ITM helps government define "digital excellence"
The lack of digital specialists inhibits innovation and growth in Sweden, according to OECD. The need for digital competence today is already big and is expected to increase in the coming years as digitalisation and new technologies develop. KTH and researchers from ITM are involved in finding a solution to the problem.
How do we obtain the digital excellence needed, both for today’s needs and for the future?
The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth and UKÄ (University Chancellor's Office) will together analyze and provide suggestions on how to secure the right skills in the field.
KTH will also be part of the government assignment. Today, there is no clear definition of what ”digital excellence” actually covers. To find out, four experts from KTH and Uppsala University have been given the task of developing a definition that will form the basis for the authorities' continued work. The assignment also includes compiling an overview of current research in the area of "supply of digital excellence".
The work is led by Vice President Jan Gulliksen. Other participants are Mattias Wiggberg from the department of Industrial Economics and Arnold Pears from the department of Learning and Uppsala University's Åsa Cajander.
”The need for expertise in digitalisation is enormous. It is a delicate but interesting task to define the basis of competence for those who will lead the digital transformation. We can't reveal too much of the content of the investigation yet, but combinations of IT knowledge and advanced knowledge of application areas for it are highlighted as central in the digital economy is easy to guess," says Mattias Wiggberg, who’s doing research on digitalisation.
The group has worked on the assignment all spring and the work will be presented at the launch conference for the three-year government assignment on April 28 this spring.