- May 16, 2022
- Tech
- Data
- Cloud
- Luxembourg
- Security
- Startup
- Development
- Digital
Commission to invest nearly €2 billion from the Digital Europe Programme to advance on the digital transition
The Commission has adopted three work programmes for the Digital Europe Programme, outlining the objectives and specific topic areas that will receive a total of €1.98 billion in funding. This first set of work programmes includes strategic investments that will be instrumental in realising the Commission's goals in making this Europe's Digital Decade. The Digital Europe Programme aims to bolster Europe's technological sovereignty and bring digital solutions to market for the benefit of citizens, public administrations, and businesses.
The main work programme, worth €1.38 billion, will focus on
investment in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI), cloud and data spaces,
quantum communication infrastructure, advanced digital skills, and the wide use
of digital technologies across the economy and society, until the end of 2022.
Alongside this main work programme, the Commission published two specific work
programmes: the first one focuses on funding in the area of cybersecurity, with
a budget of €269 million until the end of 2022; and the second one focuses on
the set-up and operation of the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs,
with a budget of €329 million, until the end of 2023.
The main work programme for the Digital Europe
Programme will include investments, such as:
–Deployment of common data spaces (e.g. data spaces
for manufacturing, mobility and finance) that will facilitate cross-border data
sharing for businesses, including small and medium size businesses (SMEs) and
start-ups, and the public sector, as well as the deployment of a federated
cloud-to-edge infrastructure and services, i.e. a backbone of digital solutions
that will ensure secure data flows;
–Building of testing and experimentation facilities for AI-based
solutions in order to boost the use of trusted AI (including use by SMEs
and start-ups) to respond to key societal challenges, including climate change
and sustainable healthcare (e.g. deploying AI testing facilities for health and
smart cities and communities);
–Deployment of a secure quantum communication
infrastructure for the EU (EuroQCI) that will offer high resilience against
cyber-attacks;
–Set-up and delivery of master courses in key advanced
digital technologies to boost digital skills in Europe, including actions
such as the Digital Crash Courses for SMEs, as announced in the 2020 Skills
Agenda and SME strategy;
–Set-up, operations and evolving and continuous
maintenance of digital services supporting cross border interoperability of
solutions in support of the public administrations (e.g. European Digital
Identity).
The work programme on cybersecurity will see
investments in building up advanced cybersecurity equipment, tools and data
infrastructures. It will fund the development and best use of knowledge and
skills related to cybersecurity, promote sharing of best practices and ensure
wide deployment of state–of-the-art cybersecurity solutions across the European
economy.
In order to help fulfil its objectives, the Digital Europe
Programme will deploy a network of European Digital Innovation Hubs
offering access to technology testing and support the digital transformation of
private and public organisations all across Europe, including government at
national, regional or local level, as appropriate. The European Digital
Innovation Hubs will be an important tool in EU policies, in particular the
industrial policy and the policy for small and medium businesses and start-ups,
to support companies and the public sector in the twin green and digital
transitions.
Next Steps
The first calls for the Digital Europe Programme will be
published by the end of November, and more calls will be published in 2022.
The work programmes will be implemented mainly through grants and procurement.
A few actions, such as the topics under the Destination Earth initiative will
be implemented through indirect management, with partner organisations
procuring for the necessary developments.