The European e-Business Report – 2008 edition

[Pages:306]The European e-Business Report 2008

The impact of ICT and e-business on firms, sectors and the economy

6th Synthesis Report of the Sectoral e-Business Watch

The European e-Business Report 2008

The impact of ICT and e-business on firms, sectors and the economy

6th Synthesis Report of the Sectoral e-Business Watch

The Sectoral e-Business Watch

The "Sectoral e-Business Watch" (SeBW) studies the adoption, implications and impact of electronic business practices in different sectors of the economy. It continues activities of the preceding "e-Business W@tch" which was launched by the European Commission, DG Enterprise and Industry, in late 2001, to support industrial policy, notably in the fields of competitiveness and innovation. The SeBW is based on a Framework Contract between DG Enterprise and Industry and empirica GmbH, running until the end of 2010.

In ICT-related fields, DG Enterprise and Industry has a twofold mission: to enhance the competitiveness of the ICT sector, and to facilitate the efficient uptake of ICT for European enterprises in general. The services of the SeBW contribute to achieving these goals, by supporting informed policy decision-making in these fields.

In 2007/08, ten studies on sectors and specific ICT issues have been conducted. This report summarises the main results. The full study reports, and further resources such as brochures, case studies and table reports with more detailed survey data, can be downloaded from the programme's website ( ebusiness-).

Disclaimer

Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use which might be made of the following information. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. Nothing in this report implies or expresses a warranty of any kind. Results and recommendations should be used only as guidelines as part of an overall strategy. For detailed advice on corporate planning, business processes and management, technology integration and legal or tax issues, the services of a professional should be obtained.

Imprint

This report has been prepared by empirica Gesellschaft f?r Kommunikations- und Technologieforschung mbH on behalf of the European Commission, Enterprise and Industry Directorate General, in cooperation with Altran Group, Databank spa, DIW Berlin, IDC EMEA, Ipsos, GOPA-Cartermill and Ramb?ll Management.

Editors: Hannes Selhofer, Stefan Lilischkis, Maria Woerndl (empirica), Hasan Alkas (European Commission, DG Enterprise and Industry), Peter O'Donnell

Design & Layout: GOPA-Cartermill

Copies can be requested, free of charge, from info@ebusiness-. The report is also available in electronic format and can be downloaded from the e-Business Watch website (ebusiness-).

A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the internet. It can be accessed through the Europa server ().

Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2008

ISBN 978-92-79-09355-5

? European Communities, 2008. Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

Printed in Belgium

Contact information

For further information and to request copies of this brochure, please contact:

European Commission Enterprise and Industry Directorate-General Unit D4 "ICT for Competitiveness and Innovation" 1040 Brussels, Belgium e-Mail: entr-innov-ict-ebiz@ec.europa.eu

The Sectoral e-Business Watch c/o empirica GmbH Oxfordstr. 2, 53111 Bonn, Germany Web: ebusiness- e-Mail: info@ebusiness-

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Table of Contents

Foreword

5

by Jean-Noel Durvy, Director, Innovation Policy

Enterprise and Industry Directorate-General, European Commission

Executive Summary

7

Part 1: e-Business in 2008 ? Synopsis of main findings

23

1.1 Trends in ICT and e-business adoption

25

1.2 e-Business case studies

31

1.3 ICT, innovation and firm performance ? an economic assessment

39

1.4 Policy implications

57

Part 2: e-Business sector studies

71

2.1 Chemical, rubber and plastics

73

2.2 Steel

89

2.3 Furniture

103

2.4 Retail

119

2.5 Transport and logistics services

133

2.6 Banking

149

Part 3: Studies on specific ICT application areas

167

3.1 RFID adoption and implications

169

3.2 IPR and competitiveness: challenges for ICT-producing SMEs

185

3.3 ICT and energy use

197

3.4 ICT standards in the health sector

211

Part 4: Contributions

221

4.1 e-Business policy initiatives in the EU

225

4.1.1 Good practices in sectoral e-business policy approaches

225

4.1.2 France: Enhancing competitiveness through ICT

229

Marc Moreau, Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Employment, France

4.1.3 Ireland: Mainstreaming e-business among SMEs ? activities of Enterprise Ireland

230

Eoin O'Siochru, Enterprise Ireland

4.1.4 Malta: Promoting e-commerce

231

Karl Herrera, Malta Enterprise Corporation

4.1.5 Netherlands: Promoting digital value chains

232

Jan Julianus, Ministry of Economic Affairs, The Netherlands

4.1.6 Norway: The National e-Business Programme ? ready for knowledge-sharing

233

Roald Magne Johannessen, Innovation Norway

4.1.7 Portugal: Establishing a national e-Business Support Network

234

Jos? Ant?nio Feu, Ministry for Economy and Innovation, Portugal

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

4.1.8 Spain: PYME Digital ? promoting e-business solutions for SMEs

236

F?lix Serrano Delgado Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade, Spain

