Our bright future is ours - and no one else's

The Digitization Commission has formulated a first draft of the business environment analysis that is intended to form the basis for the final assessments and proposals that the Commission will submit to the government in December. It is a very good analysis of the external factors that affect society in various ways and that should be taken into account when designing policy initiatives linked to digitization. But there is one point in particular where we cannot help but be a little concerned.

In its introduction, the Commission writes that this digital transformation of society can go in different directions. Either towards a digital, individualized, democratic, climate-smart and sustainable society where welfare is better, more personalized and sufficient for more people. Or we may face a future society in which resources (economic, social, cultural) are distributed very unevenly, where inequality and powerlessness are growing, where democracy is put on hold and where people's integrity is threatened.

I am convinced that the Digitalization Commission truly believes in the enormous potential of digitalization, but at the same time I cannot help but be concerned by this description, which gives the impression that we are not in control of the future we want. Of course, like any major transformation of society, digitalization also brings a number of challenges. But these challenges need not be synonymous with dystopia. Rather, if handled correctly, they can create opportunities to make our society better and more efficient - for everyone.

But it also requires management, commitment and active decisions.

I believe that in many respects we ourselves control the kind of society we want. It is therefore extremely important that we - read the government - once and for all put our foot down and point the compass towards the opportunities that digitalization brings. We choose our future ourselves through active, political decisions made today.

Our hope is that the Digitization Commission's future assessments and proposals to the current government will be based on this particular picture of the future. Anything else would simply be unthinkable.

Here you can read the IT&Telecom companies' views on the Commission's business environment analysis.