The new Norway must build on the old one

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Computer technology is changing the world, but in pursuit of the new Norway, it is easy to forget that most of the future solutions will be built in interaction with the old one

Under the theme “The hunt for the new Norway”, NTNU, Sintef, Tekna and the Research Council of Norway will arrange the traditional Lerchendal conference in Trondheim. In what has become one of Norway’s foremost meeting places for the sharing of knowledge and debates on social development, the participants this year will discuss how we should build new jobs that creates value, in a time when restructuring and digitization is ongoing in the business sector, the public sector and the educational institutions.

“No one has it all”

This is the answer to how we in the new Norway will create new success stories. The development goes so fast that many of those who complete the study and enter the workplace experience that newly acquired knowledge quickly becomes outdated. Nevertheless, many new industries and segments will be developed in the years to come. That we do not know the direction does not mean that we should not discuss future scenarios. We must share and debate mores now than ever.
One of the things that seems clear is that technology will be crucial for the development and conversion of most industries. Ensuring interaction between today’s solutions and the new ones will be demanding, but necessary. Here are three topics we should discuss in the search for the new Norway.

Better and deeper data

We’ve been talking about big data for years. In more defined issues, deep data will be a faster path to the goal. With deep data, we mean relationships in that subject and Industry experts use their knowledge to critically sort the data sources before artificial intelligence takes over. Deep data are very specific observations and information in a very limited area derived from, for example, sensors. While Big data collects data from a wide variety of sources that may be relevant to a problem, only the specific information requested will be collected by deep data. Thus, analysts do not have to “separate” insignificant data from important data. The potential is huge.
For example, IBM has begun work where sensors connected at the fingertips can measure pressure and vibration, thereby exposing early signs of Parkinson’s. Another example is how data from a variety of sources, including barometer measurements from mobile phones globally, can now provide very accurate weather forecasts for every tiny little spot on the globe. It is done through our meteorology company The Weather Company, and will be able to facilitate work for exposed professions such as pilots, farmers and breeders. For most actors, analysis of deep data will be more appropriate than large data.

Innovation and creativity

Today’s technology is smart, but it’s not smart enough. You need to train it and know how to use it. Education and knowledge are needed for that. But we also need something more. All in 2010, we asked 1,500 CEOs and CEOs in 60 countries from 33 different industries to identify which feature is most important for future success. Answer: In an increasingly complex world, creativity is most important of all.
The answer may not surprise you, but it is not enough for Norway to become a competitive society a world of rapid development in increasingly economically important areas. We must do as IBM’s head of Norway, Arne Norheim, recently expressed: “We must translate creativity into innovation. It is a demanding exercise that is underestimated by many Norwegian leaders in politics, academia and business ». Sweden, Denmark and Finland are all more innovative than us, according to measurements.
Norwegian leaders must get involved in innovation work. At the same time, they must dare to lose track of the pace of innovation. The power to create change must be pushed down in the organizations. Leaders who do not dare will end up as bottlenecks and innovators.

The foundation wall must be strengthened

Of course, the robots will come. Of course, buildings will be smart and talk to each other. We will probably have self-driving buses in the big cities in a few years. But we do not get a smart, green welfare society without a solid, digital foundation. We do not necessarily replace solutions that work well. Combining existing solutions with new cloud-based services is part of the future digital foundation. There is too little attention the importance of the IT infrastructure and the digital platforms we build our technical solutions in Norway. While we are working on innovation, we should at the same time equip our IT foundation wall. It must be designed to take care of existing solutions that are not necessary to replace, while providing the necessary foundation for further development.

To be able to use sensors, artificial intelligence and deep data, an IT foundation that facilitates new solutions is needed. Although the work on such foundation walls may not be visible, this work is no less important.
With Cloud technology, Businesses can realise the potential as new technology

Today’s technology is smart, but it’s not smart enough. You have to train it and know how to use it.