Security policy in digital transformation and dynamics of economic digitalization in EU countries

This paper examines the digital transformation of Southeast European (SEE) European Union (EU) member states by analysing their performance in the Global Digitalization Index (GDI) 2024, the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024, and firm-level digital adoption data. The study evaluates key trends in digitalization, economic development, and innovation across Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Romania, and Slovenia. Using bibliometric analysis, the research also maps the academic discourse on digitalization and its impact on economic growth. The findings reveal that while SEE EU countries demonstrate progress in digital adoption, disparities remain in innovation capacity, business digitalization, and climate risk management. The study also highlights that security policy plays a key role in supporting successful digital transformation efforts across the region. The paper also presents a country classification based on digital and climate indicators to support cross-country comparisons. The findings may support future policy efforts aimed at fostering digital development and addressing national and institutional challenges in the region.