Publicação
Assessing firms’ AI readiness across economic sectors: Evidence from the European Union
| Resumo: | The uneven diffusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) among firms presents a critical challenge to the economic cohesion and competitiveness of the European Union. While AI's transformative potential is clear, a comprehensive understanding of its adoption patterns across the EU's nations and diverse sectors was lacking. This paper addresses this gap by investigating the underlying dimensions of firms' AI readiness and assessing the extent of its heterogeneity. Using a sequential methodology on comprehensive Eurostat enterprise data, the study first employs Principal Component Analysis to demonstrate that the European AI landscape can be defined by two distinct dimensions: AI Adoption & Development, reflecting strategic AI implementation and specialization, and Digital Infrastructure & Capabilities, representing foundational digital maturity. Subsequent Cluster Analysis on these dimensions reveals a clear typology of five distinct profiles describing various states of digital maturity: Digital Laggards, Infrastructure Builders, AI Adopters, Digital Leaders, and ICT Vanguards. The existence of these profiles confirms that firms follow divergent strategic pathways. The primary contribution of this research is the creation of an evidence-based framework that allows for a shift away from one-size-fits-all policies. By revealing a clear typology of five distinct profiles – ranging from laggards grappling with foundational deficits to vanguards pushing the technological frontier – this framework provides a vital tool for designing targeted strategies. These tailored interventions can support firms at different readiness levels, fostering more equitable and sustainable AI-driven growth across the European Union by addressing specific challenges and sharpening competitive advantages. |
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| Autores principais: | Rodrigues, Constança Filipa Ferreira |
| Assunto: | AI Readiness Digital Divide Firm Heterogeneity European AI Strategy ICT Specialists SDG 8 - Decent work and economic growth SDG 9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructure SDG 10 - Reduced inequalities |
| Ano: | 2025 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso embargado |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade Nova de Lisboa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Repositório Institucional da UNL |
| Resumo: | The uneven diffusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) among firms presents a critical challenge to the economic cohesion and competitiveness of the European Union. While AI's transformative potential is clear, a comprehensive understanding of its adoption patterns across the EU's nations and diverse sectors was lacking. This paper addresses this gap by investigating the underlying dimensions of firms' AI readiness and assessing the extent of its heterogeneity. Using a sequential methodology on comprehensive Eurostat enterprise data, the study first employs Principal Component Analysis to demonstrate that the European AI landscape can be defined by two distinct dimensions: AI Adoption & Development, reflecting strategic AI implementation and specialization, and Digital Infrastructure & Capabilities, representing foundational digital maturity. Subsequent Cluster Analysis on these dimensions reveals a clear typology of five distinct profiles describing various states of digital maturity: Digital Laggards, Infrastructure Builders, AI Adopters, Digital Leaders, and ICT Vanguards. The existence of these profiles confirms that firms follow divergent strategic pathways. The primary contribution of this research is the creation of an evidence-based framework that allows for a shift away from one-size-fits-all policies. By revealing a clear typology of five distinct profiles – ranging from laggards grappling with foundational deficits to vanguards pushing the technological frontier – this framework provides a vital tool for designing targeted strategies. These tailored interventions can support firms at different readiness levels, fostering more equitable and sustainable AI-driven growth across the European Union by addressing specific challenges and sharpening competitive advantages. |
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