Wants to use purchasing power to strengthen Norway's digital independence
The public sector buys digital solutions for billions every year, but has too little control over its own data and systems. NITO is now giving the Minister of Digitalisation concrete measures to reduce dependence on global tech giants.
On Tuesday 23 June, NITO, together with Tekna and the Consumer Council, submitted its recommendations to the Minister of Digitalisation, Karianne Tung. The recommendations are based on input from technologists, IT experts and researchers in the public and private sectors, and contain concrete measures to strengthen digital sovereignty.
Norway is among Europe's most US-dependent countries when it comes to cloud services and digital infrastructure.
We have put large parts of the digital foundation in the hands of American tech giants. The public sector has too little control over citizens' data and the infrastructure that our society depends on. This makes us vulnerable in a time where technology is used as a geopolitical tool of power.
Safina de Klerk, Vice President of NITO.
"If the framework conditions change abruptly, our society may come to a standstill, with consequences for privacy, emergency preparedness and value creation.
She points out that many businesses are in practice locked into individual suppliers.
"Then it becomes difficult to change solutions, and the companies become vulnerable to everything from price increases to changes in functionality. It is also a security challenge when we lack control over our own systems and data," she says.
"Public procurement power is our most important tool for taking back control. It must be used more strategically, and the requirements in procurements must contribute to safety, freedom of choice and room for manoeuvre.
NITO, Tekna and the Consumer Council ask the Ministry to follow up in several areas:
- modernise the Digitalisation Circular and clarify requirements for the assessment of operating models, procurements and further development
- set requirements for open standards, portability and interoperability in public procurement;
- make exit plans, data export, and exit costs standard requirements in major IT contracts
- require open and reusable solutions to be assessed before new procurements
- establish a national registry for publicly funded open source
- instruct the Norwegian Agency for Public and Financial Management (DFØ) to update templates and guidelines
"When solutions are based on open standards and open source, companies do not have to be locked into one supplier, and professional communities can collaborate to further develop the solutions," says de Klerk.
"Digital sovereignty is not about opting out of global technology. It is about ensuring control, capacity and room for manoeuvre in an unpredictable world," she concludes.
