EU industrial digitalisation strategy just in time – ACT NOW

Today the European Commission published its strategy for digitising European industry within a digital single market.

Markus J. Beyrer, Director General of BUSINESSEUROPE commented: "The strategy focuses on the right priorities. It aims at mobilising 50 billion euros of investment to help companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to make much broader use of digital technologies. This is important to support European competitiveness, keeping jobs in Europe and creating new ones. The European Commission rightly provides an EU-coordinated approach to reduce the current legal fragmentation within the EU".

For BUSINESSEUROPE, it will be key that the strategy targets public and private investment to the development of innovations where Europe can be a true leader.

One of the actions in the strategy, the free flow of data initiative, must prevent member states from obliging companies to store data in a specific country, and facilitate cross-border data flow, which is essential for companies to function.

"We need bold actions at the European level, such as creating bridges and partnerships between national, regional and sectorial scattered initiatives on industrial digitalisation to avoid fragmentation. And we must work towards completing the digital single market. Digital can truly be at the heart of Europe's recovery, but only in an innovation-friendly environment. We'll now assess the concrete actions that will follow the strategy".