Pandemics uncertainty and informational globalization in CEE countries: The role of innovation diffusion

The Covid-19 pandemic has dramatically changed how information is shared and processed worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the globalization of information, causing shifts in communication, information dissemination, and technology. This paper investigates the impact of pandemics-related uncertainty on the index of de facto informational globalization (the measure based on high-technology exports, international patents, and used internet bandwidth). The paper uses the panel dataset of 18 Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries from 1990 to 2020. The results indicate that pandemics-related uncertainty negatively affects the informational globalization level in the CEE economies. The findings are robust in utilizing different estimation techniques and considering NATO member CEE countries.