Imagining people’s functions in everyday life and work without the use of ICT, seems difficult. Their application is ubiquitous everywhere, regardless of which aspect it is viewed from, because it has a strong function in ensuring the competitiveness of various systems at the micro and macro levels. Numerous national and multinational strategies try to encourage educational systems to put a greater focus on ICT to more efficiently acquire skills, competencies, and knowledge, which should represent added value to all generations in the future. This article analyzes the progress of the ICT development index (IDI) in Scandinavian countries by comparing these countries in the European region. It is known that the Scandinavian countries belong to that part of the countries that have recognized the importance of involving ICT in education programs, which improves the economy of a certain country. Given this, the research reveals how ICTs play a key role in improving socio-economic development in Scandinavian countries.

Alrawadieh, Z., Alrawadieh, Z., & Cetin, G. (2020). Digital transformation and revenue management: Evidence from the hotel industry. Tourism Economics, 27(2), 328–345. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816620901928

Annual Report on Taxation - European Commission. (2023). Available online: https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/taxation-1/economic-analysis-taxation/annual-report-taxation_en (accessed on 12 March 2024).

Aras, G., & Mutlu Yıldırım, F. (2021). Development of capitals in integrated reporting and weighting representative indicators with entropy approach. Social Responsibility Journal, 18(3), 551–572. https://doi.org/10.1108/srj-11-2020-0447

Aslam, U. (2023). Understanding the usability of retail fashion brand chatbots: Evidence from customer expectations and experiences. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 74, 103377. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103377

Atkinson, R. D. (2020). Understanding the U.S. National Innovation System, Available online: https://itif.org/publications/2020/11/02/understanding-us-national-innovation-system-2020/ (accessed on 28 March 2023).

Aw, E. C.-X., Tan, G. W.-H., Cham, T.-H., et al. (2022). Alexa, what’s on my shopping list? Transforming customer experience with digital voice assistants. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 180, 121711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121711

Domínguez Castillo, J. G., Cisneros Cohernour, E. J., Suaste Escalante, M. A., et al. (2019). Reducing the Digital Divide in Vulnerable Communities in Southeastern Mexico. PUBLICACIONES, 49(2), 133–149. https://doi.org/10.30827/publicaciones.v49i2.9305

Chaidi, I., Drigas, A., & Karagiannidis, C. (2021). ICT in special education. Technium Social Sciences Journal, 23, 187–198. https://doi.org/10.47577/tssj.v23i1.4277

Christensson, A., Gerson, N., & Wallin, E. (2013). A Mapping of Scandinavian Smart Grid Development in the Distribution System from an ICT perspective. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-124208 (accessed on 28 March 2023).

Deng, F., Liu, C., & Liang, X. (2017). Measurement of Regional Agricultural Sustainable Development System Based on Dissipative Structure Theory: A Case Study in Sichuan Province, China. Sustainability, 9(11), 2047. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9112047

Digital Economy Report 2021. (2021).Available online: https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/der2021_en.pdf (accessed on 28 March 2023).

Du, X., Zhang, H., & Han, Y. (2022). How Does New Infrastructure Investment Affect Economic Growth Quality? Empirical Evidence from China. Sustainability, 14(6), 3511. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063511

Erguzen, A., Erdal, E., & Ünver, M. (2018). Big Data Challenges and Opportunities in Distance Education. 6. Erika. (2021, November 30). Facts and Figures 2021: 2.9 billion people are still offline. https://etradeforall.org/news/facts-and-figures-2021-2-9-billion-people-still-offline/(accessed on 28 March 2023).

Erkhembaatar, N., & Otgonbayar, B. (2021). Entropy weight method for evaluating indicators of ict development index. https://doi.org/10.24327/ijcar.2020.23504.4654 (accessed on 28 March 2023).

ESCAP. (2021). Inequality in access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) in East and North-East Asia and South-East Asia. (n.d.). Available online: https://www.unescap.org/kp/2021/inequality-access-information-and-communication-technologies-icts-east-and-north-east-asia (accessed on 12 March 2024).

