Learning together from the COVID crisis

The COVID 19 pandemic brings to light many weaknesses in our economic and social system. For example, we have had to recognize that our social life is being affected and health systems are being overstretched, that supply chains have broken down, and that international cooperation has been scaled back. In many areas, problems arise for which there are currently no satisfactory solutions.

For example, the corona crisis demands strong behavioral changes from all of us: Distance is considered one of the most important protective measures against the coronavirus, but it also affects our lives as social beings. The question arises as to what impact the crisis will have on our future behaviors. Specifically, how can "distancing" be implemented as a new social concept without distancing us as humans? Can technological measures help us do this? For example, by having a robot dog remind us to keep a safe distance? Or by distance vests that light up when we get too close? On the other hand, can technologies perhaps also promote cohesion? And what new experiences are created in the process?

Such questions will be addressed on Tuesday, December 15 (3 to 5 p.m.), during an online discussion led by Manfred Tscheligi, Head of the Center for Technology Experience at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and Professor at the University of Salzburg. This event, at which selected experts will also present technologies for social distancing, will take place as part of the "COVID Pop-up Hub". This is a think tank initiated by the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) - a digital discussion space open to all to exchange online with other interested parties as well as interdisciplinary experts on the topic of COVID-19 and to stimulate further activities.

Digital discussion room

The goal is to learn together from the crisis and to find new relevant questions and innovative approaches to solutions with which a more resilient future can be shaped. In doing so, the focus is deliberately on the broadest possible discussion, in which everyone can contribute ideas, opinions and experiences and thus also help shape the future. The platform offers a unique opportunity to bring together different experiences and involve various stakeholders. In the COVID Pop-up Hub, the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, nexyo, Red Swan, Dataintelligence Offensive and Cbased are working together on behalf of the BMK.

The focus is on four topics that have emerged in the crisis as particularly relevant for our economic and social system and that are closely interlinked: In addition to the area of "Distancing," these are the topics of "Digital Health," "Economic Buffer," and "State Intervention."

The problem area "Digital Health" (lead: Siegfried Meryn, nexyo) builds on the insight gained in the course of the Corona crisis about the high relevance of an intact and agile healthcare system. Meanwhile, the sector is facing a digital transformation, and this is forcing stakeholders to rethink paradigms in the healthcare sector and implement new technologies in a sustainable way. We will discuss what an innovative and digital healthcare system of the future should look like and what concrete "learnings" we can take away from the current crisis.

The basic idea in the area of "Economic Buffers" (Head: Ursula Eysin, Red Swan) is that the constant growth of the past 20 years has often led to a careless use of buffers: In favor of efficiency, growth and profit, they have been almost entirely eliminated. However, the outbreak of the COVID19 crisis has shown how important buffers are for a resilient economy. Therefore, crisis-resistant supply and production chains or bonus systems that reward long-term thinking are sought.

Finally, in the topic "State Intervention" (lead: Hannes Leo, Cbased), the central question is whether, after the experience of the COVID-19 crisis, it is time to think and steer the economy in a fundamentally different way. What is the importance of government intervention in such times of crisis? What is the right response from an economic perspective? What is the right relationship between the market and regulation?

In these areas, a variety of formats are organized to stimulate lively debate. This ranges from expert interviews and moderated online discussions to workshops with focus groups and selected academic branches. After registering at popuphub.at, participants can follow the program and discuss new issues and solutions together. At the end of the debates, the leaders of the four thematic areas draw conclusions that are shared with the public.