The ICT Landscape in Brazil, India and China

Abstract

The Information Society Unit at IPTS (European Commission) has been investigating the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector and ICT R&D in Asia for several years. This research exercise led to three reports, written by national experts, on China, India and Taiwan, each one including a dataset and a technical annex. This report offers a synthesis on three out of the four BRIC countries (Brazil, India, Russia, China). The report describes, for each of the three countries (Brazil, India, China), its ICT sector, and gives a company level assessment. It also analyses Indian ICT R&D strategies, and assesses the innovation model. In 2010, BRIC countries accounted for 13% of global demand, with spending of about €328 billion in ICT (EITO, 2011). Therefore, they are becoming major players as producers of ICT goods and services. China has become the world’s largest producer of ICT products (exports of ICT increased fourfold between 2004 and 2008). This impressive growth of the ICT market is translated into R&D expenditures and output. Innovative capability in Asia has grown, the dynamics in terms of catching up are strong. Asian countries are increasingly present in the ICT R&D global landscape.