Sharing economy - political cooperation or resistance?

Trust, convenience and a sense of community are some words associated with sharing economy. Since the financial crash, more and more companies have started offering sharing economy solutions to problems - and in Sweden we are at the forefront. As much as 88% of Swedes are positive about the phenomenon,and perhaps it is not so strange when the public good in general and, for example, the right of public access specifically are so deeply rooted in the nation's soul. Intermediaries that provide private individuals with the opportunity to meet supply and demand lift millions of services from the black to the white market, and offer previously unforeseen opportunities for smart resource utilization, private enterprise and economic dynamism.The sharing economy comes with big promises: smarter resource utilization, empowerment of energetic individuals and new, simple, jobs that lower the threshold into the labor market. With the right support, it can mean new sources of tax revenue as jobs are moved from the black market, to open platforms. Despite this, many actors, especially those related to service offerings, have to go through scrutiny and resistance.Swedish innovation power is often mentioned as one of the strongest driving forces for economic growth in the country, which in itself is attributed to our entrepreneurs' creativity and leadership qualities. We are talking about the Stenbeck and Wallenberg families; and then of course the super-entrepreneurs Zennström, Ek and Notch. All too often, we seem to forget what has always, always, always, in one way or another, substantiated their success: government investment in new technology and education.Government investments in, for example, the broadband network, research and support for education in new technology already at upper secondary school level have created a strong breeding ground for all these actors. Spotify Daniel Ek as well as the super producer Max Martin mentions the opportunity to explore their passions in primary school as an important springboard, and Skype's success is often seen as a direct result of the expansion of our broadband network.While there is a willingness to invest, however, the state often also gets in the way. It's almost like a routine battle between the public and new technology: the tug-of-war between Stenbeck and the state in the 1990s, the 21st century's response to the file-sharing site The Pirate Bay, and most recently the opposition that Uber and AirBnB met in Sweden. These examples all have one thing in common: the fear of losing what is. Promoting the sharing economy, cooperation to capture the opportunities can keep Sweden at the forefront. Big and good things happen when the private sector encounters an unforeseen tendency to change; as with the deregulation of the telecom industry, with the right support and the will to develop, Sweden can become a breeding ground for a new generation of entrepreneurs.The term "sharing economy" first appeared in 2013 and refers to a movement where individuals and groups of people come together to earn or save money by sharing underutilized assets. Physical assets are either shared directly or rented out, sometimes in the form of a service to meet simple needs. For example, car owners rent out their vehicle while it is unused, and consumers in turn redefine their need from car to transport. It is thus primarily a matter of intermediaries enabling peer-to-peer meetings.Jimmy Hagelfors, writerYepstr ABYepstr is a marketing platform for young people that offers their main resource; time, for those who lack it. Private individuals meet for an exchange of time, money and experience. Clients, or households, who use Yepstr offer a practical complement to the school, where they teach hundreds of young people how to make a good impression, sell, collaborate, plan and lead projects. The young people, in turn, offer an economical and easy alternative to getting assignments done around the home.