The importance of mapping regional disparities and regional development: Case study of the ICT sector in the Slovak Republic

Abstract

The paper deeply describes regional disparities of the ICT sector in the Slovak Republic and the importance of measuring these disparities due to the unequal localization of ICT firms in the individual regions of the Slovak Republic. The ICT industry in the Slovak Republic (according to the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic) has been one of few industries in which the employment has continuously grown. This sector has the lowest unemployment rate of all sectors of the economy in the SR as well. As concerns a number of exports, the ICT sector follows the automotive industry by a narrow margin, with the relative share of imports as well as exports of the Slovak ICT sector being one of the highest in the world. The existence of disparities leads to lower production and scarce use of available resources as well but also differences in living standard. The results show that that location of ICT firms in individual regions of SR contributes to higher employment, rising living standard and other positive economic influences conducive to economic growth in the regions and contributes to regional development. Many authors have already been interested in concepts that include a variety of phenomena that can be evaluated through quantitative and efficacious indicators. As findings shows, the ICT sector is the driving force of the Slovak economy and boosts economic development. All these factors mentioned above are the reasons why to pay attention to regional disparities in ICT sector in the Slovak Republic is so important.