About RIDE

What RIDE focuses on and why?

The research environment RIDE stands for resilient institutions in a digital era. Our overarching ambition is to develop new knowledge on how society, particularly public services, can evolve to suit our increasingly digital reality.

Societal theories have been developed over a long time, and we still refer to ancient philosophers. But today, we live in a digital age. How do we then build a sustainable society characterised by inclusion, diversity, and learning?

In RIDE, we will develop and share knowledge about how society’s institutions need to change in response to digitalisation.

Today, we use digital technology for almost everything—communicating, shopping, making payments, listening to music, working, watching films, learning new things, and much more online. This means we also need to rethink how democracy, public administration, and services are designed and organised. It is about developing—redesigning—societal institutions to be sustainable and resilient for everyone in a digital world.

Our research revolves around three key concepts:

Inclusion – covering both formal rules and the experience of being involved, in both a technical and social sense.

Diversity – ensuring institutions are designed for a variety of solutions and ways of living, even though standardisation and automation are fundamental technical approaches.

Competence – focusing on how users can understand, utilise, and benefit from well-designed institutions for a sustainable life in a digital society.

We explore how society can create strong and sustainable institutions in a digital era. In RIDE, researchers from different backgrounds will build on a broad portfolio of projects focused on digitalisation and societal change. We take a critical perspective in our research, questioning existing structures, identifying new patterns, and opening pathways for innovation. By combining diverse expertise and experiences, we foster an environment that enables the development of fundamental knowledge about the public sector in a digital society.

We aim to contribute knowledge that can make institutions more resilient, yet flexible enough to handle different challenges in a sustainable way. The traditionally stable Scandinavian welfare model is facing new challenges, and digitalisation and innovation can be key solutions—if the right institutional conditions are provided.

A particularly important activity for us, generously funded by the Swedish Institute, is to share our knowledge with young professionals from Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans. In these regions, the history of democracy and welfare is relatively short, meaning that new institutions are now being built to shape democracy and welfare directly within a digital era.

Our goal is to contribute knowledge that helps develop institutions in our digital era, making them inclusive and fostering diversity in a robust and sustainable way.

Framework of RIDE

Our work within the RIDE programme is structured around three main areas:

Knowledge development

We identify institutional challenges and opportunities in a society shaped by digitalisation. By analysing patterns and principles from past and ongoing research projects, we aim to develop a deeper understanding of what makes institutions resilient in a digital era. Our research goes beyond isolated case studies to generate general insights on how social institutions can adapt and evolve in a rapidly changing digital environment.

Courses

To share our research findings, we offer courses and support for decision-makers, professionals, and researchers. These include PhD courses and specialised training for professionals across different sectors. Our courses equip participants with the tools and perspectives needed to navigate digital transitions and strengthen organisational resilience. Information about upcoming training opportunities can be found under the "Courses" section.

Knowledge dissemination

We actively work to share our knowledge and contribute to broader societal discussions on how digitalisation impacts institutions. Through scientific publications, policy recommendations, conferences, and workshops, we engage with policymakers, researchers, and the public. Our goal is to provide research-based insights that strengthen institutional resilience and support the creation of a sustainable and dynamic digital society.

Our core concepts

Institutions

Institutions form the backbone of society, providing the framework of laws, regulations, and norms that structure our daily lives and govern our social systems. In Sweden’s welfare state, we have developed extensive institutions to ensure that as many people as possible can work and contribute to shared resources. These institutions regulate everything from working hours and wages to taxes and employment conditions, securing benefits such as pensions, healthcare, and parental leave. Our everyday lives are embedded in these societal institutions. To withstand crises and challenges, institutions must be resilient.

The institutions we rely on today were developed during the industrial era, shaped by a workforce that clocked in at factory gates. News was distributed through just two state-run TV channels and printed newspapers, limiting access to information and communication. Today, as work and services become increasingly digital, new societal institutions are needed.

RIDE’s mission is to generate knowledge that helps policymakers and public administration design new, or reshape existing, institutions for sustainable welfare in a digital era.

Resilience

Resilience is about effectively managing the unexpected—whether temporary crises or long-term challenges that demand deeper transformation.

For institutions, resilience means the ability to adapt while staying true to fundamental values. Research shows that resilient institutions are built on principles of openness and democracy. Public organisations that withstand challenges must continuously develop their capacity for resilience.

Our research provides insights and support for these transformations. We aim to strengthen institutions’ ability to respond to crises, such as external influence or cybersecurity threats, while also helping to shape long-term structures and collaborations that promote resilience in a digital society.

A digital society

In today’s digital era, society is undergoing profound changes. Technological advancements have revolutionised how we live, work, and interact. Digitalisation opens new opportunities for communication, innovation, and access to information. We are shifting from traditional methods to digital solutions in areas such as education, healthcare, the economy, and public administration.

This transformation requires us to rethink and adapt our institutions to remain relevant and sustainable in a digital context. By integrating digital tools and methods into our welfare institutions, we can enhance accessibility, efficiency, and service quality. However, it is crucial to ensure that no one is left behind in this digital transition. Inclusion and accessibility for all are essential to building an equitable society.

Research projects on welfare, digitalisation, and democracy

Hands holding a heart in a tree painted like the Ukrainian flag.

Service transformation, resilience, and empowerment through active municipalities in Ukraine - STREAM-U

New project aims to strengthen the capacity for critical collaboration between local authorities and civil society in delivering services, enhancing resilience, and advancing democratization in Ukraine.

SeGRID

SeGRID is a part of the Swedish Institute Summer Academy for Young Professionals. The course welcomes participants from the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe. The course is currently paused.