— Posted by Maresa Meissl, Member of the Going Local for Austria

Die Europäische Kommision kommt am 21. und 22. November nach Österreich, um im Rahmen der diesjährigen “Digital Agenda Going Local” Initiative mit Vertretern der Wirtschaft, Interessenvertretern, Forschungseinrichtungen und des Bundes heiße IKT-Themen zu diskutieren.

Meine Kollegen und ich freuen sich schon darauf, am 21. November in Wien im wunderschoenen Kassensaal des Amtsgebäudes Hohenstaufengasse den aktuellen Umsetzungsstand der Digitalen Agenda, besonders im Hinblick auf Themen Breitband, eInclusion und Forschung & Innovation, zu diskutieren.

Read the full entry

Number of views: 390

Posted by Detlef Eckert, DG INFSO, Director Policy Coordination and Strategy

Die Europäische Kommision ist am 9. und 10. November in Deutschland, um im Rahmen der diesjährigen “Digital Agenda Going Local” Initiative mit Vertretern der Wirtschaft, der Länder und des Bundes heiße IKT-Themen zu diskutieren.

Ich freue mich schon darauf, am 9. November am Breitbandtag Niedersachsen die neuesten Vorschläge aus Brüssel zur Anhebung der Breitbandversorgung in Europa vorstellen.

Am 10. November werde ich vormittags Kollegen aus den verschiedenen Ressorts treffen, mit denen wir im Rahmen der Digitalen Agenda zusammenarbeiten. Nachmittags findet eine Going Local Veranstaltung im Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie statt, auf der wir neue Herausforderungen und Chancen der europäischen Breitbandpolitik im Zuge der neuen Vorschläge zur Connecting Europe Facility sowie neue Entwicklungen im Green IT diskutieren werden. Ich bin schon gespannt und hoffe auf einen interessanten Gedankenaustausch.

Number of views: 482

Posted by Pearse O’Donohue, DG INFSO, Head of unit: Radio Spectrum Policy

This is one of the key questions that will be addressed in a workshop on “Promoting the shared use of radio spectrum resources in Europe” in Brussels on 16 December 2011. In the workshop, hosted by the European Commission, the results of a study on shared spectrum access carried out by SCF Associates Ltd, a consortium of independent consultants will be presented and discussed.

You can find more information on the workshop programme, the key topics to be addressed and how to register your participation here.  Please register before 1 December 2011. As the space is limited, you will receive a confirmation on the 2 December 2011.

However, already for the preparation the workshop, the study team and the Commission Services would be interested in your views: Read the full entry

Number of views: 1187

Posted by Fred-Arne Odegaard, Going Local Team for Norway

Some highlights:

Meeting with the Minister responsible for ICT, Ms Rigmor Aasrud:

• Bringing technology into the care for the elderly – warm hands vs. robots- is a tricky political issue. ICT is not about pushing technology into society, it is about using research and technology to solve society’s problems.
• A new Norwegian DAE is expected to be finished January 2012. What new topics should be emphasized? Concrete broadband commitment is a very political issue. NO uses a market based approach, but some government money may be needed to fill the gap.
• Future ICT strategies to be focused on people. Robert Madelin on future focus: Cyber psychology, how do people react to and use technology, will be an interesting perspective. Cyber security will be a mega theme next year.

Mini seminar on broadband coverage, privacy and digital content (see below for more): Read the full entry

Number of views: 1020

— Posted by the Going Local Team for Romania

Timisoara, Iasi si Cluj sunt cele trei orasele din Romania care vor gazdui dezbateri, prezentari si mese rotonde pe tema Agendei Digitale. La evenimente vor participa reprezentatii ai Ministerului Tehnologiei Informatiei si Comunicatiilor,  ai Comisiei Europene (Directia Generala Societatea Informationala si Media), dar si ai autoritatilor locale si judetene. Astfel de întilniri au loc si în celelalte State Membre în paralel.

Ideea “Going Local” s-a nascut pentru a promova actiunile Agendei Digitale la nivelul tuturor partenerilor interesati, fie ca este vorba despre autoritati locale, intreprinderi sau consumatori. In fiecare dintre orasele mentionate se vor aborda diferite teme ale initiativei-pilot Agenda Digitala. Cercetare si inovare, competente digitale, e-guvernanta sau banda larga sunt doar cateva dintre temele principale propuse de organizatori.

Esti interesat? Iata programul:

Timisoara, 3 Octombrie, Hotel Timisoara

Iasi, 6 Octombrie, Hotel Unirea

Cluj, 11 Octombrie, Hotel Hotel Golden Tulip Ana Dome.

Detaliile puteti gasi pe site-ul Agendei Digitale.

Number of views: 639

Posted by Paul Timmers,  Director for “ICT addressing societal challenges”, DG Information Society and Media, European Commission

The economic crisis is challenging the European social model.  In his ” State of the Union”  President Barroso pointed out: ” …growth in the future will depend more and more on harnessing information technology… In a competitive world we must be also well-educated with skills to face these new challenges.”

