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Digitalisation and Data Economy

Society must make full use of the opportunities which digitalisation provides. We must do this by accelerating digitalisation in both the public sector and industry.

Last modified 05.09.2024 at 09:42

Digitalisation is reshaping society. It is decisive in ensuring better public services, balancing the state’s finances, higher added value and productivity in firms, and achieving the green transition. Finland and Europe must create the best conditions for the full-scale use of digitalisation and its key resource, data, both in the public and private sectors. We want to see Finnish companies become the most skilled users of data and AI solutions.

  1. Industry needs to digitalise faster. Companies need to take the lead in developing industrial data solutions that raise firms’ competitiveness. These include capacities and practices for exploiting data, data spaces which facilitate data sharing, and digital product passports. Steps must be taken to ensure Finnish industry makes agile use of the business opportunities provided by the EU’s data regulation.
  2. The public sector must continue to digitalise. A common development budget for key ministries would break down administrative silos. The primary purpose of this budget would be to build a common “soft infrastructure” required for digital solutions. Regulation limiting the digitalisation of administration and services needs reforming. Moving towards a “digital first” approach to services is of the essence. We need to strengthen inter-administrative leadership in digitalisation.
  3. Advancements in public ICT procurements must be made. Competition in the public competitive tendering market will be healthy, and the ground rules will be fair. The entire public sector will conduct influential, skilled procurements of software, hardware and services from ICT firms. Anti-competitive in-house structures must be dismantled.
  4. The development and roll-out of AI will be supported. Investments will be made in the innovative development of AI and its extensive deployment in all areas of society. Legislative barriers to the use of AI in the public sector will be removed. Companies and government will cooperate to prepare for EU AI regulation and its requirements.
  5. The competitiveness of Finland's digital technology strengths will become stronger. Foster the growth and advancement of Finland's technological strengths, such as the semiconductor industry (microchips), cybersecurity, and quantum technology, by investing in research and development, as well as expertise in these fields. It is also crucial to ensure that the EU's developing security framework and increased investments in security support the development of Finnish industry.