Impact assessment of digital skills on R&D investment

In nowdays society, especially in the world affected by the pandemic, the need to digitalize all aspects of the economy and society has grown tremendously in a relatively short period of time. Digital transformation, digital economy, digital intelligence and all other aspects of digital society are topical issues nowdays. In order for the digital transformation to be successful, one of the preconditions is the development of society’s digital skills. Therefore, we are faced with a situation where digital skills are one of the basic skills sought in the modern society, supported by the fact that in recent years digitalisation is increasingly being measured by various indicators to more accurately identify society's development needs in digitalization. On the other hand, investing in research and development is mentioned in all strategic documents and plans as a basis for global competitiveness, business and growth. The digital economy is mentioned in the context of the innovation market and innovators, and as a bridge that should eliminate certain sore spots in social and economic interactions. In this regard, investment in research, development and innovation should increase in terms of R&D expenditure in GDP, which currently stands at around 1% in Croatia according to the World Bank collection. Numerous indicators have been developed on the state level, but also at the European and global level, that should measure the success of such ventures. From all this it is clear that digital skills and investment in research, development and innovation are imperatives for the European Union and the Republic of Croatia regarding the economic growth and development and achieving competitive advantage, and that their connection and continuous growth and development are both key to Croatia's success but also to the society as a whole. Given the interconnectedness and interdependence of these two concepts and the fact that all economic and social goals concern investment in research, development and innovation, and digitalization and digital skills at the same time, this study was conducted through a comparison of different data sets connected to these two terms, seeking to identify the level and source of their interdependence and suggest possible improvements.