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Happy ending with open data? 

Digitization

It is of course very gratifying that Sweden is taking a big step forward on the issue of open data. Sweden is in ninth place out of 36 in the OECD's ranking on open data that was presented before Christmas. The last time the ranking was made (2019), Sweden was in 32nd place in the OECD's Open, Useful and Re-usable data Index.

Of course, the government believes that this is an improvement that "shows that the work for digitization is going in the right direction" and that increased access to data "is absolutely crucial for Sweden to continue to be a leading IT nation". The former is of course debatable. When EU rules forced member states to make particularly valuable datasets available, the government was quick to use an exemption to postpone it. The latter is possibly a step backwards.  

While Minister Slottner is working on a new strategy, the goal remains that Sweden should be the best in the world at using the opportunities of digitalization. But that's not quite the same as being a leading IT nation.  

The ranking may also show that it takes more to reach the top. Korea is ranked highest. The other seven countries ahead of Sweden are all EU countries: France, Poland, Estonia, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia - Sweden is not even the best in the Nordic region - as TechSverige suggested in the report A tech agenda for Sweden - unless it had the will to be the best in the world. Denmark is just ahead of Sweden.  

"The new digitalization policy strategy of Slottner and the government will not be a pdf that delivers results"

Fredrik Sand, industrial policy expert

We'll see how it looks in the next ranking. A lot of work is going on anyway, such as the Ena project for a common administrative digital infrastructure for information exchange and new legislation on data interoperability. The press release also highlights Sweden's data strategy (but which was not mentioned in the budget bill) and Digg's work.  

It is now important to continue the work. Because a pdf of Slottner's and the government's new strategy for digitalization policy will not produce results. Real action is needed to increase access to the data that is now gathering dust among the authorities.  

Congratulations on your rise in the rankings and we hope that the government includes increased access to open data among its New Year's resolutions.