The Impact of the Information Society on Sustainable Socio-economic Development Goals in European Regions: A Spatial and Hierarchical Regression Analysis

Recent studies suggest that the effects of Information and Communication Technologies in households and by individuals (ICTs + Hi) on socio-economic sustainability in regions may vary both spatially (spatial dependence) and according to specific geographic scales (hierarchical dependence). The study´s objective is to analyse the impact of ICTs + Hi on the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals with a socio-economic dimension (SDGs-e) in European regions, using a hierarchical and spatial approach. Its analysis the influence of 9 ICTs + Hi variables (independent) on 3 SDGs-e´s factors (dependent) across 235 European regions grouped into 9 clusters according to the level of achievement in SDGs-e in 2021. The methodology compares a multilevel mixed linear regression model with a spatial regression model using a spatial weights matrix defined by “Block Weights”. The findings demonstrate that SEM model with “Block Weights” yields an appropriate framework for the explanation and prediction of regional variability in the impact of ICTs on SDGs-e. Results show that basic ICTs + Hi variables (e.g., internet access outside the home or SM participation) exert a greater impact on regions with lower levels of SDGs-e (SE Europe); whereas a higher use of advanced ICTs + Hi services (e.g., e-banking or interaction with public authorities) correlates with greater regional achievements of SDGs-e (Northern and Central Europe).