Article examines
the futures of IC (information and communication) technologies and ICT
competencies. It examines the IC technology both as bedrock, forming the future
basis of the industrial activities and societal infrastructure, and a
spearhead, potentially leading to new successful products and industries. Three
themes are explored. First theme is the development of ubiquitous ambient
intelligence that converges mobile and non-mobile applications into
heterogeneous ad-hoc networks embedded in the daily surroundings of people.
Second theme discusses the futures of ICT competencies through the axis of
specialized technological competencies and so-called fusion competencies,
combinations of ICT competencies and application competencies. Third theme
considers the aspects of business and productization as a new imperative in ICT
competencies. ICT’s have several roles in the social and economic environments.
ICT’s will be the bedrock – infrastructure and a pipeline – of knowledge
society that requires applied fusion competencies. At the same time, ICT’s can
be spearheads of modern industries. In order to develop production spearheads,
the strategic inputs to specialized technological competencies are needed. On
the whole, both aspects should be nourished if the ICT’s are developed as the
future motors of economic development.