Each year, the European Commission will publish the ‘State of the Digital Decade Report', which presents a comprehensive outlook of the EU’s digital transformation based on these targets, and is the occasion of a yearly rendez-vous to monitor and take stock of progress.  

Following the publication of the first State of the Digital Decade 2023, the European Commission is organising a workshop of about 4 hours on Tuesday 19 December 2023, as part of its activities aiming at gathering input and insights for the State of the Digital Decade 2024.     

This workshop will be divided into four main parts:   

The first part will focus on technological leadership and competitiveness:  

• How does digital transformation contribute to EU’s competitiveness and technological leadership, in turn contributing to efficiency, sovereignty, resilience? 
• What are the main obstacles to fostering and unleashing EU’s digital transformation’s potential? What are the main priorities for action? 
• Can generative AI be a game changer for EU competitiveness? How?  

The second part will be centred on people, and the need to accompany them into the digital transformation:  

• What are the emerging needs, concerns and key challenges for citizens in this transition? 
• What (new) instruments/actions could be developed to close the digital divide? 
• What are the lessons learned from experience? What channels for action can provide concrete best practices (e.g., at city level)?  

The third part will revolve around the green and the digital transition: 

• How to measure in a standardised way the environmental impact of digital infrastructures so it can become an indicator for DESI?  
• What suggestions would you propose for the current Digital Decade targets, and what other measures would you propose for the Digital Decade to embrace under the green transition chapter? 
• What could be future EU policy goals that would maximise the synergies between the green and digital transitions? (i.e. policy priorities for the next Commission) 
• What can the Commission do to maximise the uptake and impact of the methodology assessing the net environmental impact of digital solutions developed by the European Green Digital Coalition? 

Finally, the fourth part will discuss the implementation of and coherence across digital policies:  

• What are the risks of inconsistency and fragmentation across the Member States and between Member States and EU institutions? 
• How to ensure greater coherence among the different laws adopted or soon-to-be adopted for the digital sector, and in their implementation?  

Most speakers will come to Brussels to discuss in person. Participants can follow the discussion online.

Provisional Agenda 

9:30 – 9:40 – Introduction  

• Speaker: Kamila Kloc, Director Digital Decade and Connectivity, DG CONNECT 

9:40 – 10:35 - Part I: Technological leadership and competitiveness  

• Moderator: Eric Peters, Acting Head of Unit, Digital Decade Coordination, DG CONNECT 

Speakers:   

• Cathy Li, Head, AI, Data and Metaverse; Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum
• Georg Riekeles, Associate Director and Head of Europe's Political Economy programme, European Policy Centre (EPC) 
• Antoine Latran, European affairs coordinator, France Digitale  
• Philip Meissner, Founder and Director, European Center for Digital Competitiveness 
• Paloma Lopez-Garcia, Adviser, Supply Side Labour and Surveillance Division, DG-Economics, ECB 
• Jacques Bughin, Managing Director, Machaon Advisory  

10:35 – 11:30 – Part II: Accompanying people/society through the digital transformation 

• Moderator: Eline Chivot, Policy Analyst, Digital Decade Coordination, DG CONNECT 

Speakers:  

• Antoine Bidegain, Deputy Director Digital and Connected Territory, Digital and IT department, Bordeaux Métropole
• Camilla Drejer, Managing Director, Corporate Citizenship & Sustainability, Accenture
• Ursula Pachl, Deputy Director General, the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC)

11:30 – 11:40 – Coffee Break   

11:40 – 12:30 – Part III: The digital/green twin transition(s)  

• Moderator:Ilias Iakovidis, Adviser for Societal Challenges, Green Digital Transformation, DG CONNECT  

Speakers:   

• Richard Gardiner, EU Policy Public Lead, World Benchmarking Alliance
• George Kamiya, Senior Manager, Climate Action, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) 
• David Osimo, Director of Research, Lisbon Council   

12:30– 13:20 – Part IV: Implementation and coherence of digital policies  

• Moderator: Laure Chapuis, Head of Unit, Policy Implementation and Planning, DC CONNECT  

Speakers:  

• Andrea Renda, Director of Research, Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)
• J. Scott Marcus, Member of the Scientific Committee, Centre for a Digital Society, European University Institute

13:20 – 13:30 – Conclusion and takeaways  

• Eric PETERS, Acting Head of Unit, Digital Decade Coordination, DG CONNECT (CONFIRMED)