1 Norway – the most digitalised country in the world

In 2030, Norway will be the most digitalised country in the world and will have succeeded in the digital transformation of our society. Digitalisation will make everyday life easier and safer for citizens, make businesses more competitive and improve the public sector.

The Government’s fundamental goal is to create a safer and fairer Norway with opportunities nationwide. This entails a policy that gives people the opportunity to enjoy a good quality of life.

We have a good starting point. Norway is already a good country to live in. People have opportunities to develop, contribute and create value. Trust in society is high, and social and geographical differences are small. Our welfare state makes knowledge, healthcare and assistance in various life situations available to all.

Now we are faced with new tasks. In the report on Long-term Perspectives on the Norwegian Economy , 1 the Government highlights three key societal challenges for the years ahead:

• Competition for labour : Caregiving tasks are increasing, yet the number of working-age individuals available to perform them is not keeping pace.
• Need for adaptation : Increased global tensions, climate and environmental changes, and declining petroleum activity are driving changes that underscore the need for prudent and responsible resource management.
• Continued good distribution : Little inequality and stable access to welfare services must be preserved in the face of transitions, and as many people are living longer than before.

Digitalisation is an important part of the solution to societal challenges. Digitalisation allows us to achieve higher quality public services, greater value creation and a society where everyone has opportunities, regardless of where they live or work. At the same time, we must ensure that we have sufficient control over digitalisation and that it takes place in a safe, secure and trustworthy manner. It is particularly important that technology is introduced and used with caution in relation to children and young people.

About the digitalisation strategy

This strategy charts the course for a digital Norway, with a high level of ambition and clear goals.

It describes the following prerequisites that must be in place in order for the digitalisation of society to succeed: strengthening governance and coordination in the public sector, ensuring a secure and future-oriented digital infrastructure, bolstering security, emergency preparedness and crime prevention, ensuring appropriate and safeguarded privacy for all and securing future-oriented digital competence .

Furthermore, the strategy describes the following priority areas where efforts must be strengthened in order to realise the full potential of digitalisation: increasing data sharing and harnessing the opportunities in data and data-driven innovation, leveraging opportunities in artificial intelligence, speeding up the green and digital transition, promoting an adaptable and innovative business sector while maintaining trust, strengthening inclusion, and safeguarding considerations for children and young people .

The overriding goal of the digitalisation strategy is to make Norway the most digitalised country in the world by 2030. To achieve this, the Government will:

Strengthening governance and coordination of the public sector

In the run-up to 2030, the Government will implement stronger cross-sectoral governance and coordination of digitalisation, so that we can harness the immense potential we currently have. We will create strong synergies between Norwegian and European digitalisation policy. The Government is seeking a change of pace in public sector digitalisation.

We shall have a public sector that offers better, more seamless digital services to citizens and the business sector. We shall use digitalisation for de-bureaucratisation and ensure that professionals can devote more of their skills to providing good services to people. We shall introduce labour-saving technology through trust-based and participatory digitalisation.

• Goal 2030 : Norway shall rank first among OECD countries for public sector digitalisation. We are currently ranked fourth. 2

Ensuring a secure and future-oriented digital infrastructure

Towards 2030, the Government will establish high-speed broadband and good mobile coverage for all, and ensure that we have robust electronic communications networks and services nationwide. We shall ensure a well-functioning shared digital ecosystem for interaction and service development in the public sector.

• Goal 2030 : Everyone in Norway should be offered high-speed broadband with at least 1 Gbit/s download speed. Currently, 95.1 per cent enjoy such access. 3

Bolstering security, emergency preparedness and crime prevention

Towards 2030, the Government will strengthen national cyber security and emergency preparedness to safeguard critical societal and fundamental national functions. To strengthen our work on national security and emergency preparedness, we will actively use digital technologies. The national capacity to combat cybercrime will also be strengthened.

• Goal 2030 : All government agencies have evaluated, improved or renewed their information security management systems. Currently, 80.9 per cent have done so. 4
• Goal 2030 : 90 per cent of municipalities have evaluated, improved or renewed their information security management systems. Currently, 66.7 per cent have done so. 5

Ensuring appropriate and safeguarded privacy for all

Towards 2030, the Government will safeguard privacy in all digitalisation efforts. All relevant IT solutions in the public sector shall have built-in privacy protection, and we shall ensure citizens’ privacy in their interaction with the Tech Giants.

• Goal 2030 : We shall ensure a 20 per cent increase in citizens’ confidence in the public sector’s privacy protection efforts. Citizens’ confidence on this issue has decreased by 12 per cent since 2010. 6

Securing future-oriented digital competence

By 2030, the Government wants to ensure that Norway has access to the necessary digital competence, both as a basic skill in all relevant education programmes and as specialised skills. Technology subjects will be prioritised in education. We will ensure that the public sector and the business sector have access to the necessary skills to succeed in the green and digital transition.

• Goal 2030 : The proportion of government agencies struggling to recruit ICT specialists has decreased by 15 per cent. Currently, 82.5 per cent of government agencies struggle to recruit ICT specialists. 7
• Goal 2030 : Less than 55 per cent of enterprises report unmet ICT skills needs. Currently, this figure is 64 per cent. 8

Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, data and data-driven innovation

Towards 2030, the Government will establish a national infrastructure for artificial intelligence (AI), placing Norway at the vanguard of ethical and safe AI use. The business sector shall have favourable framework conditions for developing and using AI. The public sector shall utilise AI to develop better services and solve tasks more efficiently.

• Goal 2030 : All government agencies use AI as part of their task management. Currently, 43 per cent of them do so. 9

Norway will also be a leader in value creation with data and in data-driven research and innovation. We will participate in the EU’s data space initiatives where relevant.

• Goal 2030 : 60 per cent of private sector enterprises utilise data from the public sector. Currently, this share is 42 per cent. 10

Promote an adaptable and innovative business sector and accelerate the green and digital transition

In the run-up to 2030, the Government will facilitate the strengthening of the business sector’s competitiveness through the innovative use of data and digitalisation. The conditions for start-up enterprises shall be favourable. We shall ensure that digitalisation and the use of data reinforce our advantages in key industries, such as health, energy, aquaculture and other maritime industries.

We shall prioritise lifelong learning offerings in areas that are necessary for the future business sector.

We shall facilitate the green and digital transformation of the business sector.

• Goal 2030 : Norway shall be the leading country in the Nordic region for digital innovation. Currently, Norway is below average. 11
• Goal 2030 : Norwegian enterprises shall become the best in the Nordic region at using new technologies such as cloud services, IoT, big data analysis and AI. Currently, Norwegian enterprises are below the Nordic average. 12
• Goal 2030 : The amount of electrical and electronic waste per person shall be reduced by 32 per cent. Currently, this figure stands at 26.8 kilos per person. 13

Maintaining trust, strengthening inclusion, and safeguarding considerations for children and young people

Towards 2030, the Government will ensure that everyone can take part in digitalisation. We will strengthen our efforts to increase the digital competence of those groups experiencing digital barriers and digital exclusion. We shall make sure that everyone is offered an electronic identity. We shall strengthen the population’s resilience to digital disinformation. Children and young people shall be ensured a safe digital upbringing. We shall ensure a good digital-analogue balance in kindergartens, schools and in the leisure time of children and young people.

• Goal 2030 : The number of persons over the age of 12 in Norway who have a high-security eID shall be 5 million. Currently, this figure is 4.5 million. 14
• Goal 2030 : 95 per cent of the population should have basic digital skills, and everyone should be offered the opportunity to develop such skills. Currently, 86 per cent of the population has digital skills. 15