Continuing towards digital transformation: 5 paths for Switzerland

In recent months, numerous digital solutions have been developed and implemented, and digital progress has become visible not only in everyday life and the world of work. At the same time, however, Covid-19 is also a stress test for the entire system that has revealed digital deficits. While Switzerland has been rather sluggish in its digital transformation for years, the current reality is causing things to move. Changes are opening the door to new markets and innovations that were previously considered unthinkable. For digital Switzerland, it is important to anticipate, discuss and work on these opportunities and threats. Successful continuation of the digital transformation requires a joint effort.

Nicolas Bürer, Managing Director of Digitalswitzerland, emphasizes: "Transversal and interdisciplinary collaboration is more important than ever. Within a few weeks, silos were broken down and boundaries overcome. This shows the success potential of multidisciplinary ecosystems. To define the new narrative of the digital future, cross-cutting cooperation between science, politics, administration, business, non-governmental organizations and civil society is necessary."

"The Covid 19 crisis has clearly shown how important digitization is for companies, public administrations and society," adds Ivo Furrer, President of Digitalswitzerland. "It has significantly increased the pressure to act decisively and quickly. We undoubtedly need to strengthen our digital infrastructure, further digitize business processes, invest in digital innovation and develop new digital business models that accelerate our transition to a digital economy and society."

In addition, the megatrends of digitization, demographic change and green transformation should be more closely linked in the future. The pandemic should be seen as an opportunity for Europe. Even if Switzerland is not at the forefront of the platform economy, it can take the lead in green digitization or digitally supported green transformation.

Digital infrastructure

The excellence of a digital society is measured by the quality of its digital infrastructure. The pandemic experience requires its expansion to the highest degree. New fiber optic lines, fast hotspots, secure data centers and laptops for employees are needed. The virus shows how important websites, web stores, web forms, social media profiles, customer relationship management or simply digital contact options are. Without a digital basis, neither Big Data nor artificial intelligence will work. Security and data sovereignty must be guaranteed at all times.

Rooms of ideas

Transformation can only succeed with open thinking. Ideas and new perspectives require an environment that not only allows creative, innovative and free thinking, but also actively promotes it. Every company is a space of ideas, where the future is created by means of new technologies, materials, offerings and forms of interaction. A society of a thousand ideas also needs a vital start-up scene. If this is to flourish, the transformation of established companies and the digital fitness of SMEs is crucial.

Institutions of the knowledge society

Covid-19 accelerates digital reinventions of all organizations that create, communicate and preserve knowledge. In a very short time, media, schools, libraries, and universities transformed their operations. Evaluation, research, and digital strategies are needed to sustain their changes over the long term. Government agencies are also challenged. Now is the time to build e-banking-like portals for taxes, AHV and administrative procedures. Electronic identity is essential for this. Covid-19 is an opportunity to strengthen digitization in healthcare and thus innovations.

New interfaces

The future of contactless interaction has been stimulated. Covid-19 has brought about a rapid change in consumer perception of touchscreens. However, the fact that a digital world with new interfaces - without paper and without the old control options of the haptic - is also frightening is clearly shown in the discussion about a cashless society. That is why data rights must be regulated before new interfaces are introduced across the board. Logistics is one of the interfaces of a networked society. Covid-19 provides an opportunity to rethink environmentally friendly forms of shipping.

New relationships

In order to continue the digital transformation, the first step in the coming months should be to increase the digital maturity of SMEs, public authorities and knowledge society institutions that are still little digitized. Without a basic digital infrastructure, all other scenarios for digital Switzerland remain dreams of the future. Through Covid-19, collaboration in business, society, politics and science can be rethought. Cooperations in data management and visualization, artificial intelligence or gesture- and voice-controlled interfaces save costs and enable the exchange of expertise.

Strengthened by recent experience, a new narrative can now be adopted for the future. A so-called Digital New Deal is needed to make Switzerland's infrastructure, institutions and innovative strength fit for the future. This connects the analog with the digital, digital experts and digital newcomers, natural sciences and humanities, the state and its citizens, economy and society, nature and technology. The new digital deal must be part of the Green New Deal if the dangers of climate change and a society of inequality are not to increase.