The expansion of digital infrastructures would enable a productivity growth of more than 61 billion euros in Austria, according to a model calculation in the Austrian Infrastructure Report 2023 presented on Monday. A major hurdle, however, is the lack of IT specialists, which more than two-thirds of companies are suing, according to the survey.
For the current infrastructure report, Peter Hajek Public Opinion Strategies conducted a representative survey of 240 managers of large companies in Austria. This was complemented by qualitative interviews with about 100 Austrian and international experts from politics, business and administration on priorities of the Austrian infrastructure.
Every second company expects more competitiveness and growth and an end to the rural exodus from the 5G broadband expansion. 45 percent expect companies to move, 37 percent expect positive employment effects.
Lack of IT specialists is the biggest hurdle to digitization
More than two-thirds of the companies surveyed complain about a shortage of IT specialists – in 2020 this was 59 percent. 40 percent cite a lack of IT staff and 33 percent a lack of IT qualifications among existing employees as the biggest barriers to digitization. 69 percent expect that recruiting foreign IT staff will become easier, for example through the reform of the red-white-red card.
According to model calculations, the possible productivity growth through the use of new digital applications is more than 15 percent, which would be more than 61 billion euros based on GDP in 2021. All in all, the additional productivity potential from improved infrastructure is more than EUR 72 billion.
Source: Krone
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