Digitization and technology policy

Digitization and technology policy is a research platform that brings together a number of research projects with two common denominators: to measure and analyze the digital structural transformation in economy and society and to contribute to a data- and knowledge-based political debate both in Sweden and at the EU level. Research Director for the platform is Joakim Wernberg, Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum.

There are currently five major research projects underway within the Digitization and technology policy platform:

• Digital excellence
The project aims to produce new statistics on digitization and the need for digital competence in the private and public sector. As part of the project, new data is collected through surveys carried out by Statistics Sweden (SCB). Among other things, the project will result in an interim report within the government assignment Digital spetskompetens (www.digitalspetskompetens.se).

• Digitization and transition problems
In the long term, technological development contributes to growth and increased wealth, but in the short and medium term, structural transformation gives rise to friction, trade-offs and conflicting goals. The purpose of this project is to identify and investigate such transition problems and contribute with knowledge-based approaches to overcome them.

• Digital transformation, AI and economic development
Digitization, in particular the development of artificial intelligence (AI), is giving rise to a wider debate about change in the economy, the labor market and society as a whole. While the new technology brings extensive potential, there are reasons to call for more data- and research-based discussion. The purpose of this research project is to contribute to such a discussion about how digitization and AI can affect the labor market, entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship, the education system, competition and welfare.

• Digital markets and business structure
With the rise of digital platforms, cloud services and software as a service (SaaS), the thresholds for trying new ideas, starting companies, reaching customers and taking advantage of technological resources have been lowered significantly. At the same time, new types of relationships and interdependencies arise. The goal of this project is to investigate Swedish companies’ use of digital platforms and cloud services and how it affects the business structure in digital markets. During the course of the project, new data is collected in an extensive survey carried out by Statistics Sweden (SCB).

• New regulations for digital markets
Intensive work is underway with new technology policy legislation at EU level. While there is a need for clear, equal and long-term rules of the game in digital markets, there is also a need for a knowledge- and research-based policy discussion that takes into account how digital markets differ from more classic market structures. The project culminates in a series of policy-oriented articles with a focus on digitization and technology policy.

Financiers

The research within the platform is funded by:
• Government assignment Digital excellence (Growth Agency and University Chancellor’s Office)
• Vinnova
• Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg’s foundation
• Amazon
• Google

Advisory board

A special advisory board with a focus on technology policy debate and policy is linked to the research platform. The group consists of:

Anne-Marie Eklund Löwinder, IT and cyber security expert, founder and CEO of Amelsec
Carolina Brånby, responsible for digital policy, Confederation of Swedish Enterprise
Erik Randberg, Public Affairs manager, Kry i Sverige
Fredrik Heintz, Professor of computer science, Linköping University
Johan Harvard, Relationship management director, Combient
Sara Övreby, Public Policy and Government Relations, Google Sweden