Where did digitalization go in the government declaration?

The word "digitization" does not appear once in the government declaration. If Sweden is to position itself at the forefront of digitization, more is needed, not least measures against the skills shortage, writes Anne-Marie Fransson in a debate article in Ny Teknik.

After a record-breaking government formation, the new government was unveiled. The words 'digital' and 'digitization' did not appear once in the government declaration. Despite this, some significant reforms were presented. Furthermore, Anders Ygeman (S) was appointed Minister for Energy and Digitalization and he will work in the newly established Ministry of Infrastructure.

The biggest challenge for Swedish digitalization companies today is the skills shortage

IT&Telekomföretagen estimates that there will be a shortage of around 70,000 IT experts in Sweden by 2022. The government is presenting a number of proposals that could have a positive impact on the skills shortage, including the intention to stop skills deportations. The government also wants to reform the rental model, which could also make it easier for skilled workers to come to Sweden.

Finally, the government also wants to expand opportunities for further education by making study grants more generous. This could be a good way to get more Swedes to retrain for the skills sought by a thirsty digitalization industry. However, more needs to be done to enable the extensive retraining required.

With regard to the physical expansion of digital infrastructure, the government declaration briefly notes that broadband and mobile services will be expanded throughout the country. In previous years, the telecom industry has experienced significant difficulties in expanding fiber throughout the country, partly because the necessary support funds have been insufficient. The Swedish Transport Administration, a government agency, has also stood in the way in some respects. It is possible that the creation of the new Ministry of Infrastructure will eliminate similar complications in the future, but it should be noted that much needs to be done to ensure that the objectives of the broadband strategy are actually achieved in time.

Digitalization perspectives in security policy

The inclusion of a digital perspective in security policy must also be recognized. In order for the digitalization of Sweden to progress, broad confidence is required that the new technology will not be exploited and abused by malicious actors. The fact that the government wants to create a national center to increase information and cyber security is therefore welcome. However, security issues will always be a balancing act. It is important that the announced legislation on data retention does not increase costs for the industry and thus for individuals or contravene existing EU law.

In conclusion, it can be said that parts of the policy presented in the government declaration are good for the continued digitization of Sweden, but some areas are conspicuous by their absence. For example, the question of how Sweden should relate to the development and use of AI is not raised, nor is the question of creating a national digital platform for faster and safer use of e-services; in Estonia, such a platform is already in place, X-Road.

The government declaration presents a number of policy proposals that will be good for the country. But it is not a sufficient reform agenda to place Sweden at the forefront of digitalization in the long term.

Anne Marie Fransson
Director of the Association
IT&Telecom companies