Reportage: Natasa Frangouli
Digital view the future of the economy more than 9 to 10 citizens, considering that technology can help exit the crisis and lead to growth through the creation of new companies and new jobs.
This impressive conclusion, which shows the high expectations of the Greek people from technology and which is actually detected for the first time in the last decade, is the result of a study by Eltrun (Electronic Commerce Laboratory of the Athens University of Economics) and Ericsson. The research, on the topic: "Can the good use of technology improve the lives of citizens in Greece?" finds, however, a discrepancy, with Greek citizens showing technological maturity and familiarity with the use of technologies, while the state lags behind in utilizing technology to provide public goods.
Thus, while Greeks prove to be mature technology users, the services they receive are in mismatch (public services, education, health, trade, transport) and do not improve the quality of life.
In the context of the survey, approximately 7 out of 10 Greeks state that they are not satisfied with the infrastructure in urban centers or with the quality of access to communication networks. They emphasize, however, their hope that if technology solutions are applied, their relationship with the state will change and the crisis will be dealt with practically through entrepreneurship, tourism, exports. public services (75%), h education (60%) and health (49%).
In addition, the cross-community society appears to have the most positive and useful for Greece impact on the current state of affairs in improving citizen service by public authorities, in changing the public service model, and in reducing bureaucracy.
NEED FOR INTERVENTION
As emerges from the survey, good use of technology could bring improvements in sectors and instruments such as public transport, with indicative best practices, immediate information on time of arrival of the means of transport, electronic ticket and online information on delays and congestion.
Good use of technology could alleviate, according to the research, many existing "wounds" in the state-citizen relationship, with indicative interventions, the issuance and supply of public documents and certificates via the internet, the recording of city problems / complaints / remarks, the direct information and response services for requests of every citizen, but also the tools of e-government, such as e-voting, public consultation, transparency.
In the educational process, open access to educational content (remotely, at low or no cost and from all devices), the connection with communities and universities abroad and attending online courses at Universities are some of the digital aspects that citizens expect from the state.
Finally, in health services, the Greeks wish to intensify the use of technology with the aim of creating infrastructure, which will ensure the digital application for closing and keeping medical appointments to reduce the suffering of patients, the single digital personal medical record or a certified electronic index of medical information (hospital, doctor, pharmacy on-call).
The results of the survey, which recorded the opinions of a sample of 1.040 citizens (familiar with technology), in the first ten days of December 2013), were presented yesterday by the Head of Sales of Ericsson in Greece, Cyprus, Malta and Bulgaria Mr. Vassilis Koulouris and the professor at the Athens University of Economics and Business Mr. George Doukidis.
