On June 29 in Gütersloh the 2017 Reinhard Mohn Prize on the forward-looking topic "Smart Country – Connected. Intelligent. Digital." was awarded to former Estonian president Toomas Hendrik Ilves. He was honored for his pioneering work in promoting digitalization in government, education and public services.

Since its founding in 1948, Israel’s economic and technological development has been impressive. Despite having only 8.4 million inhabitants, the country has become a major high-tech player. When it comes to cyber security, Israel is home to more than 300 companies, making it a global leader in this area as well. And Tel Aviv and Silicon Wadi are considered one of the world’s most important and vibrant ecosystems for start-ups.

Sweden is one of the countries leading the way when it comes to digitalization. It has implemented a national digital strategy and is expanding its high-speed fiber-optic network. These efforts have given it a more than ten-year advantage over other countries – Germany, for example – when it comes to adopting digital technologies. Our video shows the success factors that have made Sweden a digital leader.

In many respects, Austria is setting the standards when it comes to digitization. Vienna, the capital, is considered one of Europe’s pioneers in this area. Its residents benefit from numerous digital solutions which are easily accessible and can be used by anyone. The public is included in the overall digitization process and urban planning. We had a look on site to find out why Austria’s digitization efforts have been so successful.

Experts discuss Germany’s digital future at the second expert commission round as part of the Reinhard Mohn Prize 2017.

Estonia is considered a pioneer in the area of digitization. People there benefit from a wide range of digital solutions – solutions that are easily accessible and can be used by anyone. We had a look at how things are done on site. Why has digitization in Estonia been so successful? Here’s your chance to find out – by getting to know a country in the cloud.

This year's Reinhard Mohn Prize "Smart Country: Connected. Intelligent. Digital." will go to Toomas Hendrik Ilves, the former President of Estonia. We award him the prize in honor of his pioneering work on the promotion of digitalization in government, education and public services. Ilves will be awarded the prize worth €200,000 at a ceremony in Gütersloh on June 29.

In recent years, Austria has repeatedly been crowned “European Champion” when it comes to e-government. Within the country, the city of Vienna has taken on a pioneering role. Thanks to a forward-looking connectivity strategy between Vienna and federal institutions, the city’s initiative is having an impact even beyond its borders – putting it far ahead of Germany.

Digitalization is a key issue for politics and society. Many people are therefore looking to Estonia, which has been home to technological innovations, digital pioneers and best practices for years. As the research carried out in Tallinn for the 2017 Reinhard Mohn Prize shows: Thinking and acting digitally pays off – which is why Estonia has become a digital success story.

Digitalization is a trending topic, but one that is often fraught with dystopian views. Not so in Sweden, where, as part of our research for the Reinhard Mohn Prize 2017, talks with those at the cutting edge of digitalization revealed what great opportunities digitalization has to offer.