IT springboard for Hungary’s digital economy

(MTI) – Hungary’s high per-capita value-added sectors, IT among them, could be a springboard for the country to become the region’s most advanced digital economy, according to IT association IKT.

Hungary’s information and communication technology (ICT) industry managed to grow by 4.5 percent even during the economic crisis, the Association of Telecommunication, Informatics and Electronics Businesses said. It now produces 12 percent of Hungary’s GDP.

In 2012, the sector increased its software and services exports by an annual 17 percent to 235 billion forints (EUR 753m). Fifty-nine IT companies active in Hungary had exports value exceeding 100 million forints.

The proportion of value-added production in the sector is 90 percent. The sector had 10,000 vacancies in 2013. Adding 15,000 jobs to the sector would raise Hungary’s GDP by 1 percent, according to the IKT analysis. However, the structure of the current education system is not up to this task as only around 2,500 IT students graduate each year, the same as the replacement level, it added. The association recommends a standardisation of IT studies across the education.

According to the Central Statistical Office, 105,000 people work in the ICT industry.

Photo: www.budaorsiinfo.hu

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters