Strategy is missing

Digitalization: “Partly still unploughed field”

The government needs to plan more strategically, according to the initiative.

(Bild: thinkstockphotos.de)

Following its proposals for a green transformation and the education sector, the expert initiative "Mehr Grips" presented its ideas for Austria's digital transformation on Wednesday - according to AMS boss Johannes Kopf, a field that is still partially unplowed in this country. 

Kopf criticized that some people even have the impression "that we haven't come up with much more than tablets for pupils". The government needs to plan more strategically here and constantly develop this planning further.

Digital transformation is not an end in itself. It is a powerful tool for achieving certain social and economic goals, emphasized Roland Sommer, Managing Director of Plattform Industrie 4.0.

To ensure that technologies are used in a way that benefits people and not the other way around, the experts called for a "Charter of Digital Humanism". To this end, opportunities and risks should be weighed up in a broad process.

AMS board member Johannes Kopf

(Bild: APA/HANS PUNZ)

Structural problem
The experts identified a structural problem in the government when it comes to digital transformation, as there is no body to coordinate a strategy across all ministries. In their opinion, such an office should be set up in the Federal Chancellery and also have its own budget.

"At the Federal Chancellery, we see something like an internal state business consultancy on the question of where to go next, best practice, transfer funding, etc.," says Kopf. This digitalization authority should then draw up a roadmap and define coordinated lighthouse projects for each department. The experts believe that the current State Secretariat for Digitalization cannot fulfil such a task.

More transparency and citizen participation
In their view, there is a lot to do in the area of digital democracy and data, for example, a digital voting system in parliament should bring more transparency for citizens. At the same time, active action is needed against projects that threaten democracy, for example by promoting platforms for fact-checking. Digitalization also offers opportunities to increase citizen participation and improve democracy.

Free access to administrative data
Open data expert Robert Seyfriedsberger has a lot of homework to do when it comes to handling data. The Freedom of Information Act is by no means enough; he demands free access to all non-personal administrative data; personal data should be made available to science and research for register research - "away from survey-based politics towards data and evidence-based decisions".

Beate Gfrerer from the Carinthian adult education centers also calls for a bundling of the many existing initiatives and funding and support in the form of "digital hubs" in the municipalities and districts so that older people or people with less education can also use new technologies in a meaningful way.

She is also promoting a pilot project for a "digital learning buddy", which could provide children with tailored learning support. In terms of integration, the tool could also be used with educationally disadvantaged adults or adults who are not able to learn.

"Benefits of technology for people and society"
In the economy, on the other hand, it is important that digital transformation not only takes place in research and development, but also reaches companies across the board, emphasizes Sommer. To achieve this, risks must be minimized, for example through "digital sandboxes" in which digital solutions for companies can be tested.

Innovation projects that benefit society - for example because they contribute to the digital, green and social transformation - should receive ambitious government funding.

In all of this, attention must always be paid to a balance and a sensible approach to digitalization, Kopf emphasized. "The goal is: Benefits of technology for people and society, but already enabling."