Digital Europe

programme

Meeting with Regional offices

Brussels, 5 December 2019
Annalisa Bogliolo DG CNECT.D.1
DIGITAL IN MFF 2021-2027

Objective: ensure that Europe drives the digital

transformation of society and economy, bringing
benefits to all citizens and businesses

More specifically to:

• Reinforce the EU’s digital capacities and our technology sovereignty
(computing, data, cybersecurity, AI,..)

• Ensure their widest possible roll out and maximise their benefits
To all citizens and businesses including SMEs in all regions, in all sectors

• Prepare for, and lead the development of next generation technologies

• Build a world-leading connectivity infrastructure
• Support creators and ensure the widespread distribution of their works
 Funding the digital transformation
Communication
Research & Strategic capacities
Infrastructure, Human capital Deployment
Innovation (Computing, data,..)
Broadband, etc.
regional and
National

Cohesion Cohesion Cohesion Cohesion Cohesion

local

Agri. funds
Collective effort

Connecting Digital
EU wide

Horizon Digital Europe Europe, Digital

Europe Europe Facility 2,0 Horizon Europe
Europe
Instrument
Financial

InvestEU InvestEU InvestEU InvestEU InvestEU

Programmes are complementary

• Research
Horizon Europe • Innovation

• Strategic capacities ( Computing, data, testbeds,..)

Digital Europe • Advanced digital skills
• EU-Wide deployment

• Broadband and 5G roll out

Connecting Europe Facilities • Connecting Communities

• Digital connectivity in white and grey areas

Cohesion • Support to enterprises in line with Smart Specialisation
• Digital skills for all citizens

• Making use of Big Data for CAP monitoring

Agriculture Funds • Broadband rollout in rural areas

• Leverage private capital for investments in SME, research,

InvestEU digital, infrastructure, skills…
 Digital Europe Programme
Funding programme focused on building the strategic digital capacities of the EU and
on facilitating the large scale deployment of digital technologies, to be used by
Europe's citizens and businesses

What? Why?
Compete globally
• Other regions of the world invest huge amount of public
capital in advanced technologies. For example, the US and
China spend € 10-20 billion annually on AI alone

Achieve scale through collective co-investments

• Given the size of investments needed, scale required and
risks involved Europe needs to pool the resources together

Regain control over Europe’s value chains and ensure

Europe’s technological sovereignty

Better address Europe’s economic and societal challenges

• E.g. climate, health, mobility and public services

Ensure broad take-up of digital technologies across all

regions of EU
• In deploying latest technologies to offer best services to
citizens and business

Support SMEs to acquire/access latest technologies and

skills
• More than 400,000 EU vacancies in these fields
Where do we stand today?
Areas of public interest
Inadequate uptake of digital solutions

• Europe slow
in adopting and diffusing
digital innovations
• Adoption uneven
between Member States
• Solving the issue only at national level
likely lead to fragmented
approach due to different starting
points
• Public sector does not play its role of "first mover" in deploying latest
technologies to offer best services to citizens and business
Where do we stand today?
Enterprises

European companies are not making the most

of all the opportunities digital has to offer

Highly digitised companies across Europe

Countries Sector Size

of Danish companies of computing of SMEs

companies 20%
53% 56%

of Romanian of metal products companies of large enterprises

8% companies 6% 58%
Digital Europe Programme structure

Accelerating the best use of technologies

Digital High-impact Widening

Innovation deployments best use of
Hubs digital
technologies

High Performance Computing

Building essential
digital capacities

Artificial Intelligence

Cybersecurity

Advanced Digital Skills

Building essential digital capacities

High Artificial Cybersecurity Advanced

Performance Intelligence Digital
 Deploy
Computing  EU-wide common competence Skills
 Procure exascale data spaces centres network
 Master courses
machines with MS
 Large Testing and  Cybersecurity
 Upgrade existing  Short term
Experimentation shield, quantum
supercomputers, trainings
Facilities communication
 Quantum computing
 Certification  Job
 Make supercomputing  Scaling up the
schemes placements
accessible throughout European AI
Europe platform to access  Cybersecurity  Platform for
tested AI tools Skills and Jobs
 Widen the use of technologies
supercomputing
Application areas include, but are not limited
to, health, climate, environmental,
manufacturing, agriculture, energy,
financial and mobility
Accelerating the best use of technologies
(i) Digital Innovation Hubs - EDIH
Bringing the benefits of digital technologies to all SMEs
and Public Administrations

Strong European
network of DIH:
one per region
DIH are the local interface
to EU-wide digital
expertise and capacities
Help PA and SMEs locally in
their digital transformation
with easy access to
technological know-how and
testing facilities
• 50 % co-investment
with Member States and
Regions
• Structural Funds may be
partially used for MS
part*
• Contribution can be in-
kind or in-cash
• Can contribute to the
delivery of ERDF PO1 a
Smarter Europe even in
the least digitised
regions
Accelerating the best use of technologies
(ii) Aiming for high-impact deployment

Deployments addressing climate and environment

 Digital for Clean Planet
 Clean, sustainable and smart Communities and Mobility
 Agri-food
Deployments for modern public services
 Digital transformation for better and sustainable Health and Care
 Citizen-centric digital public services
 Justice
 Security
 Digital Cultural Heritage
Technologies supporting deployment of digital services
 Blockchain
 Cloud Federation as a Service
Accelerating the best use of technologies
(iii) Widening the best use of digital technologies

