Politicizing the Technological Debate, Key to a Successful and Inclusive Digital Economy

Digital disruption requires a new social contract, according to our new report.

Our latest research highlights the need for a new social contract to manage the economic and social transformations caused by the rise of disruptive technologies. “The Digital Economy and the New Social Contract” report concludes that a digital economy that combines innovation and inclusion is possible, but requires a series of urgent policy actions.

The report was presented at the Centre for European Policy studies (CEPS) in Brussels on November 18, 2022, with representatives from the European Commission, the private sector and academia. Manuel Muñiz, Chair of the Center for the Governance of Change, stressed: “A new social contract for the digital age should be based on legitimate institutions and on an economy that provides shared prosperity.”

“Legitimacy should be pursued by politicizing the technological debate”, said Miguel Otero, author of the report and research director at the Center for the Governance of Change. “Individuals and civil society should be part of the decision-making processes applicable to digital policy and its social impact.”

The report calls for active engagement between the public and private sectors in digital policy design and implementation. Communication and collaboration between different stakeholders should become the norm.

Furthermore, the public sector needs to review its own composition, organizational structure, ways of working and capabilities to adapt to the requirements of a new digital social contract. For their part, companies should take responsibility for their use of technology and their role in the social aspects of the digital transition, while deeply integrating a renewed social commitment into their activity.

To download the report and read more about the subject, click here.