The Strategy for the Information Society Development 2020 of Montenegro

The Strategy for the Information Society Development 2020 of Montenegro, published by the Ministry for Information Society and Telecommunications in 2016, provides a comprehensive framework for transitioning Montenegro into a modern digital society. The strategy is aligned with the EU’s Digital Agenda 2020 and the Digital Single Market Strategy, aiming to achieve EU standards across several key areas. Here is a detailed summary:

Overall vision and mission

Montenegro’s vision is to become a digitally inclusive society that leverages ICT for economic and social development, where every citizen can access, create, and share information and knowledge. The mission rests on three pillars: infrastructure, cybersecurity, and e-economy, encompassing areas like e-government, e-health, e-education, e-inclusion, and ICT-based research and innovation.

Key strategic areas and objectives

1. Broadband Infrastructure
   • Recognised as essential national infrastructure.
   • Goals:
     • 100% population coverage with basic broadband by 2018.
     • 100% coverage with fast broadband (≥30 Mbps) by 2020.
     • 50% of households using ultra-fast broadband (≥100 Mbps) by 2020.
   • Emphasis on both fixed NGA (Next-Generation Access) and mobile LTE networks, especially in rural areas.
   • Encourages investments, simplification of procedures, and technology-neutral deployment of networks.
2. Cybersecurity
   • Critical for protecting the national ICT infrastructure.
   • Establishes CIRT (Computer Incident Response Team) as the national authority, with plans to expand staff from 4 to 20.
   • Local CIRTs to be formed in state bodies (target: 60 by 2020) and with private entities (target: 40).
   • Focus on public-private cooperation, legal framework enhancement, and education on safe internet use, particularly among children.
3. Human capital
   • Addresses the digital skills gap.
   • Aims to:
     • Increase ICT graduates to 10% of all graduates.
     • Issue 15,000 ECDL certificates by 2020.
     • Ensure 30% of teachers are computer-trained; 20% trained in cybersecurity.
   • Promotes lifelong learning and integration of ICT skills into the workforce.
4. Digital business
   • Seeks to boost economic growth through ICT.
   • Goals:
     • Increase the ICT sector’s share in GDP to 6%.
     • Raise e-commerce share in total trade to 1.5%.
5. E-education
   • Digital transformation of the education system.
   • Targets:
     • 1:10 computer-to-student ratio.
     • Upgrade the teaching staff’s digital competencies.
6. E-health
   • Use of ICT for better healthcare delivery.
   • Targets:
     • 60% of prescriptions and referrals to be electronic.
     • 70% of medical appointments to be booked online.
7. E-inclusion
   • Focused on bridging the digital divide across income, geography, and demographics.
   • Ensures rural and marginalised populations are not excluded.
8. E-government
   • Modernisation and digital transformation of public administration.
   • Targets:
     • 50% of citizens and 30% of legal entities to use e-services by 2020.
9. Research, innovation, and development
   • Encourages innovation in ICT through increased R&D investment.
   • Goal: 30% of licensed research institutions focused on ICT.

Implementation and indicators

The strategy defines Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for each area to measure progress. It includes a detailed methodology for implementation, action plans, and revision mechanisms to ensure adaptability and accountability throughout the strategy’s lifecycle.