Finland as a global leader of digitalisation

Finland: a global leader in digital government

In Europe, Finland is leading the way in digital government (eGovernment). It is also a global  front-runner in this field.

Finland’s IT history

IT has a long history in Finland’s government sector. The first computers were installed in the Social Security Institution and in Postbank in 1958. A government computer centre was set up in 1965. Since then, a continuous stream of measures and programmes have sought to make the fullest use of IT in public services as well as in back office functions.

Digital Finland now

Today, Finland’s government agencies are implementing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and other new technologies for improving public services, as well as streamlining government support functions. Check out #AuroraAI on Twitter, for example.

The Government has agreed that public services will be primarily digital in the future. No-one will be left behind though. The Government has launched projects with the private sector to support those who are unable to use digital services. There is a lot of cross-sectoral collaboration and the Government adapts fast to new circumstances.

The Government is accelerating the development of better services by creating ecosystems around peoples’ life events and the life cycles of businesses. These ecosystems include both public and private sector organisations. The Government is also building customer-centric cross-sectoral service models for people and companies arriving in Finland.

What is the key to successful digital government?

Trust is a pivotal factor for successful digital government. In Finland, citizens and businesses trust government agencies to provide services in a reliable, impartial and timely manner. Government trusts citizens and businesses. Finland has one of the least corrupt government sector in the world.

We are eager to learn from and work with other countries. The exchange of experiences, best practices and promising new practices supports the digitalisation of government and public services in Finland. Finland is also happy to share its best practices and experiences of various digital services and solutions.

The digital transformation of Finnish society is happening fast, and we are all helping to build this new, digital Finland. We have made a video about the digital transformation of society, which presents some examples of the digital revolution. One of these examples is the Government’s key project aimed at digitalising public services.

Speed is essential – Digitalising Society (YouTube)

Read more about Public Sector ICT and digitalisation in Finland (Ministry of Finance)