Petar Mrdović, an International Relations graduate and European Studies Master’s student at the Faculty of Social Sciences (University of Ljubljana), published a policy brief on the role of digitalisation in transforming Western Balkan societies as part of the WB2EU project. The author outlines the opportunities that digitalisation presents for economic and social development of the region. He also discusses the security threats related to digitalisation and possible prevention measures. He then describes the role of European Union and other international actors in the region’s digitalisation, as well as identifies several local and regional factors inhibiting digitalisation in the Western Balkans. These include the gap between rural and urban environments, regional fragmentation and lack of digitalisation policies, poor infrastructure and digital illiteracy.
The policy brief is freely accessible here.
