ABSTRACT
With digitalization, consumption of services in the public sector is likely to merge with consumption of any other service. The public sector has served an important purpose in making services such as education, health, and social care, as well as security services, accessible to all citizens. In this qualitative study, we have investigated the future consumption of welfare services to better understand what different scenarios we might face given rapid tech development, changing consumer behaviors, aging population, urbanization, and scarce human resources to cater to future needs. Qualitative interviews and a workshop with representatives from both public and private sectors have been carried out. We see four different scenarios emerge: 1) data-driven state, 2) commercialized welfare, 3) efficiency game, and 4) global choice. The scenarios differ in terms of consumer behavior and which players dominate the market. Our overall conclusion is that Sweden is placed at a critical crossroad where we need to collaborate across disciplines to formulate and decide upon a shared vision and a strategy to safeguard continued high-quality services to all citizens. There is an urgent need to create a citizen-centric, data-driven, digitalized welfare system based on future demands rather than on historic legacy.
