Despite being among the most digitally advanced societies in Europe, a significant share of the population in the NordicBaltic region remains at risk of digital exclusion. Nordregio research project “Digital inclusion in action” has focused on strengthening knowledge, visibility and collaboration around digital inclusion in the region.
This is the Nordic‑Baltic paradox: the more digital our societies become, the greater the risk of deepening the digital divide. Strengthening digital inclusion is essential and that’s why our project has focused on understanding and addressing the barriers that prevent equal participation in an increasingly digital Nordic‑Baltic society, says Maja Bryntesson, researcher at Nordregio.
Costly consequences of digital exclusion
Participation in a digital society still depends on adequate digital literacy, skills, and competences. The research project highlights that certain groups continue to face heightened risks of exclusion. Among these are older adults, people with disabilities, individuals with limited or no formal education, young people, immigrants, residents in rural areas and people with low income.
Digital exclusion has serious consequences. It can mean that some groups have reduced access to public services and limited awareness of available support. This can in turn lead to a heightened risk of marginalization and growing social inequalities, says Maja Bryntesson.
Ways to work with digital inclusion
The digital inclusion in action project has a wide range of outputs, ranging from reports, story maps and case studies. All explored ways to work with and monitor digital inclusion in the Nordic-Baltic Region.
Some highlights from the outputs are the importance of involving civil society in actions for digital inclusion, as well the continued need for physical support when implementing inclusive electronic identifications (eID) solutions.
The project also developed a way of monitoring digital inclusion – a digital inclusion index showing how digitally inclusive different municipalities and regions are in the Nordic-Baltic Region.
Digital inclusion is a moving target. As digitalisation continues to transform how people live, work and engage with society, the conditions required for inclusion evolve in parallel. There is a clear need for stronger cross-border cooperation to create synergies across new projects working with digital inclusion, says Maja Bryntesson.