4.2 Industry perspectives on e-business

239

4.2.1 The oil and gas industry: The PIDX e-commerce standards for the industry

239

Dave Wallis, OFS Portal

4.2.2 The paper industry: The papiNet XML open standard framework practice

243

Henry J. F. Ryan, Lios Geal Consultants Ltd

4.2.3 The steel industry: ESIDEL ? the e-business standard of the steel industry

247

Freddy De Vos, ArcelorMittal Gent

4.2.4 The furniture industry: Innovative e-business solutions for SMEs

249

Maria Jos? Nunez, AIDIMA

4.2.5 Transport services: "e-Traffic" ? the key application for a sustainable transport system?

251

Reinhard Pfliegl, Austria Tech

4.2.6 Logistics services: The role of ICT and e-business in innovating logistics services

254

Pietro Evangelista, Institute for Service Industry Research (IRAT-CNR)

4.2.7 The software industry: A review of the legal framework and recommendations

258

for SMEs in the field of software protection

Tatiana-Eleni Sinodinou

4.2.8 Financial services: Supply chain automation ? SEPA is the catalyst for change

261

Barry O'Mahony, ML Consulting

4.2.9 Financial services: e-Business, interoperability and SEPA

263

Carlo R.W. de Meijer / Peter Potgieser, ABN AMRO Bank

4.3 Research perspectives

265

4.3.1 ICT and energy: methodological issues and Spreng's triangle

265

Bernard Aebischer, CEPE, Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology

4.3.2 The e-Business Survey in Greece

270

by the Observatory for the Greek Information Society

Annex I: Glossary of technical terms

277

Annex II: The e-Business Survey 2007 ? methodological notes

283

Annex III: Econometric analysis methodology

291

Annex IV: Sectoral e-Business Watch activities in 2007/08

295

Annex V: ICT and e-Business ? key terms and concepts

301

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Foreword

The European Commission has long emphasized the importance of information and communication technologies (ICT) for a thriving European economy. The effective use of ICT by companies is a critical success factor for innovation, competitiveness and growth. A thorough analysis of its strategic potential for enabling new business models, influencing value chains, and increasing process efficiency is therefore required. The effects of globalisation mean that business today is changing. Large companies are moving to exploit the advantages offered by ICT and e-business; smaller companies will have to follow suit, or risk being excluded from digital supply chains. It is clear that ICT and e-business are relevant to a broad range of policy areas, including innovation, standardisation, competitiveness, SME policy and industrial policy.

The results of the Sectoral e-Business Watch studies of 2008 are an impressive demonstration of the dynamic developments in ICT adoption and e-business activity. A comparison of the results of the latest survey with those of 2003 shows that in most industries companies generally have a more advanced ICT infrastructure and make more use of e-business. We are pleased to see that the ICT infrastructure of European companies is improving and that many companies are making advanced use of e-business to stay competitive in the international marketplace. The substantial efforts made by government and industry to raise awareness of the importance of ICT seem to be bearing fruit. If this positive momentum can be maintained, Europe has good chances of further closing the productivity gap with the US and strengthen its international competitiveness. However, the study also points out new challenges that need to be addressed; namely the widening "e-skills" gap, and the persistent "digital divide" between large companies and SMEs. Resolving both issues is crucial to ensure that European SMEs ? a backbone of the European economy ? can be part of the emerging digital value chains.

A topic of increasing consequence, both for policy makers and for industry, is the exploration of the environmental potential of ICT, for example the improvement of energy efficiency in production processes. Industry needs to adapt to the challenges posed by climate change and to grasp the opportunities of new low energy and resource-saving processes and products. To acquire better evidence of the role which ICT can play in sustainable industrial development, we have directed the Sectoral e-Business Watch to focus specifically on ICT usage in energy-intensive sectors and to analyse the links between ICT and energy consumption. We are encouraging the Sectoral e-Business Watch to continue and deepen its analytical work in this area and to deliver further empirical evidence on the impact of ICT in different sectors. We are already looking forward to the new studies that will be presented in 2009.

Jean-Noel Durvy Director, Innovation Policy Enterprise and Industry Directorate-General European Commission

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foreword | Executive summary

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Executive summary

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