These are the words of IT-professor Bo Dahlbom (Gothenburg University), as an introduction to an field of science that is close to his heart; the digital revolution.
What is really happening in our society? How did this all happen so fast? To understand the current trends, one only has to look in the rear-view mirror. What happened when the industrial revolution came? How did our society change then?
Data is the new oil
The industrial revolution was driven by oil, and the pioneers within the revolution were the oil and car industries. Factories were automated and the new assembly-technique changed industry production forever, as well as the rest of society. The organisational theories from the car industry still form the foundations of how we manage all types of organisations today.
Because there were more cars and roads, we needed more systems, which is a keyword for the industrial revolution.
- But now we are facing an even greater revolution, and what will it run on? It is not oil. It is data. Data is cheaper (and more environmentally friendly). As soon as you carry your smartphone with you, there is data to collect. That is the core of the revolution; you give data (about yourself) and get services in return.
