Management of the process of formation and realization of competitive advantages of the Visegrad Four countries in the European market of ICT services

Purpose – to assess the integration and management of the formation and implementation of the competitive advantages of the Visegrad Four countries in the European market of information, computer, and telecommunication (ICT) services based on their analysis in the individual market segments. Design/Method/Research approach - this study aims to determine the presence and nature of the competitive advantages of countries in the European ICT services market based on the calculation of export specialization indicators, to establish factors for their growth and effective implementation based on the results of structural, regressive, comparative analysis, and synthesis. Findings. It has been suggested that the introduction of the European rules for market organization stimulated the building-up in the Visegrad Four countries of their competitive advantages in the European ICT services market through innovative investment resources, effective management of private, public sector and international investors and personnel. Practical implications. The accession of Eastern European countries to the European digital market and digital space requires a generalization of the experience of the Visegrad four countries and the identification of factors, directions, and priorities of the national policy for the development of the ICT sector. Originality/Value. Scientific novelty of the study - based on the calculation of the comparative advantage index, different integration and effectiveness of managing the competitive advantages of the Visegrad Four countries, primarily the sphere of IC services to the European market (relatively high - in the Czech Republic due to state financing, moderate – in Poland due to financial support from the state, in Slovakia due to private investment in R&D, low – in Hungary), this situation requires a balanced innovation and investment strategy of the countries in the future, the training of a sufficient number of qualified IT specialists, stimulation of private investment in R&D and business cooperation with the sphere of knowledge by means of tax and administrative incentives, facilitating the transition of small and medium-sized businesses on the principles of economics 4.0. Paper type – empirical.