Results of the first national "Digital Switzerland" conference

Numerous concrete proposals were made for the further development of the Federal Council's "Digital Switzerland" strategy. President Doris Leuthard and Federal Councillor Johann Schneider-Ammann took part in the conference.

"Switzerland has a good starting position in the race for the digital future," emphasized President Doris Leuthard in her speech at the opening of the "Digital Switzerland" conference organized for the first time by the Federal Office of Communications. However, interdisciplinary cooperation and constant dialogue between all stakeholder groups are necessary in order not to miss out on the opportunities of digitalization and to ensure that everyone can benefit from the advantages of current developments. The President of the Swiss Confederation called on the Swiss to be more willing to take risks when exploring new digital opportunities. She also identified potential for improvement in e-government, where Switzerland is not among the frontrunners.

At the end of the event, Federal Councillor Johann Schneider-Ammann emphasized the importance of education and enthusiasm for technology as well as the ability to innovate: "Let's continue to push ourselves to perform at our best and look to the future to shape a successful digital future together," he urged the participants.

At various discussion panels and workshops, personalities and experts from all stakeholder groups shed light on the implementation of the Federal Council's "Digital Switzerland" strategy to date. They discussed the latest trends in digitalization and the specific action required for Switzerland as a result. The results of the conference form the basis for the revision of the Federal Council's "Digital Switzerland" strategy. A new version will be adopted next year together with an updated action plan.

Best practice from Estonia

The former Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Estonian government, Taavi Kotka, was invited to the conference. He outlined the process required for a country to become a model nation for digitalization. In his speech, Taavi Kotka made it clear that such a development requires the recognition of the need for action and challenges the mindset of society as a whole. However, the process could be accelerated with the use of certain catalysts.

Added value of digitization for the state

What added value does digitalization bring to the exchange between the state and its citizens? This question was the subject of a discussion panel entitled "Digital political governance", which was attended by Federal Chancellor Walter Thurnherr, National Councillor Franz Grüter, Geneva State Chancellor Anja Wyden Guelpa, Zug Mayor Dolfi Müller and Daniel Graf from Wecollect.ch. It was emphasized that Switzerland must find its own way, but that the authorities should increasingly test new possibilities of digitalization. In addition, the young generation should be encouraged to participate in our political processes by digital means. However, this requires more transparency in the decision-making process and a strengthening of trust and security in e-government.

Concrete need for action from the stakeholders' perspective

In workshops on the topics of education in the digital society and economy, innovation, labor market 4.0, data policy, government services and public service, security, resilience and trust as well as energy and resource efficiency, the participants formulated their core findings and theses in interdisciplinary discussions. A summary of the workshops will soon be published on the website Digitaldialog.swiss published.

The digital Switzerland of tomorrow

The participants of the final panel discussed the core results of the workshops and agreed that education is of fundamental importance for the targeted and sustainable further development of digital Switzerland. The panelists called for more openness and a joint, interdisciplinary and cross-sector approach to the new challenges. Despite the very good starting position, there is a need for action to ensure that our country remains competitive at an international level. As a conclusion, it was emphasized that a promising further development of digital Switzerland is only possible if everyone takes on more responsibility. People are at the center of this. Working in silos is definitely a thing of the past; it is important that everyone participates, networks and creates innovative collaborations. (pd)