| dc.description.abstract | The strategic importance of the information sector and its technologies has increased in developed countries, and it became a pioneering sector and a source of dynamic sources of growth, due to growing its contributions, increasing its returns, its value-added contribution to the total output, and its attraction to investments. This has emerged and crystallized in increasing the capabilities of its firms to compete in the global and local markets, by the continuous raising of the level of quality of its products, and their produced and used technologies, not only in the sector itself, but also in other economic sectors. This has pushed many developing countries to try to cope with this new competition.
All the activities of the fourth industrial revolution, with all its methods, and its modern technological and knowledgeable techniques, including E-commerce, software industry, information systems, big data repositories, and communication networks, are regarded among the most important activities of the sector. As they have the largest contribution in the value-added to the total output in the developed countries. These activities contribute in strengthening and facilitating the building of the digital economic environment, that are suitable for the various community activities.
As for Egypt, although the development of the information sector and its technologies has helped in creating a new model for the formation of economic activities, and has contributed in the consolidation of the concept of a knowledge-based economy. However, the impact of that on the development have not yet been achieved at the level of aspirations (both in terms of inclusion and integration, and in terms of achievement rates in high speeds. This is due to the existence of many challenges that have to be faced, including poverty, ignorance, weak technological infrastructure,and the possibility of exacerbating corruption in light of the growing class inequality in Egypt. In addition, it is worth noting that most of the development initiatives and programs still stem and originate in time from the level of political leadership, before the legislative, or legal, and executive authorities). There are also international deficiencies in issues of information security and cyber sovereignty.
Therefore, in order to face these challenges in Egypt, in light of the contemporary global competitiveness, it is necessary to maximize the benefit of the sector and its digital technologies, which are related to development locally as well as internationally, by addressing the following main axes and dimensions of the study:
1- Monitoring and analyzing the value-added of the information and communication technology sector in Egypt, with the aim of identifying the obstacles and challenges facing it, and the prospects for its development.
2- The determining factors for increasing the value-added of the sector, based on the international experiences. In addition, the economic analysis for these experiences, and the possibility of Egypt to benefit from them to increase the value-added of the sector.
3- Monitoring, analyzing and evaluating the interrelationships between the sector and other economic sectors in Egypt, using the input and output tables, in order to verify the existence of strong and appropriate structural linkages, which help in employing the knowledge-based economy in the service of development.
4- The requirements for digitally qualifying Egypt to face contemporary global competitiveness, with a focus on e-government, and digital transactions with their challenges, obstacles, and legal problems.
5- The exerted efforts and the policies needed to maximize the benefit of the revolution that occurred in the sector, in light of the local environment and global developments. | |
