Digitalization, the way to a simpler life

A better life can mean different things to many people. From more comfortable and better paid work, through better public services such as healthcare, education, or better goods and services for yourself and the family.

Quality of life has several aspects. Since the Industrial Revolution, it has been new technologies that have enabled people to make this progress in life. The last decade is defined by digitalization, which has an impact on all aspects of our lives.

In a short time, the digital transformation has become an essential part of all the processes around us.
The ability to use new digital technologies effectively saves us time and energy, which allows us to earn more and make better use of our time.

Whether we can take advantage of this opportunity depends on how we can reorient our activities to the environment of this millennium.

The digitalization of Slovakia is approaching

The digital transformation of the economy will increase the quality of life all around us by increasing added value and opening up new opportunities for businesses and their employees, as well as their customers. If these changes are to take place, there is a need for support for digital integration by technology leaders as well as the state and effective cooperation to bring this issue to all walks of life, including households, schools, government and cross-cutting integration at everyday levels. There is a need for digital skills to become part of the education system, not only in education, but also in the education of companies or individuals in the form of retraining and regular education and retraining in digital skills.

We were able to manage the pandemic thanks to an effective digital transformation

The lives of us all have also mobilized into the digital space of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time of the lockdowns, Slovakia fully felt the pressure and the need to digitalize several areas of life from shopping, education, communication, work or the functioning of state administration across all sectors. Digital technologies allow companies to survive the pandemic period and develop the added value of their own operations. Countless technological solutions are being created: artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, robotics, automation, intelligent devices or virtual reality - each solution has its place in the digital society.

This scale of digital transformation means the need to significantly expand support for businesses that can take advantage of the endless number of opportunities for new business models.

The innovation potential driven by digitalization is wide, especially with regard to process automation and digital relations across borders. Businesses have the opportunity to create digital user processes, build open platforms and promote an agile business culture.

The success of these opportunities depends to a large extent on the state's ability to kick-start support for digitalization throughout society.

That is why SAPIE organizes meetings with key actors to identify the main weaknesses of the business environment in Slovakia as well as solutions to kick-start the country's digital growth. In 2022, companies face not only the instability of the economic environment, but also the problem of cyber security and the absence of supporting legislation and mechanisms for the digital economy.

The responses of the public sector must be based on this identification of the needs of the Slovak economy and the use of examples of good practice. Only in this way will Slovakia move towards a promising future in the digital world. Slovakia must be prepared for the development and protection of security and personal data as well as the building of a quality digital infrastructure. We have a lot of opportunities ahead of us, we need to follow the digital leaders among entrepreneurs and carriers of innovative solutions, or let ourselves be inspired by the best examples from abroad, so that we know which way to go. Only in this way will our digital future be in our hands. Slovakia can take full advantage of the opportunities offered by digital transformation, but we must remove all barriers.

Small businesses and entrepreneurs are the backbone of any economy. Countries like Slovakia can lose a lot if they delay the activities to support digitalization.

That is why SAPIE is launching a new project in the region of Central and Eastern Europe called the League for Digital Boost. Through a wide range of activities, including bringing together key leaders, policy group discussions and gathered analytical outputs and proposals, we want to raise awareness in the region about the potential of digital technology for small and medium-sized enterprises.