Fernández-Portillo, A., Almodóvar-González, M., & Hernández-Mogollón, R. (2020). Impact of ICT development on economic growth. A study of OECD European union countries. Technology in Society, 63, 101420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2020.101420

Fischer, T., Smith, M., & Valk, J.-H. (2013). E-Government for Development: ICTs in the Public Sector and the Evolving Citizen-Government Relationship. In Connecting ICTs to Development: The IDRC Experience (pp. 215-240). (accessed on 12 March 2024).

Gasco-Hernandez, M., Nasi, G., Cucciniello, M., et al. (2022). The role of organizational capacity to foster digital transformation in local governments: The case of three European smart cities. Urban Governance, 2(2), 236–246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ugj.2022.09.005

Gärtner, S., & Prado, S. (2016). Unlocking the Social Trap: Inequality, Trust and the Scandinavian Welfare State. Social Science History, 40(1), 33–62. https://doi.org/10.1017/ssh.2015.80

Gerpott, T. J., & Ahmadi, N. (2015). Composite indices for the evaluation of a country’s information technology development level: Extensions of the IDI of the ITU. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 98, 174–185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2015.03.012

Hatlevik, I. K. R., & Hatlevik, O. E. (2018). Examining the Relationship Between Teachers’ ICT Self-Efficacy for Educational Purposes, Collegial Collaboration, Lack of Facilitation and the Use of ICT in Teaching Practice. Frontiers in Psychology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00935

Hunady, J., Pisár, P., Vugec, D. S., et al. (2022). Digital Transformation in European Union: North is leading, and South is lagging behind. International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management, 10(4), 39–56. https://doi.org/10.12821/ijispm100403

International Telecommunication Union Digital Watch Observatory. (1865). Available online: https://dig.watch/actor/international-telecommunication-union (accessed on 11 October 2022).

ITU 2017 Global ICT Development Index. (2017). Available online: https://www.itu.int/net4/ITU-D/idi/2017/#idi2017economycard-tab&DNK (accessed on 28 March 2023).

Jacobsson, M., & Linderoth, H. C. J. (2021). Newly graduated students’ role as ambassadors for digitalisation in construction firms. Construction Management and Economics, 39(9), 759–772. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2021.1955398

Jacobsson, M., Linderoth, H. C. J., & Rowlinson, S. (2017). The role of industry: an analytical framework to understand ICT transformation within the AEC industry. Construction Management and Economics, 35(10), 611–626. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2017.1315148

Khalid, B., & Naumova, E. (2021). Digital transformation SCM in view of Covid-19 from Thailand SMEs perspective (pp. 49-66).

Khetarpal, A. (2014). Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Disability. Review of Market Integration, 6(1), 96–113. https://doi.org/10.1177/0974929214560117

Koivunen, K., Schaap, L. A., Hoogendijk, E. O., et al. (2022). Exploring the conceptual framework and measurement model of intrinsic capacity defined by the World Health Organization: A scoping review. Ageing Research Reviews, 80, 101685. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2022.101685

Matsudaira, T., & Koh, J. (2022). Customs Administration and Digitalization. In Customs Matters, Chapter 7, International Monetary Fund. Available online: https://www.elibrary.imf.org/display/book/9798400200120/CH007.xml (accessed on 12 March 2024).

Measuring ICT: the global status of ICT indicators Eldis. (2023). Available online: https://eldis.org/document/A64013 (accessed on 28 March 2023).

Mercurio, E., García-López, E., Morales-Quintero, L. A., et al. (2020). Adolescent Brain Development and Progressive Legal Responsibility in the Latin American Context. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00627

Mi, J., Huang, W., Chen, M., et al. (2021). A Method of Entropy Weight Quantitative Risk Assessment for the Safety and Security Integration of a Typical Industrial Control System. IEEE Access, 9, 90919–90932. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2021.3091136

Mobaraki, B., Lozano-Galant, F., Soriano, R., et al. (2021). Application of Low-Cost Sensors for Building Monitoring: A Systematic Literature Review. Buildings, 11(8), 336. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11080336

Muszyńska-Spielauer, M. M., & Spielauer, M. (2023). The effect of sample attrition in the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions on the estimates of Eurostat’s Healthy Life Years. European Journal of Public Health, 33(3), 378–380. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckad069

Niepostyn, S. J., & Daszczuk, W. B. (2023). Entropy as a Measure of Consistency in Software Architecture. Entropy, 25(2), 328. https://doi.org/10.3390/e25020328

OECD. (2014). Measuring the Digital Economy. Available online: https://search.oecd.org/publications/measuring-the-digital-economy-9789264221796-en.htm (accessed on 28 March 2023).

