Risks affecting the development of the information society in the Republic of Moldova

Abstract

In the digital age, the development of information societies, far from being a linear process, is exposed to risks that are considerable in countries with emerging economies, including South-Eastern European ones. Foresight studies are recognised as being useful in generating the kind of actionable knowledge required by exerting multi-stakeholder governance of such societal processes in a precautionary way. This paper presents the outcomes of a first round of a Delphi survey undertaken in 2011 on the risks affecting the development of the information society in the Republic of Moldova; a customised methodology was adopted in designing the questionnaire, most items being peculiar to the decision-type Delphi. The survey outcomes indicated that Republic of Moldova's information society actually reached a mid-range stage between disarticulated and world leader, on a scale based upon the International Telecommunications Union's 8 Cs framework. The development of the country's information society was rated as a top priority of the current public agenda that also stands in the medium- and long-term future and is steadily supported by the state, although mainly in declarative terms. The most severe risk identified is that of the country's research system and higher education system keeping functioning in a barely survival regime, under-financed and loosely coupled; in turn, the main vulnerability deemed to affect Republic of Moldova's participation in the European Union's 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (2007-2013) consist of the insufficient attractiveness of income and academic career prospects domestically available to young professionals.