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There have been significant debates about the impact of new ICTs on economic performance and competitiveness in general, and on productivity, efficiency, and innovation in particular. The emphasis in these studies has been on the impact of ICT in OECD countries, in particular the United States and Western Europe. The findings of these studies suggest that ICT has contributed greatly to productivity growth and competitiveness in the OECD countries in the last decade.

The ICT dynamics in transition economies are at a stage when one can apply lessons learned from the United States and old European Union (EU) member states both at corporate and government levels. Meanwhile, the nature of the transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe might require tailoring of the lessons learned from Western Europe and the United States, and perhaps even new approaches to policies for ICT adoption and utilization.

This study aims to advance understanding of the relationship between ICT, innovation, and economic growth in transition economies. It provides an in-depth survey and analysis of a reasonably representative sample of firms in several regions and/or sectors so that broader conclusions can be drawn with some degree of confidence. It also draws conclusions about conditions and challenges common to several or all of the countries in the study.

The study includes an assessment of five countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Russia.