Only 8% of EU companies use AI; here's our plan to turn this around

Say hi to another #WeeklyDEbrief from Brussels’s tech hub!

It was an important week for Europe’s tech future with one EU strategy release chasing the other. So in the past few days, we have been actively giving our advice to make sure these plans can eventually make Europe #aDigitalPowerhouse.

🍽️ Here's an appetizer of what we have been busy with this week:

• Pushing for EU AI leadership
• Ensuring the European Commission 's economic security strategy helps Europe become more competitive
• A trip to Riga to set the stage for the (digital) future of the Euro

Before you dive into this week’s tech highlights: Are you already subscribed to our newsletter? If not, do it here.

👀 SPOTLIGHT

✈️Still too heavy to let the EU AI plane take off: The European Commission ’s freshly released AI innovation strategy and its ‘AI factories’ is a good first step towards making the EU a global AI leader. But - To have more than only 8% of EU companies using AI (😨 we know, right?), more is needed.

• Speaking of global AI: At the Data Protection Day of the EDPS - European Data Protection Supervisor , Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl talked about why we need global standards in AI.

🧐 Economic Security = A booming economy and thriving tech companies: The EU has been regulating emerging tech (including AI) at a record-breaking pace, but there's more we can do to achieve true 'European economic security'. Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl 's take is that "Europe must have access to and be a creator of the critical technologies that will define the future" ⤵️

🥂💶 A digital update for the Euro? Next to EU Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and other distinguished panelists, our DG celebrated in Riga the 10th anniversary of the Euro in Latvia...and discussed the future of the digital euro. "Start small and gradual", Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl suggested. More here.

Go check out some behind-the-scenes coverage from Riga on our Instagram account!

✅ YOUR TO-DO LIST

🤯 Get ready for another speaker reveal for Masters of Digital: Emerging tech is shaking up the way we pay. How good to have John Whelan - bringing you exclusive intel from the world of digital finance at what will be our best and biggest Masters of Digital ever! (👉 Register here).

But that's not all! More on our stellar line-up of speakers 👇:

📅 Check out what our stellar team was up to: our staff was at full pace this week to secure #aDigitalPowerhouse for Europe!

• Ray Pinto and Richard Rak, Ph.D. worked with our members, Commission representatives, member states, and civil society on a next-level European Health Data Space (in case you missed it, our take on this law is here).
• Vincenzo Renda & Laura Chaney met with Gerry Cross to discuss the Digital Operational Resilience Act. Put it simply: how to protect financial institutions from cyber attacks.
• Raphaëlle Hennekinne , Giorgia Murgia , Tim Sollberger Maite Castells Cercadillo , and Toninio Waelkens discussed with EU Environment and Climate how to accelerate the collection rate of e-waste to 70% by 2030.

🙌 Help us make the EU #aDigitalPowerhouse: We're still on the hunt for makers and tech enthusiasts pushing for the pinnacle of EU high-tech leadership!

• Manager (full-time or part-time freelance) – Audiovisual content production
• Senior Manager or Director for Digital Resilience and Defence
• Intern for Digital Commerce, AI & Data Policy
• Intern for Digital Trade Policy

🏗️ PROJECTS CORNER

🦾 A long-term plan to skill up Europe in AI: EU citizens need a digital upgrade on how to master AI and ARISA - AI Skills has a great strategy for that:

🛠️ Kicking off a new phase of upskilling in the EU: Not only do we need to ramp up AI skills, but also close the overall digital skills gap. This is why we’re THRILLED to announce our new EDGE Skills project.

🚀 Stay ahead in the EU projects game: Subscribe to this newsletter!

🔎 DIGITAL IQ TEST

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👋 That's all for today, friends. We'll bring you more digital hits next week.

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