Publication CEPYME500 2017

#DIGITAL ECONOMY SECTOR
ANTONIO CIMORRA
DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES, DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT AND STUDIES OF AMETIC
“Technology companies play
a key role in the much needed
digital transformation”
How has the sector evolved over the past year?
Last year, and for the third consecutive year, the
Spanish technology sector has registered a positive
evolution in its main market indicators. Citing some
concrete data of AMETIC's own elaboration, which
corroborate this affirmation, the specific context of
the Information Technology companies in our country
recorded a 3.3% growth in its turnover in 2016, compared
to the previous year, although with inequalities
in each of its segments. We find a stalemate or even a
setback with regard to the sale of equipment, in contrast
to significant growth in sales of software applications
and, above all, technological services.
At this point of 2017, everything seems to indicate that
we will maintain a similar growth trend that will consolidate
the activity of the companies of this sector.
What do you think are the main problems which the
companies within the sector face?
In this sense, we can say that the dynamism of the sector
and the speed at which developments and technological
advances take place do not match the education
offer and its qualifications or the downward trend
recorded in the number of new registrations of students
in science and other technical subjects.
In other words, we should highlight the problem derived
from the lack of true knowledge and information on the
use of technologies by the business fabric, especially
that of the SMEs, as well as their need to incorporate
them as a tool, not just for development and competitiveness,
but even for survival.
We could complete this review on the main problems
regarding the digital context citing that, despite the
widespread awareness of its importance and their positive
impact as an engine of growth, we have not been
able to make it a political priority for our governments,
nor that their respective leaders assume the impulse of
the digital project in a personal way.
One of the main problems that the technology sector
currently faces is the shortage of certain professional
profiles with specialisations in certain knowledge
areas.
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