IofC joins third Swiss Digital Day

We are increasingly reliant on smartphones, smart watches and other interconnected devices which influence nearly every aspect of our life:  our relationship with ourselves and others, our private, public and professional lives. Initiatives of Change (IofC) Switzerland is aware of the historical opportunity to influence the impact of new technologies for the common good. In collaboration with Digital Switzerland and its partners, the IofC team will lead an interactive session based on a fictional character named "Fabrice", allowing a dialogue to be launched between experts and participants on opportunities offered by new technologies and related risk management.

More information about the session led by IofC

Dialogue is the focus of the third Swiss Digital Day

The Swiss Digital Day will take place for the third time on 3 September. This day of action initiated by digitalswitzerland is held under the motto “experiencing digital together”. Over 80 partners will bring different facets of digitisation closer to the population with free activities in twelve locations throughout Switzerland. The President of the Swiss Confederation Ueli Maurer and Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin have assumed the patronage of Digital Day. The Federal Council is underlining the importance of this event with the presence of Simonetta Sommaruga. Dialogue with the population will be at the heart of the Swiss Digital Day: “tell” is a new series of events dedicated to fostering this dialogue.

“Digital starts with you – speak up !” is the motto for “tell”. With this new session format, digitalswitzerland is making dialogue and critical examination of digitisation the focus of this year’s Digital Day. Visitors will have the opportunity to discuss changes, hopes and fears surrounding digitisation with experts, using the World Café format. Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin will kick-off this new series in Berne. “tell” sessions will take place at almost all locations. “Digitisation is not a force of nature. Although it changes all areas of our society in a lasting way, we can shape it. Therefore, on Digital Day 2019, visitors should not only experience digitisation, but also actively participate. ‘tell’ offers the ideal opportunity for this,” says Diana Engetschwiler, overall project lead for Digital Day. The “tell” highlight will certainly be the participation of Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga in the evening in Berne. digitalswitzerland will capture the findings from all “tell” sessions through a research partnership with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW, the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW and the University of Zurich and also plans to publish a report.

Official opening in Berne and activities throughout Switzerland

The highlight of this year’s edition of Digital Day is the official opening by the President of the Swiss Confederation Ueli Maurer in Berne. For the first time since the launch of Digital Day, the federal capital is the venue for the opening ceremony. After the speech by the President of the Swiss Confederation and a live broadcast in the regional languages, two special trains will leave the Berne station, one heading east and one west, underlining the fact that Digital Day is a national event. “The Swiss population is the backbone of all sustainable development, including digitisation. With increased dialogue, we are placing the population even more at the center of digital transformation. The population is part of this transformation and can play an active role,” says Ivo Furrer, President of digitalswitzerland. Visitors to Lugano, Lausanne, Yverdon-les-Bains, Geneva, Chur, St. Gallen, Basel, Berne, Zurich, Biel, Vaduz and Thun can look forward to events, discussions and expos on the various Digital Day topics. A moderated stage programme with talks, dialogue formats, live broadcasts and start-up pitches will take place throughout the day at Zurich Main Station. The whole programme can also be followed live online.

Using the opportunities of digitisation with lifelong learning

Digitisation brings about changes in all areas of our lives. To benefit, we must learn how to deal with these changes. Further training courses, for example, serve this purpose in our daily work. On Digital Day 2019, we will raise awareness that these changes represent an opportunity and that lifelong learning is key. On 3 September there will be many free courses for people of all ages, and visitors can, for example, gain their first experience with programming.

Multi-stakeholder initiative with international appeal

The digitalswitzerland initiative, which was launched at the WEF in 2015, has now become a movement with over 150 major Swiss companies and institutions. This is a tremendous success, which is beneficial to the Swiss start-up ecosystem, the legal framework and relations with authorities. The founders’ goal to develop Switzerland into a leading digital hub is well on its way. Meanwhile, the idea has been taken up by other European countries, including Germany and Austria. “Digital Day is a fundamentally important vehicle for giving a positive boost to digitisation among the general population. Digital Day is hands-on digitisation for the whole family, for young and old. It is important that people learn to understand the opportunities offered by digitisation. This also includes pointing out risks. We have been delighted with the success of our initiative at home and abroad and the support we have received from policymakers since it was launched three years ago,” says Marc Walder, founder of digitalswitzerland.

• More information about Digital Day can be found at www.digitadlay.swiss
• Information on the “tell” series of events can be found here: www.digitalday.swiss/tell