Sweden needs a digital agenda!

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IT&Telecom companies have produced a report with the aim of describing important opportunities for Sweden in eleven different areas, which investments in increased IT use can provide, as well as proposals for concrete political measures in the near future. The measures are not the only ones that can and should be taken, but they are examples that can serve as inspiration for other measures and represent some of the important initiatives that the government should take. The report should thus be seen as an inspiration for the government's work on a Swedish digital agenda. It is based on the use and application of IT, rather than the needs of the IT industry itself.

Foreword

Good knowledge of IT use has been a strong contributor to Sweden's growth over the past 20 years. Today, IT is an obvious prerequisite for a competitive and sustainable society. Global competition requires the EU - and thus Sweden - to harness the potential of IT for growth, competition and prosperity in a way that outperforms large and small competitor countries. To meet this challenge, the flagship initiative A Digital Agenda for Europe is one of the main strategies in the European Commission's growth strategy for a successful Europe - EU 2020. The Digital Agenda is an action plan to maximize the benefits of IT and communication technologies.

Although Sweden is often ranked as one of the EU's and the world's most advanced IT nations, there are also obstacles here that mean that the full potential of using IT and communication technology is not being exploited. One of these is that IT has been seen as a special interest, rather than the generic tool it is for all sectors of society. The Government's Secretary of State Group, chaired by Minister Hatt's Secretary of State, is therefore a very positive initiative.

With this report, IT&Telecom companies wish to describe important opportunities for Sweden in eleven different areas, which investments in increased IT use can provide, as well as proposals for concrete political measures in the near future. The measures are not the only ones that can and should be taken, but they are examples that can serve as inspiration for other measures and represent some of the important initiatives that the government should take. The report should thus be seen as an inspiration for the government's work on a Swedish digital agenda. It is based on the use and application of IT, rather than the needs of the IT industry itself1.

Our ambition and hope is that the report and its proposals will be one of several starting points for the government's own strategy, A Digital Agenda for Sweden, and its work to develop Sweden as a continued attractive country to live and work in, for both companies and citizens.