Good points, but how exactly can ICT help to contain the economic crisis and speed up recovery and jobs creation?

This is the central question that will be addressed next week, on October 5^th-7^th, when Gdansk will host the European conference “Innovation for Digital Inclusion”.

The conference includes three intense days of debate on the innovative usage of ICT and its importance  for  e-Inclusion in Europe.  For example… Read the full entry

Number of views: 979

Posted by  the Country Team for Denmark,  DG Information Society and Media, European Commission

Hvordan skal Europa komme i den digitale front i den globale konkurrence med USA og vækstøkonomierne i Asien og Sydamerika? Hvad skal EU gøre for at understøtte erhvervslivets muligheder for IKT-baseret vækst? Hvad har danske virksomheder behov for fra EUs side?

Du inviteres hermed til at deltage i et eller flere af i alt tre regionale møder med udveksling af idéer mellem virksomheder, forskere, offentlige myndigheder og repræsentanter fra Europa-Kommissionen. Møderne afholdes i efteråret 2011 i Sønderborg, Aarhus og København.

Møderne vil give deltagerne mulighed for at påvirke udviklingen af den europæiske IKT-strategi, få mulighed for at høre om de europæiske målsætninger og hvilke konkrete tiltag, der er i støbeskeen.

Det er naturligvis gratis at deltage i møderne, der arrangeres i partnerskab med Dansk Industri (ITEK), it-forum midtjylland, IT-Branchen og IT- og Telestyrelsen.

Der afholdes tre møder i Danmark i løbet af efteråret 2011: Read the full entry

Number of views: 342

Posted by Peteris Zilgalvis, European Commission, Head of Unit at DG Information Society and Media, Digital Agenda ambassador for Latvia

14. oktobrī rīkosim Rīgā semināru par Digitālo programmu Eiropai 2011. Šī programma  ir viena no Eiropas Komisijas ekonomikas stratēģijas “Eiropa 2020″ parauginiciatīvām,  kas pieņemta, lai maksimāli izmantotu  informācijas un komunikācijas tehnoloģiju (IKT) sniegtās iespējas Eiropas ekonomisko un sociālo mērķu īstenošanai līdz 2020. gadam. Digitālā programma aptver 101 konkrētu Eiropas Savienības un dalībvalstu līmenī veicamu pasākumu, lai stiprinātu  digitālo vienoto tirgu, sadarbspēju un standartizāciju, uzticēšanos un drošību, izmantojot jaunās tehnoloģijas, ātru piekļuvi internetam, pētniecību un inovācijas, digitālās prasmes un iekļautību, kā arī IKT pielietojumu dažādās dzīves jomās. Sekmīga Programmas īstenošana veicinās saimniecisko izaugsmi un ikdienišķus uzlabojumus gan privātpersonām, gan uzņēmumiem.

Eiropas Komisijas Informācijas sabiedrības un plašsaziņas lidzekļu ģenerāldirektorāts (DG INFSO) sekmē Digitālās programmas īstenošanu  un rīko ikgadējās sanāksmes katrā dalībvalstī, lai informētu mūsu sadarbības partnerus par jaunām iniciatīvām un iespējām Eiropas Savienībā, piemēram, struktūrfondu un pētniecības projektu ietvaros, kā arī lai iegūtu informāciju no dalībvalstīm saistībā ar Digitālās programmas ieviešanu. Read the full entry

Number of views: 612

Posted by Detlef Eckert,  European Commission, Director at DG Information Society and Media, Digital Agenda ambassador for Poland

According to official Polish statistics, the Polish society is quite polarised when it comes to using the internet – while 93% of Polish citizens between 18 and 24 years old take advantage of the potential of the internet, most of the elderly people do not use it at all.

After the first Going Local event to Poland this year, my feeling is that things are going to change for the better, as far as the e-inclusion and other aspects of the Digital Agenda are concerned.

During a 2-day visit to Warsaw, I had the opportunity to speak to a wide range of stakeholders who perceive the Digital Agenda as one of the key factors for the socio-economic development of Poland:

1. At the meeting with Minister Michal Boni, chief of strategic advisors to the Polish Prime Minister, I learnt about the plans to reform Polish educational system. The objective is to offer more e-skills to pupils and students and therefore, prepare them better to the demands of the labour market of the XXI century… (read more) Read the full entry

Number of views: 464

Posted by Wout van Wijk, DG INFSO, Project Officer ‘Trust and Security’

For a fruitful implementation of the Digital Agenda for Europe’s pillar on Research and Innovation, we are dependent on a strong and unified ICT scientific society. The following study provides the necessary tools to build one. 

The final report of the study: “The Role and Impact of Professional and Scientific Societies in ICT Research, Education and Innovation”(1) is available online.

Summary:

The study examines the current situation and the dynamics of the ICT societies in Europe, and proposes strategies to help overcome ICT society fragmentation, increasingly seen as a major bottleneck to their future development and their impact on research, innovation and policy-making. The study also created and developed an online inventory describing 442 societies throughout Europe to be used as a reference tool. Read the full entry

Number of views: 929