The Fluid Society

The Fluid Society or How Digitalization Transforms Society

Introduction. This article is a chapter and update from the book The Digital Challenge for Europe (2021) and originally appeared in the book De Vloeibare Samenleving (2017). The digitalization of society is driving massive changes in the way people and organizations live and operate, which will eventually necessitate new forms of governance for societies. To better understand this transformation,… Continue reading The Fluid Society or How Digitalization Transforms Society

Can Europe Survive Without Its Own Big Tech?

This article was published on 2 April 2025 in i-Bestuur as an opinion piece: https://ibestuur.nl/artikel/kan-europa-overleven-zonder-eigen-big-tech/ If Europe wants to survive economically in the digital age, it must develop its own large international Big Tech companies and a European digital ecosystem. Simplifying the many regulatory and fiscal barriers within Europe, along with creating a dynamic European capital market,… Continue reading Can Europe Survive Without Its Own Big Tech?

Big Tech to govern

In the United States, a number of IT billionaires are set to join Trump’s administration. Besides Elon Musk, Peter Thiel (PayPal, Facebook) and Ramaswamy (IT billionaire) will also be stepping in. Their role is intriguing: they are being given a free hand with the mission of making the government more efficient. This illustrates that Big… Continue reading Big Tech to govern

Is digitalization our salvation?

Image created using ChatGPT and DALL-E, AI technologies by OpenAI. The world is undergoing three profound transformations: shifting geopolitical structures, an escalating climate crisis, and a digital revolution. Each of these changes puts existing systems under pressure – together, they sketch a vision of a radically different future. 1. The Crumbling of Geopolitical Structures. Western… Continue reading Is digitalization our salvation?

Democracy is Broken. What Now?

Democracies are failing. What should you do as citizen?

New World Order: the Fluid Society

(the picture is generated with DALL-E 2023) Conflicts are on the rise. The world is descending into increasing chaos. It is becoming increasingly clear that humanity, with its current way of operating or governing, is not capable of living together in a balanced or sensible manner, neither with each other nor with the surrounding nature.… Continue reading New World Order: the Fluid Society