A Research of UNWE and Ericsson -Bulgaria: Can Technology Improve The Life in Bulgaria

The results of the UNWE research implemented by the support of Ericsson-Bulgaria entitled Can Technology Improve the Life in Bulgaria were announced. The research carried out in April-May had the objective to determine the attitudes of young people in Bulgaria about the development of information and communication technologies – the so called “connected society” and whether the technology used rationally can improve the economic and social life in the country. The result is eloquent: 97% of respondents believe that the information and communication technologies can improve the quality of life in our country.

Representatives of the team from the UNWE and Ericsson-Bulgaria

In the research were involved 532 people at the middle age under 35 years. The target group includes young people as they use the modern technologies every day and most easily adopt the innovations. The respondents determine the education, health cares, communication with the state institutions, the elimination of bureaucracy and the encouragement of business as major areas where information and communication technology can stimulate a positive development.

Assoc. Prof. Milanka slavova is presenting the results of the research.

Young people in Bulgaria are highly socially engaged and have an active citizen position about all major areas of public life. They believe that technology can improve the quality of life in Bulgaria and can stimulate the Bulgarian economy, health services and education and also can eliminate bureaucracy, pointed out Assoc. Prof. Dr. Milanka Slavova from the International Economic Relations and Business Department, Head of the team that carried out the survey. It is the first research of such kind focused entirely on Bulgaria and the Bulgarian market, outlined Assoc. Prof. Slavova. She expressed her thankfulness to Ericsson-Bulgaria for the support of the project and said she was pleased that namely the company visioning the idea of “connected society” had been a partner in the UNWE research.

“Young people are a major driving force of the “connected society” in Bulgaria. They know well the mobile devices and Internet, they use them very actively in their daily lives and they would like to be able to implement more activities by them – shopping, payments, communication with public authorities, etc. They believe that through information and communication technologies they can get better education, health cares and public services - such as a public transport, traffic information, etc. Young people are convinced that it will lead to a lot of innovations in Bulgaria and will improve the competitiveness in the country”, pointed out Milan Gospich, Executive Director of Ericsson-Bulgaria.

According to the UNWE research 35% of young people in Bulgaria spend online more than 2 hours a day and 31% of them – over 6 hours. The data says that 95% of the respondents know well and use technological devices every day.