OECD. (2023). Regional Well-Being-How is life? Available online: https://oecdregionalwellbeing.org (accessed on 30 March 2023).

Pizam, A., Ozturk, A. B., Balderas-Cejudo, A., et al. (2022). Factors affecting hotel managers’ intentions to adopt robotic technologies: A global study. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 102, 103139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103139

Stanković, M., & Portolan, A. (2023). The readiness for implementing icts in hotel industry organizations: evidence from the regional level. Tourism in Southern and Eastern Europe. https://doi.org/10.20867/tosee.07.24

Proposal for a council recommendation on the Key Enabling Factors for Successful Digital Education and Training. (2023). Available online: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52023DC0205R%2801%29 (accessed on 28 March 2023).

Sanders, C. K., & Scanlon, E. (2021). The Digital Divide Is a Human Rights Issue: Advancing Social Inclusion Through Social Work Advocacy. Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, 6(2), 130–143. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41134-020-00147-9

Shankar, V., Kalyanam, K., Setia, P., et al. (2021). How Technology is Changing Retail. Journal of Retailing, 97(1), 13–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2020.10.006

Shannon, C. E. (1948). A Mathematical Theory of Communication. Bell System Technical Journal, 27(3), 379–423. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1538-7305.1948.tb01338.x

Sharma, O., Sultan, A. A., Ding, H., et al. (2020). A Review of the Progress and Challenges of Developing a Vaccine for COVID-19. Frontiers in Immunology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2020.585354

European Parliament. Directorate General for Parliamentary Research Services. (2021). Digital automation and the future of work. Publications Office. https://doi.org/10.2861/826116

Srivastava, C. B., Lara. (2011). Telecommunications Regulation Handbook-10th anniversary edition [Text/HTML]. Available online: https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/297991468154471456/Telecommunications-Regulation-Handbook-10th-anniversary-edition (accessed on 9 March 2024).

Stofkova, J., Poliakova, A., Repkova Stofkova, K., et al. (2022). Digital Skills as A Significant Factor of Human Resources Development. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202209.0247.v1

Technology for inclusion-UNESCO Digital Library. (2023). Available online: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000373655(accessed on 4 April 2023).

Tømte, C. E., Laterza, V., Pinheiro, R. M., et al. (2020). Is there a Scandinavian model for MOOCs? Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 15(4), 234–245. https://doi.org/10.18261/issn.1891-943x-2020-04-02

Varadarajan, R., Srinivasan, R., Vadakkepatt, G. G., et al. (2010). Interactive Technologies and Retailing Strategy: A Review, Conceptual Framework and Future Research Directions. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 24(2), 96–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2010.02.004

Verhoef, P. C., Broekhuizen, T., Bart, Y., et al. (2021). Digital transformation: A multidisciplinary reflection and research agenda. Journal of Business Research, 122, 889–901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.09.022

Weaver, E. K. (1953). Science and developing democratic theory. Science Education, 37(5), 299–307. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.3730370503

Wimmer, M. A., Viale Pereira, G., Ronzhyn, A., et al. (2020). Transforming Government by Leveraging Disruptive Technologies. JeDEM - EJournal of EDemocracy and Open Government, 12(1), 87–113. https://doi.org/10.29379/jedem.v12i1.594

Yorkulov, M., Marjona, T., and Zarrina, B. (2022). ‘Usage of ICT for Hospitality Industry of Uzbekistan: Analysis and Suggestions’, British View, 7(2). https://britishview.co.uk/index.php/bv/article/view/106.

Yu, J. (2023). Why Are Nordic Countries So Happy? - Business Review at Berkeley. Available online: https://businessreview.studentorg.berkeley.edu/why-are-nordic-countries-so-happy/ (accessed on 8 March 2023).