries 5. Switzerland, Singapore and Finland are ranked in the top three positions. Compared to other European countries, Malta is placed 17th 6. Among southern European countries, France and Spain performed better than Malta, while Italy, Turkey, Portugal and Cyprus performed worse. The results are encouraging, but there is no room for complacency and Malta should actively strive to improve its competitiveness. A strong digital economy is central to any country’s competitiveness, growth and jobs strategy. Our technological readiness is vital in this regard, with Malta ranking 16th in the Technology Readiness index (Fig. 1). Fig. 1 TECHNOLOGICAL READINESS INDEX MALTA RANKS 16 OUT OF 148 COUNTRIES. (Source: World Economic Forum) 5. 6. 12 Source: The Global Competitiveness Report (2013 – 2014) http://reports.weforum.org/the-global-competitiveness-report-2013-2014/. This ranking takes into consideration European countries that are not members of the EU, such as Switzerland and Norway.