Transcript Growing ICT Sector Employment Dr. Tony Murphy Vice President

Growing ICT Sector Employment
Dr. Tony Murphy
Vice President
Gartner
Information And Communications Technology
for Sustainable Development
Dec. 12/13 2004, Abu Dhabi
Ireland’s Achievements
$40 billion ICT exports 2003
World’s second largest software exporter
World ranking #3 per capita GDP
World’s most globalised country last 3 years
Foreign Policy Journal
Population
3.5 million
World’s most desirable place to live and work
Economist Journal
World’s #1foreign affiliates conducting R&D
National Science Foundation Washington
World-Class ICT Achievement
World-class
International
gaps widening
High
Value
RD&C
Competitive
Differentiators
Basic
Requirements
Comms
Cost
Legislative
Infrastructure Effectiveness Support
Basic
Skills
Developing Indigenous Software Enterprises
Time
Value
VC
Stock Listing
International
Sales
Products
Local Sales
Services
Low Margins
Offshore/FDI Accelerators and Inhibitors
Inhibitors
Geopolitical risk
Accelerators
Xenophobia
Unknown countries
Lack of infrastructure
Cheaper labor
Success stories
Need for speed
3-shift work day — follow the sun
Lose
control
Process quality
Spread risk across geographies
Skills shortage
Specific Challenges for the Arab Region
Symptom
Impact
“Mr. 10% syndrome”
Undermines risk-taking
and innovation
Slow and bureaucratic approval
processes
Undermines competitiveness,
deters external investors
Weak teamwork ethic
Team synergies not realised
Authority figures unquestioned
Bad policies and decisions
implemented by default
Specific Opportunities for the Arab Region
Drivers
Opportunity
Arab IT activities have a national Economies of scale and feasibility
rather than regional focus
of new forms of ICT initiatives
Contact and support centres for Local/regional centres which can
Arab customers located externally support other ICT opportunities
Arabisation of software packages Establish localisation skills and
undertaken largely in Europe
reputation
Special requirements for Islamic Move to modular and servicesbanking inadequately addressed oriented international packages
Tiny proportion of Web content is Development/conversion of
Arabic/Islamic
Arabic/Islamic content
Closing Thoughts
• The ICT sector remains among the faster growing sectors globally
• “Bust a gut” to get a flagship project (major MNC)
• A policy of low wages and high financial inducements will not
succeed long-term
• Success calls for planning, co-ordination between many
stakeholders, and a target of continually rising up the value chain
• Other countries have shown what can be achieved in a short time be positive and proactive