Ated asks for permanent bodies for digital in Ticino (cross-border guide)

Context

In brief

• Ated calls for permanent digital bodies in Ticino
• A cantonal Cyber Security Commission has been proposed
• Objective: unite institutional, academic, and private expertise

Key facts

• Association: Ated
• Professionals represented: 7,000
• Request recipients: State Chancellery and Norman Gobbi
• Reference model: Digital Switzerland Advisory Committee

The Ticino umbrella association Ated, which brings together around 7,000 professionals active in the Tech, ICT, and Digital sectors, has submitted an official request to the State Chancellery and State Councillor Norman Gobbi. The initiative aims to establish two permanent bodies: an Advisory Group for the Canton's digital transformation and a Cantonal Cyber Security Commission. The request was presented during a meeting at Castelgrande with a delegation from the Grand Council, with the intent of bringing the debate directly into parliamentary venues. According to Ated President Luca Mauriello, the current management of digital affairs, characterized by only sporadic discussions, is no longer adequate due to the extreme speed at which technology evolves.

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Operational details

Ated's initiative raises significant issues regarding the institutional governance of digitalization at the cantonal level. The invitation launched by President Mauriello to the members of the Ticino Parliament is to overcome party affiliations, arguing that the digital strategy must be understood as a unified vision for Ticino, devoid of right, center, or left connotations. The request for institutional stability clashes with political cycles, given that standing committees are usually established by the end of the election year. However, the association urges not to wait until 2027, reiterating that technology does not follow the cycles of legislatures. This divergence between the timescales of politics and those of technological innovation is a challenge common to many Swiss cantons, where the need for long-term planning must be reconciled with democratic decision-making processes.

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Key points

Ated's proposal for a new digital advisory structure in Ticino opens up operational scenarios that could directly affect those working in the fields of new technologies and public administration. Although the outcome of the request is still being defined, the debate is part of a national context where the digitization of bureaucratic processes is a priority. For industry professionals, the creation of a permanent table would represent an opportunity to actively contribute to the drafting of cantonal guidelines, ensuring greater regulatory and operational consistency across various institutional levels. Those wishing to monitor the evolution of this proposal will need to observe the upcoming parliamentary steps scheduled at Castelgrande, where the competent committees will evaluate the technical and political feasibility of the initiative presented by the association.

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