Digital Entrepreneurship Landscapes in Developing Asia: Insights from the Global Index of Digital Entrepreneurship Systems

This paper introduces the Global Index of Digital Entrepreneurship Systems (GIDES), a composite indicator designed to assess digital entrepreneurship ecosystems at the national level. GIDES evaluates the general, structural, and digital framework conditions that support digital entrepreneurship, focusing on identifying system bottlenecks. The index profiles 113 countries, with a special emphasis on 21 developing Asian economies. GIDES adopts a systemic approach, utilizing the Penalty for Bottleneck (PFB) algorithm to spot elements that could potentially degrade overall system performance. The study reveals that while Singapore ranks first among developing Asian countries globally, most economies in the region have significant room for improvement. Developing Asia excels in physical infrastructure but needs to work on its culture and informal institutions. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers aiming to enhance the quality and productivity potential of entrepreneurial resource allocation in their countries, offering a tool to identify priority areas for policy intervention in the context of digital entrepreneurship.