Iceland is one of the most technologically sophisticated countries in the world according to the Global Information Technology Report 2001-2002: Readiness for the Networked World by Harvard University and World Economic Forum. Iceland ranks second on the overall Networked Readiness Index, which ranks 75 countries according to their capacity to take advantage of information and communication technology networks. Iceland ranking (21 Kb) Executive Summary (45 Kb)

Iceland is the second lowest-cost country overall and the lowest-cost country in Europe in the 2002 report “Business Costs in Iceland” published by KPMG. The objective of the KPMG report was to compare the relative cost of operating various types of business in cities in Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States. Fourteen operations are examined in the report. Iceland has the lowest business costs among all the ten countries for nine of the fourteen operations, including all four software and R&D operations, as well as three manufacturing operations - pharmaceuticals, electronics assembly, precision components - operation of medical device production and operation of server farms. The overall results show Iceland’s favourable operating environment with its low tax structure, high education levels and competitive cost for skilled labour, land and electricity. Iceland is therefore a strong candidate for businesses to short-list when seeking new locations for their international operations.   The KPMG report, and a summary report, can be downloaded below.

Invest in Iceland Agency has set up a special project, called Film-in-Iceland.org, to promote film production in Iceland. The project aims to present a new legislation supporting motion pictures and television programmes by offering 12% reimbursements of production costs incurred in Iceland. To reinforce this effort, a new website has been set up featuring information material on the 12% reimbursements and relevant information on the film industry in Iceland as well. In addition, the website contains practical data about Iceland, including photos showing the varied landscape the country has to offer. Scenes in many movies have been shot in Iceland, such as “Tomb Raider” last year and the James Bond film “A View to a Kill” in 1983. This year, film producers have chosen Iceland as a location for a James Bond film again, since a sequence in the next James Bond movie will be filmed in Iceland next month. The film will be released on November 22nd.