The Fluid Society

The Fluid Society

The term “the fluid society” stands for the unfolding digital society, which will irrevocably be organised differently from the current one. In which there will be more global digital cooperation in numerous contexts. This is not only desirable, but also necessary in order to master the major problems of our time. These collaborations will have to take place digitally as much as possible, because that is more efficient, cheaper and more sustainable. A different way of thinking is necessary, to overcome the great contradictions between people and cultures and to come into balance with a healthy nature and living environment. To give people a new social footing. The current state of the world emphatically calls for holistic, inclusive, long-term thinking to prevail over the current national, self-centred and short-term thinking. If we can do that, there are good prospects for everyone.

On this website, blogs are posted, news items are published, links are indicated, books and articles are discussed, that deal with this future fluid society.

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Digital Democracy

On social media numerous discussions are taking place about the influence of Big Tech on society, about...

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The Digital Challange for Europe

The book “The Digital Challenge for Europe” is published in 2021 and contains a large amount of information and ideas about the fluid society that is unfolding. Besides analyzing the effects of digitalization on people and humanity, the book also addresses the major issues that governments are now struggling with as a result of digitalization effects. Which forms of governance could possibly offer a solution to master the many issues that are nowat stake? The book in particular focusses on the position of Europe versus the US and China.

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Peter Hagedoorn was the first CIO of the year in 2005. He has had a long career with Shell, the government and VP and CIO with multinationals. Now he has written a beautiful book called “The Fluid Society”. In just a few decades, “the economy” and “society” have been digitized. Every citizen can know at any time what is happening (anywhere in the world) and is ‘online’ 24/7.
Rob Beijleveld
CEO ICT-Media
In just a few decades, “the economy” and “society” have been digitized. Every citizen can know at any time what is happening (anywhere in the world). All this has enormous effects on the way in which societies function. The physical world is no longer the most important thing, but the digital world is actually the world in which more and more people are literally working and partly living.
Marco Derksen
Digitaal strateeg/ ondernemer/ docent
We are in the process of making a major shift from classical society to digital society. This transition is a phase transition. Peter Hagedoorn compares this in his book with the transition from ice (solid, structure) to water (liquid, fluid, mobile). The problem is that administrators and policymakers think it will all find its place and they just can stick to the old structures. That can’t go well for long.
Nico Jong
Senior advisor Communication research

Peter Hagedoorn

Peter Hagedoorn is trained as a physics engineer and has followed a career in which he has worked alternately for the public sector and business. He worked for Shell, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Bull-Netherlands, RAET, Hagemeyer and Océ. He was Director of the Millennium Platform. He was the founder and first chairman of the CIO-Platform Nederland, in which capacity he was also on the Board of the European CIO Association. He was later appointed Secretary General of this organization.