EU Digital Sovereignty 2020

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EU Digital Sovereignty 2020

Event Overview

This Forum Europe debate addressed strategic autonomy and how the EU and its member states are approaching technology sovereignty development. It looked at issues around data ownership and how and where data were used and held; considered new, sustainable business models that are constructed around privacy by design, data sovereignty and data innovation, and the potential roles for European and international businesses, investors, regulators and civil society in determining the path for Europe’s digital future

This event was co-hosted by MEPs García del Blanco (S&D), Eva Maydell (EPP), Alexandra Geese and Anna Cavazzini (Greens/EFA).

#EUDigitalSovereignty

Key Considerations

Ecosystem Icon

What role the public and private sectors must play to grow the European digital eco-system, including non-EU firms.

Tool icon

What legislative and political tools the EU and its member countries have or might need to ensure less dependency on non-European digital service providers and greater competition on the market.

Initiative Icon

Examples of initiatives by European firms to build and provide viable alternative products and services for European citizens and businesses.

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How, if Europe gets this right, its push for digital sovereignty could further encourage and cement a values-based approach to global digital cooperation.

Confirmed Speakers

Garcia del Blanco

Ibán García del Blanco

MEP (S&D)

European Parliament

Eva Maydell 240x240

Eva Maydell

MEP (EPP)

European Parliament

Alexandra Geese

Alexandra Geese

MEP (Greens/EFA)

European Parliament

Anna Cavazzini

Anna Cavazzini

MEP (Greens/EFA)

European Parliament

Maria

Maria Manuel Leitão-Marques

MEP (S&D)

European Parliament

Brito 240

Nuno Brito

Ambassador

Permanent Representation of Portugal to the European Union

Markus Richter

Dr. Markus Richter

State Secretary and Federal Government Commissioner for Information Technology

German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community

Jean Eric Paquet

Jean-Eric Paquet

Director-General, DG Research & Innovation

European Commission

Yvo Volman

Yvo Volman

Acting Director, Data, DG Connect

European Commission

Boris Otto

Prof. Dr. Boris Otto

Member of the Interim Management Team and Acting Interim CTO

GAIA-X Project

Abraham Liu

Abraham Liu

Chief Representative to the EU Institutions and Vice-President European Region

Huawei

Jean-Claude Ghinozzi

Jean-Claude Ghinozzi

CEO

Qwant

Stephanie De Bruyne

Stephanie De Bruyne

CEO

Itsme & Belgian Mobile ID

Casper Klynge

Casper Klynge

Vice President of European Government Affairs

Microsoft

Andreas Tegge

Andreas Tegge

Head Global Government Relations

SAP

Leo Baumann

Leo Baumann

Head of EU Representative Office

Nokia

Mariane ter Veen

Mariane ter Veen

Director, Data Sharing Lead

Innopay

Pihl 240

Karl Pihl

Head of European Affairs

Ericsson

Paul Adamson

Paul Adamson

Chairman

Forum Europe

Paul Adamson

Paul Adamson

Chairman

Forum Europe

Agenda

Note: All timings are in CET

Europe in the Digital Age
2021-01-14
09:00 - 09:30
Virtual Platform and Networking area opening
09:30 - 10:00
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Welcome & Opening Remarks image
Ibán García del Blanco
MEP (S&D), European Parliament
Welcome & Opening Remarks image
Eva Maydell
MEP (EPP), European Parliament
Welcome & Opening Remarks image
Alexandra Geese
MEP (Greens/EFA), European Parliament
Welcome & Opening Remarks image
Anna Cavazzini
MEP (Greens / EFA), European Parliament
Welcome & Opening Remarks image
James Wilmott
Partner and Managing Director, Forum Europe
10:00 - 10:40
Keynote Session
Keynote Session image
Nuno Brito
Ambassador, Permanent Representation of Portugal to the European Union
Keynote Session image
Jean-Eric Paquet
Director-General, DG Research & Innovation, European Commission
Keynote Session image
Dr. Markus Richter
State Secretary and Federal Government Commissioner for Information Technology, German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community
Keynote Session image
Ibán García del Blanco
MEP (S&D), European Parliament
10:40 - 11:00
Coffee Break and Virtual Networking
11:00 - 12:00
Diversifying Ecosystems – Roundtable Discussion

This session will look at aspects of the European technology landscape and analyse what European businesses in some areas require, in order to provide competition and value to European consumers. What can both established European firms and those seeking to scale, do independently, and where might the development of partnerships help to bolster growth and consumer choice? What are the values that should be reflected in Europe’s drive for digital autonomy?

