The final report of the project 'Revolutions and Built Development', a collaboration between the Knowledge Network of Þingeyjar and Nýheimar Knowledge Centre, was recently published.
The project, funded by the Regional Research Fund, focuses on the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on regional development in Iceland, with an emphasis on the support systems and infrastructure of the regions. The project is based on a literature review, interviews with the heads of knowledge institutions, and a questionnaire survey of local councillors, trade unions and employers.
The project states that due to the unprecedented technological advances that are foreseen, the driving force of economic success, prosperity and social cohesion will be based on the enhancement of human skills and employability. Individuals' access to and use of technology, and their power to create and implement, is now greater than ever before, and governments, international organisations and entire industries are competing to shape policy and direct this development in the right and constructive direction.
According to the report's main findings, Iceland will have a good opportunity to capitalise on the technological advances brought by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Here, the technological infrastructure is strong, digital competitiveness is good, the level of education is high, and there is a strong emphasis on innovation. However, the benefits are not automatic, and it is clear that conditions vary by region. Rapid technological development increases the risk of inequality in society, where technological knowledge, skills and well-paid jobs are concentrated in a small group within a limited part of the country. Therefore, the development of infrastructure throughout the country must be ensured, as well as easy access to education and innovation. Furthermore, the statutory or contractual basis for regional knowledge communities must be strengthened. The synergy between innovation and lifelong learning is a prerequisite for ideas and knowledge to be a source of prosperity and development.
The increase in location-independent jobs can contribute to strengthening the economy of remote areas, but they do not specifically focus on the opportunities, resources or conditions of each region, as it is the nature of location-independent jobs to be neither fixed nor regional. The strengthening of each community's infrastructure through the exploitation of local ideas and opportunities must therefore be achieved through activities that are based on local conditions and have a degree of stability. Cooperation must be strengthened between institutions that handle infrastructure projects in the country's settlements, as educational services and innovation support are intertwined in the response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.