Discussion about the opportunities for new business from digital breakthrough

Ministry of Transport and Communications
Publication date 30.6.2016 12.11
News item
iPhone (Photo: Rodeo)
iPhone (Photo: Rodeo)

Minister of Transport and Communications Anne Berner invited a group of international experts and leaders to talk about the digitalization of our societies and the opportunities this offers. The main focus was on business models utilising digitalisation, including the sharing economy and other demand-based models.

Services based on sharing or demand that take advantage of digitalisation mean a new kind of and growing challenge to traditional businesses. The most widely known of such new business models are the international transport service Uber and accommodation services offered by Airbnb. In Finland, too, there are many service providers whose operations are based on shared use, reuse or recycling.

- We discussed the benefits and disadvantages of the new business model and how they could be best utilised to create growth and wellbeing. We also reflected on what the governments and political decision-makers should do to promote digital business, says Minister Berner.

The experts and leaders invited to participate in the round table represented international companies operating both in traditional businesses and in new business based on digitalisation.

The discussion, chaired by Minister Anne Berner, took place in Helsinki on Thursday 30 June 2016. Earlier the minister has met international top-level experts on transport and communications at similar events in November 2015 and April 2016.

This round table discussion was part of the Government's key project "A growth environment will be created for digital business operations", which focuses on promoting the digitalisation of business life. The project aims to make Finland a favourable operating environment for digital services and business models based on digitalisation.