World Economic Forum at Davos: a platform where different perspectives meet at one place - Main contents

Last week the World Economic Forum was taking place in Davos - an annual event where international political leaders, economists, journalists, CEOs, artists, academics and technology pioneers gather to, on the one hand, discuss key challenges and trends in politics, economy and social issues, and on the other hand, present innovative solutions that will have an impact on society, enterprise and the world at large.

/commission/file/forum5jpg_enforum5.jpg

During the three days I spent in Davos, I had the opportunity to intervene in five sessions related to transport, mobility and platforms. We are in a phase of significant changes that affect transport and are driven by technology innovations, global integration and social changes. The EU system approach to digitalisation and decarbonisation of transport aims to ensure the transition towards an efficient and sustainable transport system, with smart investments and responsible solutions, putting people's rights, safety and security at the heart of the agenda.

My main observations and takeaways are summarized below:

General observations:

Both elections in US and the vote on Brexit imply that global players are closely monitoring possible shifts in global leadership and possible emergence of new alliances.

China had a very strong presence, clearly stating their support for globalisation, innovation and collaboration.

Digitalisation and digital-based business models are entering the mainstream of global economy and challenging the existing political, social and economic models.

Key messages on Mobility:

Mobility has a future based on digital platforms, networks, collaborative models; automation will drive shifts in mobility.

There is a strong demand for an efficient, secure, clean and safe transport. Industry leaders and influencers tend to be focused on pushing new technologies to develop new markets through technological innovations (autonomous driving, drones), or to enable millions of people in emerging economies to benefit from basic transport services.

At the same time, particularly in more advanced economies, the increasing use of platforms seem to have the effect to increase the relative size of higher and lower classes in terms of income, and "squeeze" the middle class, which would challenge the economic and social model we used to see so far.

On the other hand, the major increases of "middle class" in countries such as BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) is a major driver of huge mobility needs both locally and globally: it remains to be seen whether these countries would follow similar transport evolution as advanced economies (owning a personal car and driving it, gradual shift to common public transport with a driver) or "leapfrog" and adopt new technologies for shared and autonomous personal or public transport. There is a potential for emerging economies to quickly transition to digital transport. For instance, in some parts of Africa, there was no need to establish landlines, as most people were already using mobile phones.

New technologies, such as "blockchain" have the potential to revolutionise the economy by enabling the integration of shared services (e.g. autonomous cars) and co-creation (open system allowing participants to contribute with their own applications). However, we must focus our attention to prevent the risks related to human rights and the rule of law. We must also ensure that government revenues can be collected in the place where profits are made, to ensure public services and social security - a central part of the European economic social model - can continue to be funded.

There is a major opportunity to establish a common view on the future of transport, in particular in terms of transitioning to digitalisation and automation. We thus need an adequate shared understanding of people's needs, rights and behaviour as well as a global governance to support this transition.

The role of policy makers is crucial to promote the common public good, and to facilitate investments and innovations to make transport seamless, efficient and safe. It is also important to establish an adequate balance between passenger's safety, efficient transport and privacy of data. It is important to involve all stakeholders, including the private sector and social representatives.

Tourism stakeholders as part of one of the fastest growing industries raised the need to progress on security solutions that will be based on trust and ensure a smooth and efficient international travel.

We also raised concerns about lack of regulation of global players (platform economy) and lack of understanding / definition of digital assets. It has been agreed that needs for new economic models are emerging.

Inspiring workshop on the Power of Platforms has shown how platforms can be used to simplify the transport system; connect businesses and users; exchange information; remove obstacles and bottlenecks; enable co-creation and cooperation as well as support global supply networks and to ensure that the added value is delivered to customers.

/commission/file/twplatformapng_entw_platforma.png

I also took part at the very first Mobility System Stewards meeting that stressed the need for global dialogue on strategic development and deployment expectations of new emerging digitally supported solutions. There are plenty of new digital concepts and models but we also need a better understanding of people's absorption levels and emotional motivators; time for innovation in regulation, political and economic models.

On my way back, the view of evening sky above Brussels has inspired me to express my thoughts in the blog you have just read, and I hope I have encouraged you to reflect upon the technological changes that are shaping our future.

/commission/file/letalojpg_enletalo.jpg

Svetovni gospodarski forum v Davosu: platforma, kjer se različne perspektive srečajo na enem mestu

Prejšnji teden je v Davosu potekal Svetovni gospodarski forum - letni dogodek, na katerem se srečajo mednarodni politični voditelji, ekonomisti, novinarji, direktorji, umetniki, akademiki in tehnološki pionirji in na eni strani razpravljajo o ključnih izzivih in trendih v politiki, gospodarstvu in na družbenem področju, ter na drugi strani predstavijo inovativne rešitve, ki bodo vplivale na družbo, podjetništvo ter ves svet.

Tekom treh dni, ki sem jih preživela v Davosu, sem imela priložnost sodelovati na petih delavnicah, povezanih s prometom, mobilnostjo in platformami. Na področju prometa smo v obdobju velikih sprememb, ki jih poganjajo tehnološke inovacije, globalna integracija in družbene spremembe. Evropski pristop k digitalizaciji in dekarbonizaciji prometa želi zagotoviti prehod na učinkovit in trajnosten prometni sistem, vključno s pametnimi investicijami in odgovornimi rešitvami, ki bodo v ospredje postavile človekove pravice, varnost in zaščito.

