Theme Spotlight: A EUROPE FIT FOR THE DIGITAL AGE

The European Commission prioritises a Digital Strategy aimed at making the digital transformation that is upon us benefit everyone. Digital solutions that put people first will inevitably create business opportunities, foster dependable technology developments, contribute to an open and democratic society, and help achieve a climate-neutral Europe by 2050.

The 2nd RTO Innovation Summit will address the crucial role that European Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) play in supporting and accelerating this Digital Strategy. RTOs offer RD&I capabilities and skills essential to developing, scaling up and deploying new technologies, in addition to strengthening correlating policy design and implementation for industry, government and citizens. In this context, Summit participants are invited to join three illuminating sessions covering cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI) and making the digital transformation work for European industry.

Sessions at a Glance

The safe and effective functioning of our economy relies more and more on Cybersecurity, which is the focus of the first of the Digital Age sessions. While digitalization has rapidly led to new applications, businesses and value streams, the threats associated with digital systems have also transformed and intensified. The current COVID-19 crisis has been accompanied by new cybercrime patterns, due to more intense teleworking and e-commerce. During this timely session, relevant cybersecurity stakeholders explore the actions necessary to make Europe secure and fit for the Digital Age.

At the second Digital Age session, we delve into the state of AI – from Theory to Good Practice. AI is said to be able to help us address some of the world’s biggest challenges. It can enable doctors to improve diagnoses and develop therapies for diseases for which none exist yet; it can reduce energy consumption by optimizing resources; it can contribute to a cleaner environment by lessening the need for pesticides; it can answer our questions and communicate with us; – the list is virtually endless. This session will not only examine the potential of AI, but also the need to implement AI systems in a secure and trustworthy way. With a huge pool of expertise available in this area in the different European Member States, we will determine how best to leverage this knowledge on a European level to ensure European sovereignty in this domain.

The final Digital Age session centres on Making Digital Transformation Work in the European Industry. New digital technologies are pushing the Fourth Industrial Revolution forward and rapidly disrupting the European industrial landscape. This session will depict how the digital transformation affects many aspects of businesses, from the skills of their workforce to their client/supplier relationships. European RTOs play a vital role in making the digital transformation work in industry by ensuring that: (1) the new technologies are developed, tested and adapted to the industrial applications; (2) businesses and employees have the necessary skills to adopt the technologies; and (3) business models evolve alongside the new technology implementations.

Using concrete cases and inspiring speakers from industry, government and RTOs, these three sessions will showcase the technology developments, business impacts and associated public policies needed to best face the digital transformation challenges affecting Europe.
 

For continued updates and further details about these A Europe Fit for the Digital Age session topics, please visit the event programme page and be sure to register to attend the Summit.