How to shape the EU and Western Balkan economies — and how that compares to the USA, China, Japan, India and South Korea
Influence of 5G / 6G, Industry 4.0, Digital Twins, the Metaverse and Related Technologies Abstract: advanced connectivity (5G/soon-6G), Industry 4.0 adoption, digital twins and early metaverse applications are multiplying productivity levers across manufacturing, transport, healthcare and services. The EU is pushing strategic coordination and standards to capture value, but faces fragmentation and slower first-mover deployment vs. the US, China and South Korea. The Western Balkans show improving fundamentals and accelerating funding support, but lag on large-scale industrial transformation, advanced digital skills and nationwide 5G/6G roll-out — creating both constraint and opportunity. Below I explain why, give cross-region comparisons and practical policy / business takeaways. 1) Why these technologies matter (quick lens) 5G/6G provide ultra-reliable, low-latency and massive-IoT connectivity that enables remote robotics, autonomous logistics, AR/VR telepresence and distribute...
