Our chairman Ted Elvhage had the honour to participate in a round table with Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid during her visit to Stockholm last Friday, together with a group of knowledgeable representatives from the business and investment sector for inspiring discussions.
President Kerst Kaljulaid has a very clear vision of the future of a digital society. An important part of this is the difference between what should be developed and owned by the state and what should be developed by the market. For example, as a Swede, you can become a digital citizen in Estonia, with a so-called e-Residency, corresponding to our Swedish Bank-ID. This is a service provided by the authorities, not the market. And there are good reasons and clear boundaries as to why a service should be state or private.
But the President’s vision does not end with government services, though most government services are already digital. An important part of a digital society is the responsibility that each developer and person has to ensure that the final service treats the citizen with respect and answers to the question why it is not possible. For trust and democracy, it is not ok in the future to say “system said no”.