Digitalisation for sustainable development
Digitalisation for sustainable development is an umbrella initiative at the University of Skövde. Efforts to explore the opportunities and risks associated with digitalisation in the creation of a sustainable society act as a bridge between the different areas of the University of Skövde, with each area of the university offering its expertise.
Digitalisation
Digitalisation is the process of developing and refining activities and operations with the aid of digital technology. Today, digital technology is not only an enabler, but also a driving force that is fundamentally changing the way in which we experience the world, do things, face challenges and find solutions. Digitalisation entails a transformation of the most vital aspects of society – growth and sustainability, welfare and equality, security and democracy.
Sustainable development
The UN's Agenda 2030 is a natural point of departure when talking about sustainable development at the University of Skövde. The Agenda's 17 sustainable development goals balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, the social and the environmental.
Digitalisation for sustainability
Digitalisation is of great importance when it comes to creating a sustainable society. It can, for example:
- Help us to devise solutions that enable us to provide good care to more older members of society.
- Give us digital solutions that reduce environmental impact, such as by means of intelligent transport systems.
- Promote cultural diversity, such as by means of the digital distribution of cultural content.
- Develop our democracy by means of increased opportunities for dialogues with decision makers.
- Increase our society’s competitiveness when we develop digital-based products, services and business models.
Cross-disciplinary collaboration
At the University of Skövde, we have a strong tradition of creating rewarding cross-disciplinary collaborations across subjects and organisations. This is something we are leveraging in our efforts within digitalisation for sustainable development. Work with the University of Skövde's umbrella initiative began on 1 January 2017, when the university’s most recent development plan came into force, and is now well under way. The University of Skövde's board of governors has encouraged this work by establishing an investment programme that enables various projects associated with the initiative to apply for funding.
Here we have gathered links to different educational, research and collaborative activities through which the university’s researchers, lecturers and students offer examples of the role played by digitalisation in the creation of a sustainable society: