Accelerating the Nordics digital revolution
It is a mistake to believe that digital and society are not intertwined. There are no longer any boundaries between the way we live, work, and play and the digital environment that surrounds us. This is perhaps why the Nordics are leaders in many indicators on digital: they focus on using digital to create policies and environments that work for and support their populations.
Connectivity and digital skills are high across the region as digital is seen as a trusted enabler of economic and social progress. Added to this, the Nordics are known for their political stability and high levels of security and equality.
From this solid foundation there is space to innovate and grow. To accelerate this process, I believe the Nordics should continue to focus on protecting society and their way of life and focus on the following key areas:
Trust
Having high citizen trust in digital is not a nice to have, it is essential for further acceleration of innovation. There must be the necessary controls in place, careful management of personal data and standardization of ethics in digital design. Citizen data is the driving force behind better and more efficient services across the public and private sector. Securing this data is vital.
Environment
Digital innovation will help us to support and protect the environment and our natural resources. Governments and citizens across the Nordic countries are naturally environmentally focused. They are advanced in their approaches to tackling climate change, being front-runners in areas such as renewable energy. Innovation in this area could provide a real competitive advantage for industries. As the wider world begins to shift their view and focus on sustainability, they will look to countries who are leading the way for their expertise.
Society
Digital has the potential to be a great social equalizer. It can be used to support and protect democracy, to bring education and healthcare to all and to allow widespread access to services and information.
Maintaining these pillars of Nordics values will have a positive ripple impact on innovation. The Nordics is a region that, due to its high quality of living, will encourage and retain talent. It is also becoming a hub for start-ups and venture capitalist investment with many well-known companies originating from the region.
“Denmark together with the other Nordic countries have a unique opportunity to become or rather continue to be frontrunners in innovating, developing, and utilizing new digital solutions. As pointed out by Atos our shared focus in the Nordics on trust, equality, and the green transition as well as our tradition for working together are a great foundation to build upon.”
Brian Mikkelsen,
Adm. Director, Executive Board,
Danish Chamber of Commerce
