Achieving Sustainable Competitive Advantage of Romanian Rural Area by Integrating Information Technologies: an Interdisciplinary Approach

The Information and Communication Technologies and digital economy are the key factors in the recovery of the EU economy and especially the Romanian economy. Based on its strengths in technology and knowledge, Europe should exploit the full potential of the digital economy. The digital economy and information technologies offer great opportunities for SMEs in the manufacturing and service sectors. Therefore, an ambitious Digital Agenda, providing concrete steps to complete the online single market will be a key to sustainable economic recovery and social development of Europe. The competitive advantage of each country will play an important role in sustaining its future prosperity. Information technologies offer new ways of enhancing sustainable development not only in urban areas but also, to an even greater extent, in rural areas throughout the world. The understanding of what makes them a success or failure, and how much impact they may have in contributing to the wider rural economy is still relatively poorly developed. What is clear, from a wider European perspective, is that these new forms of e-agriculture with ecological entrepreneurialism are growing at a relatively fast rate This paper presents multi-criteria AHP method, (Analytic Hierarchy Process) to assess main technological factors that affect the introduction of new technologies in rural areas.