 Building trust for the digital transformation

 Language Technologies
 Digital Transformation of Learning and Education
Synergies between Digital Europe and
shared management funds
• EU level capacities • DEP & MSs /
(scope, know-how) Regions
supporting the CP (supported by the
goals; Cohesion policy)
• CP objectives – smart co-building the EU
& innovative level essential
transformation 4. EU added digital capacities
1. Building
value
the
working for
capacities
the regions

2.
3. Further
Accelerating
uptake in the
of their best
regions
use
• MSs / Regions (CP) • DEP & MSs /
supporting further Regions (CP)
uptake and supporting the
implementation of acceleration of
these capacities best use of these
capacities
Synergies between Digital Europe and
shared management funds: examples

DEP: development ERDF: technology DEP: development ERDF: using the

of these capacities transfer, diffusion of of Master programmes to
digital and other programmes, short- increase the S3-
key enabling term specialised related skills in
technologies, training courses, enterprises
EU level digital provision of key etc (ERDF Policy objective
1, Specific objective
CAPACITIES in digital technologies 1.4: Developing skills
supercomputing, such as AI or HPC Support for for smart
(ERDF Policy objective 1, specialization,
AI, cybersecurity Specific objective 1.1: advanced digital industrial transition and
Enhancing research entrepreneurship)
and innovation SKILLS But also ESF for the
capacities and the
uptake of advanced more basic skills
technologies)
An example of synergies among several programmes:
Health Digital Europe
Large data sets
AI tools
digital transformation of the Health HPC for simulation
sector is bringing: Cohesion Digital Europe
Adaptation to Reference site
• more personalised local needs hospitals
medicine Local take-up Skills

• better prevention
• early detection ERDF angle: ICT uptake in SMEs, B2B, B2C, e-
gov, e-inclusion, e-health, Innovation Hubs
(ERDF Policy objective 1, Specific objective
• faster and more precise 1.2: Reaping the benefits of digitisation for
citizens, companies and governments, partly
diagnostics and also other policy objectives)
Connecting Europe Digital Europe
therapies Facility health records in a
format for
• new health 5G Connectivity
interchange
and care models

Horizon Europe
Health and care of Horizon Europe
digital solutions
for improved
citizen improved and health and care
models
prevention,
diagnosis,
less costly treatment
The most known example:
Digital Innovation Hubs
European Digital Innovation Hubs provide technological expertise and
experimentation facilities to enable the digital transformation of the
industry and the public sector
• Typical participants:

• Research and Technology

Organisations, Technical Universities
• In collaboration with:
• Industry associations
• Clusters
• Enterprise Europe Network
• Accelerators/Incubators
• Innovation agencies
One grant for one hub, extendable up to 7 years
Geographically spread network of around 250 EDIHs.

• Funding should be used for capacity building of a hub

• Grant, possibly through a lump sum for simplification
• Can cover investments in hardware and software, and people to
deliver services to stakeholders + some travel costs for cross-border
purposes

• 50 % co-funding with public funds from Member States and Regions,

ERDF may be partially used for MS part*
• Contribution can be in-kind or in-cash
• DEP grant will be signed on the condition this contribution is
available
EDIHEDIH
Role Role
in Digital Europe Programme
in Digital Europe Programme
SO3:
Cybersecurity
SO2: Artificial and Trust SO4: Advanced
Intelligence Digital Skills
SO1: High
Performance SO5: Deployment, best
Computing use of digital capacity
and interoperability
Train
the Request
Trainer specialised
support Supported by
horizontal activities
EDIH through a service
EDIH EDIH contract
• Guidance for
EDIH EDIH hubs
Networking, • Community
Transfer of
European DIH Z
building
expertise
Region C • Matchmaking
EDIH EDIH Specialisation 3 • Impact
assessment
European DIH X EDIH EDIH
Region A EDIH European DIH Y
Region B
Specialisation 1
Specialisation 2

Public administrations SMEs/Midcaps

2 Step Selection Process for initial network

EC defines Expression of EC issues a restricted Call to

criteria for EDIH Interest by EC entities designated by MSs
selection based directed to MSs Designated entities submit
on proposals that are evaluated by the
 Input from MS designate a Commission with the support of
Member States list of entities external experts.
 Basic Act that: EC selects taking utmost account
 Financial of opinion of MS from those
 Fulfil the
Regulation proposals exceeding the pre-defined
criteria
 Will get or quality threshold balancing
already got co-  regional coverage
investment  technology coverage
 sector coverage
 Based on open [Endorsement by MS committee]
and competitive
process
Synergies with Cohesion: what to do?

For an ideal outcome, we need coordination during:

• The programming phase –

When drafting the programming documents (smart
specialisation strategies, partnership agreements,
operational programmes) have synergies in mind

• The implementation phase

Keep good contact between authorities implementing
the programmes.
Indicative timeline
Timing Milestones
6 June 2018 Commission proposal published

Feb-Apr 2019 Preliminary political agreements

25 July 2019 Targeted consultation opened – Orientations published

12 Sept 2019 First Expert Group meeting

25 Oct 2019 Targeted consultation ended

5 Dec 2019 Second Expert Group meeting on analysis of consultation

Feb-Mar 2020 First draft work programmes ready for discussion with Expert Group

June-July 2020 Final drafts of the Workprogrammes

tbc* Formal adoption of the MFF

tbc* Formal adoption of the Digital Europe Programme

tbc** Formal adoption of the Digital Europe Work Programme

By Q4 2020 Publication of first calls

* Timing dependent upon adoption of MFF

** Timing dependent upon adoption of MFF and DEP
Thank you !
Annalisa.bogliolo@ec.europa.eu
Unit DG CNECT D1

#DigitalEurope