Azerbaijan is working to close the gender gap in the tech sector, and EU4Digital is supporting its efforts.

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is one of the fastest growing sectors in Armenia. In 2018, Software and Services and Internet Service Providers accounted for 7.4% of Armenia's GDP of $12.4 billion, up from 3.6% of GDP in 2013.

The Ukrainian IT market has recently been growing by 30% a year. But the “digital boom” is accompanied by various challenges: brain drain, more complex regulation, gender gap and weak support infrastructure for new projects. However, this can be improved by local industry leaders, as well as Kyiv’s partners from the European Union.

Information technology has become increasingly present in the Republic of Moldova in recent years. As both public and business have adopted innovations, so external partners have also contributed to the digital transformation in the country, with projects such as the European Union’s EU4Digital initiative.

Just 12% of women in Georgia are employed in science, technology and engineering, but increasing numbers are getting involved as Georgia develops its innovation ecosystems with the help of partners like the European Union.

As part of its efforts to support the establishment of a common legislative framework on ICT innovation in the Eastern Partnership region, EU4Digital has analysed EU best practices in the area of Digitising industry (digital transformation of SMEs in traditional sectors), selected as a priority policy area in Belarus.

EU4Digital has developed a review of EU best practices in the area of 'New organisational forms for supporting ICT Innovation', selected as a priority policy area in Azerbaijan, but with a particular resonance for the whole region.

An IT empowerment programme is helping women and girls in Moldova to prepare for careers in tech.

The EU4Digital ICT innovation team has performed a gap analysis in the policy area of IPR management for digital innovations in Armenia, based on EU best practices, to be followed by tailored policy recommendations and an action plan for their implementation.

With researchers racing to understand COVID-19, and with people working and studying from home in many countries, national research and education network (NREN) organisations are providing tools and services to support these activities, with the help of EaPConnect

What makes a good digital innovation ecosystem for start-ups? What are the key ingredients and how can they be brought together to optimise ICT innovation among businesses? These are the key questions that EU4Digital has been addressing in its review of EU best practices in ‘ICT innovation ecosystems for start-ups and scale-ups’.

What are the gaps between the Eastern Partnership countries and the European Union in the area of access to finance for digital innovation SMEs? The EU4Digital Facility highlights EU best practices, on the basis of which gap analysis, policy recommendations and an action plan will be drawn up for Georgia and Ukraine.