Hi and welcome

Hi and welcome to my blog on the Digital Economy. My name is Anthony, I am 46 years of age, I work full time as a civil servant and part time studying a Bachelors of Business at SETU. I have worked in many different government departments, some of main areas of expertise include the legislative process, corporate governance and the management of exchequer grant funding. I am an avid player of chess, enjoy long-distance hiking and obsessed with ancient roman antiquity.

The civil and wider public service provide essential services and operate in a similar fashion to a commercially run business, with the citizen as the primary customer and consumer of the particular service provided. Through the modernisation of e-Governance many public services are now accessible in the digital environment via MyGovID.

Successful government and business enterprises operate in a symbiotic environment and, depending on what country or countries a business chooses to invest in, it is vital to understand the political landscape, the laws of each country and how they will impact on that investment.

The forward planning of any business is to incrementally generate higher returns on the initial capital required for an investment and is the hallmark of any successful business strategy. A business may first incur losses but if the strategy is followed and implemented correctly the potential for growth and expansion will follow. 

In the digital age new transformative business models have emerged creating a revolution in how business is conducted and how it impacts on society as a whole. Such business models have developed platforms that sell products and connect consumers with third-party sellers and app developers, creating vast ecosystem economies delivering innovative products and services.

Ireland has earned a reputation as a global hub for entrepreneurial business. This reputation continues to evolve with its highly educated workforce and is in the first instance government driven and proven to be successful with foreign direct investment both in people and businesses relocating to, and investing in, Ireland Inc. 

As one of the most progressive digital economies in the EU, Ireland continues to embrace and lead the advancement in digital transformation which is a core economic policy issue for government. The Digital Economy and Society Index is a comprehensive assessment tool that tracks and measures the digital progress of EU member states in areas including broadband infrastructure, e-Governance services and digitalisation of small and medium enterprises. 

Brexit saw Britain exit the digital single market creating a major issue for technology businesses in the transfer of personal data between the UK and EU and how they interact with GDPR.