Minister Harakka and State Secretary Kemell to attend OECD Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting

Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka and State Secretary to the Minister of Economic Affairs Ann-Mari Kemell will attend the Ministerial Level Meeting of the OECD Committee on Digital Economy Policy in Gran Canaria, Spain on 13–15 December 2022.

Minister Harakka will participate in a panel discussion entitled ‘The future of connectivity – Investing in high quality networks’, in which the panellists will discuss how telecommunications networks are being developed to meet the increasing needs and security requirements of the digital transformation, among other themes.

Finland ranks highest in mobile data usage in the OECD countries and is a leader in developing more efficient 6G networks.

“For Finland to succeed in the data economy, we must create the best services for existing and future networks that we will also export to other countries. We are living in a new era of GSM technology. Just as we did during the breakthrough of mobile phones in the 1980s, Finland must ensure smart international standards for efficient connections, safe networks and open data,” says Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka. 

“In Finland, we have set up a ministerial working group to guide the development of the digital transformation, information and technology policy and the data economy. The working group has also led the preparation of Finland’s digital compass, a ten-year strategy aiming to ensure that people, communities and companies are better served by digitalisation and the data economy,” Minister Harakka continues.

Ann-Mari Kemell, State Secretary to Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä, will moderate a workshop on bridging digital divides and reducing digital inequality. Digital divides refer to differences in digital skills and in opportunities to use data connections, digital technologies and digital services.

“We all have the right to participate in an increasingly digital society. Businesses’ activities are becoming widely digitalised, but at a very uneven pace. Investments must also be made in developing the digital skills of employees. Finland is well placed for a digital transformation where people can keep up and no one is left behind, but we still face plenty of common challenges,” says State Secretary Kemell.

Better utilisation of data, AI technologies and other forms of digitalisation offer opportunities for economic renewal and increased productivity. The OECD Committee on Digital Economy Policy is a cooperation body that provides the member states with a broad-based vision for the development of the digital global economy through a common knowledge base and recommendations.

Inquiries:

Annina Tikkanen, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Transport and Communications, tel. +358 50 478 3398, annina.tikkanen@gov.fi

Lasse Laitinen, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 488 370, lasse.laitinen@gov.fi