Still, Atkinson argues with the rationale behind the WEF's placement more than the overall findings.
Though the report reads like an academic paper, the WEF wants it to provoke dialogue and action.
FORBES: Why The U.S. Still Ranks Fifth In 'Networked Readiness' Globally
That's the difference between being second best in Asia-Pacific (the WEF's take) versus fifth or seventh best.
The WEF said it showed that global "green" businesses were not the only ones with sustainability credentials.
The grand prize: an invite to the WEF and a chance to increase awareness about a special issue.
On this issue, another tale from India, told at the WEF main conference in January, is worth recalling.
You probably saw that the WEF also has the U.S. falling this year.
The 10th anniversary of the report is also prodding the WEF to consider what new indicators to include in future reports.
FORBES: Why The U.S. Still Ranks Fifth In 'Networked Readiness' Globally
Mr Gopinath was encouraged to stick to his guns as an entrepreneur when the WEF elected him its youngest ever Young Leader.
ECONOMIST: Emerging markets are teeming with young entrepreneurs
The WEF surveyed 13, 500 people in 139 countries to establish their rankings.
FORBES: Sweden Is A Better Place To Do Business Than The U.S.
The WEF obliged with 19 broad initiatives for world leaders to ponder.
At the WEF Council on Financing and Capital on which I participate, we assessed the role of financial institutions in modern society.
The WEF surveys 90 different factors, including hard data such as gross domestic product and softer factors like perceived level of bribery and ethical behavior.
The WEF principles requite signatories to recognise the importance of cooperation, develop risk management programmes and encourage partners and suppliers to adopt the same commitments.
The event, the forum's 33rd annual summit, has been themed 'Building Trust' to reflect that the WEF termed "an extraordinary climate of global uncertainty and complexity".
Data comes from publicly available sources and an annual survey the WEF conducts on related topics that is sent to partner research institutes and business organizations.
FORBES: Why The U.S. Still Ranks Fifth In 'Networked Readiness' Globally
In the three previous times that I have attended the WEF, that belief among participants was palpable and partly believable, at least in the Davos echo chamber.
By their reckoning, Singapore placed first and the U.S. sixth, thanks in part to a lower estimation of the U.S.'s venture capital bounty than the WEF estimated.
The WEF Open Cloud Initiative is observing projects like ULAP and refining their approach to advocacy and fundraising as governments and the private sector make their priorities known.
Similarly, in the WEF's study, China, India and Romania showed the biggest improvements since it began tracking tech competiveness a decade ago, while the U.S. remained relatively steady.
Meanwhile, the WEF had its official media kickoff this morning in which it released details of the 2011 participants and the agenda (more on that in a later post).
The WEF bases its report on 71 indicators, which range from the level of bureaucracy in a particular country to the price that its residents pay for cellphone service.
FORBES: Why The U.S. Still Ranks Fifth In 'Networked Readiness' Globally
We had come to the WEF meeting to talk about one question, and one question only: How will our models of leadership have to change over the coming decade?
Whereas countries such as Denmark and Singapore score highly for their "generally co-operative" relations, France is seen by the WEF as having the most confrontational workplace environment in the world.
BBC: Supporter of Segolene Royal handing out leaflets in Lille
To this end, members of the WEF YGL are creating technology blueprints, which use widely available commodity hardware and open source software as the building blocks of high-performing, cost-effective cloud solutions.
The WEF this year is setting out to create a stronger risk mitigation framework and early warning mechanism for the globe, specifically designed to deal with the tensions and dilemmas that abound.
But rest assured the WEF's almost obsessive attention to detail guarantees that no-one will starve, as Wednesday's opulent Japanese-themed lunch, complete with wine and Japanese beer, in the main meeting area demonstrated.
The results could be cause for concern in the U.S., but should not spark alarm, said Soumitra Dutta, a professor at the international business school INSEAD and the co-editor of the WEF report.
FORBES: Why The U.S. Still Ranks Fifth In 'Networked Readiness' Globally
In the Middle East and North Africa, the WEF Global Agenda Council on Youth Unemployment, of which I am a member, found that approximately 25% of young people do not have a job.
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