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SDGs Impacted

In Västerbotten County in northern Sweden, the population is largely concentrated along the coast. Inland communities are becoming depopulated and the municipalities struggle to provide basic service because of long travel distances and limited resources. There is concern that the large rural portions of Sweden are being “left behind”. The increasing digitalization of society has opened new opportunities for many Västerbotten communities. The action Digital Västerbotten is an attempt by the regional authority, Region Västerbotten, to use existing and emerging digital technologies to provide services and equal standard of living for people in all municipalities. Since the project Digital Västerbotten was only recently completed, it is somewhat difficult to fully access the impacts in terms of delivering spatial justice. What can be said is that the project managed to spread digital competence and through that increase the spatial justice in terms of more equal digital skills within the municipal administrations and more equal access to digital services for the citizens.

Impact / Outcome
Since the project Digital Västerbotten was only recently completed, it is somewhat difficult to fully access the impacts in terms of delivering spatial justice. What can be said is that the project managed to spread digital competence and through that increase the spatial justice in terms of more equal digital skill within the municipal administration and more access to digital services for the citizens. The project also increased cooperation between municipalities with limited resources. Since resource is a big part of why the inland municipalities are struggling with maintenance of public services the sharing of resources within the county increased the spatial justice, at least on a municipal level. We have also seen and heard that digital services have been implemented because of the project and that the competence and awareness about digitalisation has increased.
Funding sources
Public/Private
Key Metrics
Spread digital competence in terms of more equal digital skills within the municipal administrations and more equal access to digital services for the citizens
Locations
Europe, Sweden
Sector
IT and Communications (ICT)
Intervention levers
Regulation, Policy
Operating model
Public-private partnership
Target populations
Children, Youth, Elderly, Rural, Disabled
Year published
01 January 2019

The EDISON Alliance

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