67 per cent of Cyprus businesses have elementary use of digital technology

Sixty seven per cent of Cyprus businesses, and 55 per cent across Europe, had achieved an elementary level use of digital technology in 2021, a Eurostat report shows.

Elementary level is defined as the use of at least four of a total of 12 measured digital technologies (such as the use of artificial intelligence or a level of at least one per cent of sales coming from electronic transactions).

One of the objectives of the EU Digital Compass policy is for at least 90 per cent of SMEs in the EU to have at least a basic level of digital intensity by 2030.

In Cyprus 33 per cent of businesses are in the category of very low digital intensity (44 per cent EU average), 41 per cent low digital intensity (34 per cent in the EU), 23 per cent in the category of high digital intensity (19 per cent in the EU) and three per cent in the category of very high digital intensity (three per cent in the EU).

In relation to company size, 66 per cent of SMEs in Cyprus had achieved the basic level of digital intensity in 2021 (55 per cen% in the EU), compared to 96 per cent of large enterprises (88 per cent in the EU).The highest percentages of companies in the high category of the index were recorded in Finland, Denmark and Malta (10 per cent in all three) and Sweden (nine per cent). At the other end of the scale, in Romania and Bulgaria 77 per cent and 74 per cent of businesses respectively were of very low digital intensity. The same report said that the adoption of digital technologies can increase competitiveness, while as seen during the pandemic, it is critical to improving the financial viability of businesses.