Für Vorspann-Teaser zum RMP 29. Juni 2017, Fotoretusche aus Flaggen und Bild C20A4756-2.jpg -> Dr. Brigitte Mohn neben Präsident Toomas Hendrik Ilves im Präsidentenpalast in Tallinn (September 2016).
Archiv Bertelsmann Stiftung/Hanse Advice, Tallinn

Press Release, , : Reinhard Mohn Prize 2017 awarded to Toomas Hendrik Ilves

The Bertelsmann Stiftung awarded its 2017 Reinhard Mohn Prize on the forward-looking topic "Smart Country – Connected. Intelligent. Digital." to Toomas Hendrik Ilves, the former president of Estonia, in a ceremony today at the Gütersloh Theater. Ilves was honored for his pioneering work in promoting digitalization in government, education and public services.  During his term of office, he transformed Estonia into a model digital nation.

The Bertelsmann Stiftung is also honoring Ilves as a politician who was quick to recognize the possibilities that came with digitalization. "With the Reinhard Mohn Prize, we recognize individuals who not only conceived of groundbreaking initiatives, but also implemented them. Toomas Hendrik Ilves is thus both a pioneering thinker and a driving force who has made Estonia a 'Smart Country' in the truest sense of the word," said Aart De Geus, chair of the Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board.

Prize winner gives an impressive speech

Estonia is now recognized worldwide as a model digital nation. With his creative political drive, Ilves made a notable contribution to bundling the digitalization efforts of the Estonian ministries into a coherent national strategy. As a former satellite state under Soviet rule, Estonia also used early and consistent digitalization to curb corruption, promote the development of rural infrastructure and establish an open climate of free speech and freedom of opinion. Ilves sees data privacy as a tool rather than a problem, and his concept enables all citizens to be master of their own data. "The fact is that security and freedom are not necessarily mutually exclusive," said Ilves in his acceptance speech. "You can have both. Awareness of this is particularly important amid the flood of proposals throughout the democratic West that in the internet age, we must compromise freedom in order to guarantee security."

For Estonians, internet access is a fundamental right. Since 2002, Estonian citizens have been able to process nearly all official transactions online with personal electronic ID cards, which include a digital signature. In the electronic identification system, each Estonian citizen receives a unique digital access card. The government merely guarantees service and security. Even foreigners can apply for a virtual identity, which they can use to establish companies or carry out banking transactions. "Germany must do more to shape the digital transformation. This is important for our competitiveness and for the people in our country. Above all, this requires courage, creativity and determination," remarked Brigitte Mohn, chair of the Bertelsmann Stiftung.

Prof. Jan Gulliksen gave the keynote address before an audience of about 450 guests. He has served as one of Sweden's Digital Champions at the European Commission since that initiative was founded in 2012. He is a member of the Swedish government's Digital Commission and dean of the School of Computer Science and Communication at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm as well as professor of Human-Computer Interaction there.  "Toomas Henrik Ilves has demonstrated true leadership," said Gulliksen. "According to the European Union's Digital Economy and Society Index, Estonia is a clear leader when it comes to providing public services online." Gulliksen also noted the importance of digital competence and literacy, an area where the educational system must live up to its responsibility.

Additional information

About the Reinhard Mohn Prize:

The Reinhard Mohn Prize is awarded in honor of Bertelsmann Stiftung's founder Reinhard Mohn (1921 – 2009). The prize is awarded annually to exceptional, globally active individuals who have played a key role in creating solutions for social and political issues. In order to identify and select a prize recipient, the Bertelsmann Stiftung conducts a worldwide search for innovative concepts and solutions to sustainability challenges with relevance for Germany. The theme for this year's prize is "Smart Country – Connected. Intelligent. Digital."