ABSTRACT
The concept of the digital economy emerged in the 1990s as a result of the rapid development of the Internet. Initially, the Internet was used to exchange digital data between users. With its growing popularity, increased bandwidth and the development of digital platforms, the volume of digital data generated began to grow exponentially (Statista, 2021c). Simultaneously, technologies dedicated to managing digital data – such as Big Data, artificial intelligence and cloud computing – and those designed to improve business processes – such as blockchain, industrial robots and 3D printing – were developed. As technological progress continued, additional technologies capable of generating even larger volumes of data were introduced, including the Internet of Things and autonomous vehicles. Consequently, digital data became the most important resource in the economy. The generation, collection and processing of this data now constitute a key component of modern value chains.