Diversifying Ecosystems – Roundtable Discussion image
Ibán García del Blanco
MEP (S&D), European Parliament
Diversifying Ecosystems – Roundtable Discussion image
Stephanie De Bruyne
CEO, Belgian Mobile ID & itsme®
Diversifying Ecosystems – Roundtable Discussion image
Jean-Claude Ghinozzi
CEO, Qwant
Diversifying Ecosystems – Roundtable Discussion image
Abraham Liu
Chief Representative to the EU Institutions and Vice-President European Region, Huawei
12:00 - 13:00
Strategic Autonomy and the Case for Global Partnerships

This session will explore the case for maintaining global cooperation and partnerships, in an environment when increasingly, calls are for more regional and local solutions. For so-called Open Strategic Autonomy to flourish, speakers will explore how autonomy and global partnerships will interact, and how the right balance can be struck between the global and the regional approach.

Strategic Autonomy and the Case for Global Partnerships image
Maria Manuel Leitão-Marques
MEP, European Parliament
Strategic Autonomy and the Case for Global Partnerships image
Casper Klynge
Vice President of European Government Affairs, Microsoft
Strategic Autonomy and the Case for Global Partnerships image
Leo Baumann
Head of EU Representative Office, Nokia
Strategic Autonomy and the Case for Global Partnerships image
Karl Pihl
Head of European Affairs, Ericsson
Strategic Autonomy and the Case for Global Partnerships image
Paul Adamson
Chairman, Forum Europe
13:00 - 13:45
Lunch
13:45 - 14:45
Data Sovereignty: Data Innovation & Building Trusted European Data Spaces

This session will focus predominantly on the question of industrial data innovation and the means by which Europe can develop its ecosystem, reinforcing and supporting EU businesses while at the same time ensuring that Europe remains exposed to the very latest technological innovations, particularly around AI and 5G, regardless of where they come from.

Data Sovereignty: Data Innovation & Building Trusted European Data Spaces image
Alexandra Geese
MEP (Greens/EFA), European Parliament
Data Sovereignty: Data Innovation & Building Trusted European Data Spaces image
Prof. Dr. Boris Otto
Member of the Interim Management Team and Acting Interim CTO, GAIA-X Project
Data Sovereignty: Data Innovation & Building Trusted European Data Spaces image
Andreas Tegge
Head Government Affairs EMEA, SAP
Data Sovereignty: Data Innovation & Building Trusted European Data Spaces image
Yvo Volman
Acting Director, DG Connect, European Commission
Data Sovereignty: Data Innovation & Building Trusted European Data Spaces image
Casper Klynge
Vice President of European Government Affairs, Microsoft
Data Sovereignty: Data Innovation & Building Trusted European Data Spaces image
Mariane ter Veen
Director, Data Sharing Lead, Innopay
14:45 - 15:00
End of Conference and Virtual Networking
Select date to see events.

More information

Europe’s burgeoning drive for open strategic autonomy is ambitious and likely to be complex. Increased autonomy poses practical, technical, political, and diplomatic questions while at the same time, offering exciting possibilities for the future of tech and data in Europe.  

The delivery of a more independent European digital infrastructure, driven by Europe’s legitimate privacy and security priorities, and increasingly linked to questions around competition and dependency, will demand large investments from the public sector and strong cooperation between business and government. It will insist on a combination of greater autonomy on the one hand and greater collaboration on the other, to deliver competitive digital services that respect European values. 

It would, however, be too simplistic and economically damaging to cut the digital umbilical cords of which society has come to depend. Europeans rely on a data and digital eco-system that, while mostly non-European, has made a significant contribution to productivity in the EU. It is also clear that any Balkanisation of the internet would not be in the EU’s interests. Working towards mutual trust and the development of global norms that reinforce shared values is critical. 

The choices available to the EU are, broadly, to prioritise privacy-focused, secure technologies and services, using additional regulation and competition enforcement if required, regardless of where the services may be based or headquartered; or to work towards strategic autonomy through the development of services and infrastructures that are European built and delivered. A combination of the two may emerge.

Event Partners

This event was kindly supported by:

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Register to Attend

Event Platform

This event took place using Forum Europe’s virtual solution. For more details, please visit forum-europe.com.

Contact

For more information on any aspect of this event, please contact Geraldine Evans using any of the details below.

Geraldine Evans
Event Executive
Forum Europe

[email protected]

Tel: +44 (0) 2920 783 070 

#EUDigitalSovereignty

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