The transformation process caused by increasing digitalization affects society, the economy and the state. Close cross-sectoral, interdisciplinary and networked collaboration is crucial for seizing the opportunities of digital transformation. Switzerland is in a strong position in this respect, thanks in particular to its multicultural nature, willingness to engage in dialogue and create a consensus, in addition to its pragmatic direct-democratic processes. In 2016, the Swiss Goverment formulated the 'Digital Switzerland' Strategy providing guidelines for government action and indicating where and how authorities, academia, the private sector, civil society and politics must work together in order to shape the transformation process for the benefit of everyone. To this end, the Government has launched a Dialogue on 'Digital Switzerland' where it assumes a moderator role. The highlight of the process is a national conference. Together with interested external stakeholders, the Government investigates what new measures are required for the further development of the strategy. Education, innovation, public services, sustainability, digital labor, cybersecurity and data policy were among the topics discussed at the first conference, which took place November 20, 2017.
We will present the governmental strategy and share highlights from the first conference. This will be coupled with a presentation of digitalswitzerland, a major cross-industry initative created to strenghen the country's position as a digital hub, as well as GenéveLab, the innovation laboratory of the Canton of Geneva. The Speakers will provide a short overview to open the discussion, followed by a moderated discussion with participants. Attendants are invited to discuss the prospects and challenges of tackling the dynamic transformation process in a coordinated bottom up approach.
Organizer: Federal Office of Communications Switzerland
Speakers
Mr Philipp Metzger, Director General of OFCOM SwitzerlandMr Edouard Bugion, EPFL and Digital Switzerland
Mr Alexander Barclay, GenèveLab
Ms Roxana Radu, Chair ISOC-CH and Geneva Internet Plattform
Moderator
Jacques Beglinger, SwissHoldings
