Investing in research and innovation
We must invest in world-class ICT research and innovation in order to boost growth and jobs via innovative Public-Private Partnerships and by exploiting the opportunities available through Horizon 2020 research funding programs. We must catch up with our main competitors in ICT research and digital innovation.
Pillar V: Research and innovation
To attract Europe's best minds to research, world class infrastructure and adequate funding are crucial. The best research ideas must be turned into marketable products and services. Currently, EU investment in ICT research is still less than half US levels. The Digital Agenda seeks to maintain Europe's competitive edge through increased coordination and elimination of Europe's fragmented efforts.
List of Actions
• Action 50: Leverage more private investment for ICT research and innovation
• Action 51: Reinforce the coordination and pooling of resources
• Action 52: Propose measures for ‘light and fast’ access to EU research funds in ICT
• Action 53: Financially support joint ICT research infrastructures and innovation clusters
• Action 54: Develop a new generation of web-based applications and services
• Action 55: Member States to double annual public spending on ICT research and development
• Action 56: Member States to Engage in large-scale pilots financed by the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme
• Action 120: Key Transformative Action: Establishment of the European Cloud Partnership to harness public buying power to accelerate the development of the market for cloud computing
• Action 121: Follow up of the European Cloud Computing Strategy
• Action 122: Launch pilot action to explore the efficiency gains from moving public services into the Cloud
• Action 127: Set up a more business-friendly environment for start-ups
• Action 128: Web entrepreneurs action plan
• Action 129: Key Transformative Action/ Pooling of European public and private resources for micro- and nano-electronic behind a common industrial strategy, with a strengthened Joint Undertaking at EU level as the main vector for R&D&I support
• Action 130: Focus and develop the photonics, robotics and Future Internet Public Private Partnership (PPP) – New PPP on High Performance Computing
• Action 131: Action Plan for electronics industry in Europe, further to the 2012 strategy for Key Enabling Technologies
• Action 132: Invest in High Performance Computing
Promoting digital literacy, skills and inclusion
Although the Internet is part of daily life for many of us, some parts of the population are still excluded from media literacy in the digital environment. And we are facing a crisis of a shortage of employees with digital skills across the EU. Read more.
In order to promote employment in the ICT field, and in jobs which require digital skills, the Commission created the Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs and Skills in 2013. This is a multi-stakeholder partnership that endeavours to facilitate collaboration among business and education providers, public and private actors to take action attracting young people into ICT education, and to retrain unemployed people.
In order to overcome unequal access to digital literacy by European citizens, Member States should promote e-accessibility in particular when applying the Audiovisual Media Services Directive.