Switzerland to become key information technology player

Swiss Finance Minister Kaspar Villiger Tuesday praised the economic opportunities offered by the latest information and communications technologies and said the government would try to make Switzerland a key player in the field.

Swiss Finance Minister Kaspar Villiger Tuesday praised the economic opportunities offered by the latest information and communications technologies and said the government would try to make Switzerland a key player in the field.

However, he also underlined the need for extensive training and warned of a society where too many people were technologically illiterate.

Villiger made the statement during the formal opening of the Orbit 99 exhibition in Basel. It is Switzerland’s largest information technology (IT) exhibition and features the latest trends and newest products and services from nearly 1,300 exhibitors.

“(The new technologies) make government administration more accessible, more efficient and more transparent,” Villiger told his audience, which included 350 representatives of Swiss industry and business.

He said the new developments would create jobs and could help make Switzerland a more attractive place to live.

But the minister also warned of the dangers of a two-tier society, characterised by those who know how to integrate the technology into their daily lives, and those who are technologically illiterate.

“We must invest in science and training if we want to maintain social peace,” Villiger said.

The five-day exhibition is titled “Business today for business tomorrow” and showcases present and future technologies in the booming IT sector.

Trade visitors as well as the average technology buff are be able to see and hear the latest about the Internet, digital technology, networking, e-commerce, mobile communications and lots more.

The average Orbit visitor will probably be fascinated by the exhibition’s multimedia section, which is dedicated to the latest applications for home use, including digital technology for audio, video and photography.

Other sections of Orbit 99 target the business community with IT solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises, roundtable business strategy talks and exhibitor presentations.