Moja glavna opažanja in vtisi so zajeti spodaj:

Splošna opažanja:

Tako volitve v ZDA kot referendum o brexitu kažeta, da svetovni akterji budno spremljajo možne premike v svetovnem vodstvu in možno nastajanje novih zavezništev.

Močno navzoča je bila Kitajska, ki je jasno izrazila svojo podporo globalizaciji, inovacijam in sodelovanju.

Digitalizacija in digitalni poslovni modeli vstopajo v osrednje globalno gospodarstvo in izzivajo obstoječe politične, družbene in ekonomske modele.

Ključna sporočila glede mobilnosti:

Prihodnost mobilnosti temelji na digitalnih platformah, omrežjih, kolaborativnih modelih, avtomatizacija pa bo spodbudila premike v mobilnosti.

Obstaja močno povpraševanje po učinkovitem, varnem in čistem prometu. Vodilni v industriji so bolj osredotočeni na spodbujanje novih tehnologij za razvoj novih trgov s pomočjo tehnoloških inovacij (avtonomna vozila, brezpilotna letala) ali za omogočanje dostopa milijonom ljudi v nastajajočih gospodarstvih do osnovnih prometnih storitev.

Istočasno se predvsem v naprednejših gospodarstvih zdi, da vse večja uporaba platform vpliva na povečanje relativne velikosti višjega in nižjega družbenega razreda v smislu dohodka ter tako zmanjša srednji razred, kar bi lahko izzvalo ekonomski in družbeni model, kot ga imamo sedaj.

Po drugi strani pa izrazito povečanje srednjega razreda v državah kot so BRICS (Brazilija, Rusija, Indija, Kitajska in Južna Afrika) pomeni ogromno povpraševanje po mobilnosti tako na globalni kot lokalni ravni: čas bo pokazal, ali bodo te države doživele enako evolucijo prometa kot napredna gospodarstva (imeti in voziti osebno vozilo, postopen prehod na skupni javni promet z voznikom), ali naredile velik preskok in vpeljale nove tehnologije za skupno in avtonomno, osebno ali javno vožnjo. Obstaja možnost, da bodo nastajajoča gospodarstva hitro prešla na digitalni promet. Na primer, v nekaterih delih Afrike ni bilo potrebno vzpostavljati fiksnih telefonskih omrežij, saj je večina ljudi že uporabljala mobilne telefone.

Nove tehnologije kot so tehnologije veriženja blokov imajo potencial, da privedejo do revolucije gospodarstva s spodbujanjem integracije skupnih storitev (npr. avtonomna vozila) in soustvarjanjem (odprti sistemi omogočajo uporabnikom, da prispevajo s svojimi aplikacijami). Vendar, potrebna je naša pozornost, da preprečimo tveganja v zvezi s človekovimi pravicami in vladavino prava. Prav tako moramo zagotoviti, da javnofinančni prihodki ostanejo tam, kjer se ustvarja dobiček, zato, da se lahko javne storitve in socialna varnost - osrednji del evropskega ekonomsko-socialnega modela - lahko še naprej financirajo.

Obstaja velika priložnost, da oblikujemo skupno stališče o prihodnosti prometa, predvsem glede prehoda na digitalizacijo in avtomatizacijo. Za to potrebujemo primerno skupno razumevanje potreb, pravic in vedenja ljudi kakor tudi globalno vodstvo, ki bo podprlo ta prehod.

Vloga oblikovalcev politik je ključna za spodbujanje skupne javne dobrobiti, pospeševanje naložb in inovacij, da bo promet nemoten, učinkovit in varen. Pomembno je tudi vzpostaviti primerno ravnotežje med varnostjo potnikov, učinkovitostjo prometa in zasebnostjo podatkov. Pri tem je potrebno vključiti vse deležnike, vključno z zasebnim sektorjem in socialnimi partnerji.

Predstavniki turizma kot del ene najhitreje rastoče industrije so opozorili na pomembnost napredka pri varnostnih rešitvah, ki bodo temeljile na zaupanju in zagotavljale gladko in učinkovito mednarodno potovanje.

Opozorili smo tudi na pomanjkanje ureditve globalnih akterjev (gospodarstvo, ki temelji na platformah) in razumevanja oz. definicije digitalnega premoženja. Strinjali smo se, da se pojavlja povpraševanje po novih ekonomskih modelih.

Na navdihujoči delavnici o moči platform smo spoznali, kako lahko platforme uporabljamo za poenostavljanje prometnega sistema, povezovanje podjetij in uporabnikov, izmenjavo informacij, odstranjevanje ovir in ozkih grl, omogočanje soustvarjanja in sodelovanja ter podporo globalnih omrežij in zagotavljanje, da dodana vrednost doseže uporabnike.

Sodelovala sem tudi na čisto prvem sestanku upravnega odbora Stewardship o oblikovanju prihodnosti mobilnosti. Poudarili smo potrebo po globalnem dialogu o strateškem razvoju in pričakovanjih glede vključevanja novih digitalnih rešitev. Obstaja veliko število novih digitalnih konceptov in modelov, a potrebno je boljše razumevanje, kako ljudje absorbirajo nove tehnologije, ter čas za inovacije in pravilna ureditev le-teh v sklopu obstoječih političnih in ekonomskih modelov.

Na poti nazaj me je pogled na večerno nebo nad Brusljem navdahnilo, da izrazim svoje misli v blogu, ki ga pravkar berete, in upam, da vas je spodbudil k razmišljanju o tehnoloških spremembah, ki oblikujejo našo prihodnost.