CYBERSECURITY TOPS THE LIST OF CRITICAL COMPETENCIES IN A POST-COVID WORLD text: HENNA VIRKKUNEN
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he Covid-19 pandemic has been a major crisis not only for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), but for nearly all economic actors. Yet it is safe to say that the SMEs have been hit hardest. This is not a small thing, since SMEs are a major source of job creation and account for an increasing share of employment in almost every EU country. The pandemic has not swiped away the big challenges Europe is facing, but rather accelerated them. Solutions towards climate neutrality and the digital
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CYBERWATCH
FINLAND
transition need to be found in a post-Covid world of increased scarcity. Already before the crisis, digital illiteracy and a limited uptake of digital technologies have for long been key challenges within the SME ecosystem. In some ways, such as through workingfrom-home practices and remote meetings, the pandemic may have accelerated the shift towards digital ways of doing things. This is obviously a positive thing. However, it still leaves us far away from the comprehensive digital transition needed