Europe’s Digital Future with Finnish Flavour – Some thoughts aroused by the Sitra Policy Brief

Last month Sitra, Technology Industries of Finland and VTT published a joint policy brief on the critical digital technologies and Europe’s position in them, now and in the future. The brief gives an excellent summary on Finland’s critical role in strengthening the EU’s technological sovereignty. Further, the presented recommendations based on our lessons learned are thought-provoking.  I strongly suggest everyone to read and internalize this publication.

An important concept, that should be behind all future decisions and aspirations in the field, is technological convergence. Individual, even isolated technologies are becoming more dependent on others, at an ever-faster pace. Once the boundaries dissolve, technologies interlink and together they offer more functionality, more applications and more possibilities.

However, the new era of interlinked digital technologies doesn’t just happen, it must be made. Traditional approach to policies and strategies needs to be rethought. For the technologies to be complementary and interdependent, we need people who are just that.

Stronger commitment to topical ecosystems

Who then are the Task Owners of this quest for convergence? Not the governments, not the companies, not the universities. Task Owners are us, people, the professionals, current and forthcoming. It’s been said that shared responsibility is nobody’s responsibility.

Now our job is to prove that saying wrong, because ours and our children’s future depends on it. We need to challenge ourselves to a game of 2048 and get to know more of the discipline adjoined to our expertise. Armed with that extra comprehension, focus on the new, now adjacent, larger entities, and so on. There are individuals who have done that, but the future needs us all. The defining compasses for Europe’s global positioning are effectively implemented and scalable hybrid solutions.

An excellent method to learn more and contribute to each other’s learning are the joint cross-disciplinary projects. The policy brief proposes a company-led approach to EU RDI funding. In the Finnish Lead Company model selected companies are entitled to steer RDI agenda around a theme the company has envisioned.

This perspective has led to stronger commitment to topical ecosystems and attracted new, sometimes surprising, players to connect with the ecosystems and the value chains. As an attractive outcome, more private investments have been made to the themes and growth of the participating companies has been faster. Getting the company-led model aligned with EU RDI funding leverages the results. Science is turned into business and innovations are catalysed by working together, by us Europeans.

We need to protect our interests, not to isolate ourselves nor to pursue self-sufficiency, but to be innovative, competitive and trusted partners for building a flourishing common future.

Author

Tomi Salo

Co-Creation Manager, Dr.Sc.Techn.

Kvanttinova Oy

tomi.salo@kvanttinova.fi