Digital Skills Summit 2024: Enhancing digital skills for Europe’s resilience and competitiveness

On 27 November 2024, DIGITALEUROPE’s first-ever Digital Skills Summit united policymakers, industry leaders, and educators to tackle Europe’s advanced digital skills gap. Focused on building a digitally resilient and competitive Europe, the event spotlighted strategies to secure its position as a global tech leader. 

Opening Remarks by Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl 

Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, DIGITALEUROPE’s Director General, emphasised the vital role of digital skills in Europe’s economic and security resilience. Highlighting that advanced digital regions are 2.6 times more stable, she stressed the urgency of investing in scalable technologies, stating, “AI and AI-related skills are Europe’s best defence against cyber threats.” 

Keynote Speech by Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen 

Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, Director General at the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport & Culture, European Commission, delivered a compelling keynote on Europe’s digital transformation. With only 50% of the population having basic digital skills, she highlighted the risk of falling behind in AI, cloud computing, and quantum technologies. Emphasising the Digital Decade Strategy, she urged a whole-society approach, leveraging initiatives like Erasmus+, and stressed, “Digital literacy is the backbone of resilience in the digital age.” 

Enhancing Defence and Security with Digital Skills 

Moderated by Constantinos Hadjisavvas, Director for Digital Resilience and Defence at DIGITALEUROPE, this panel explored how technologies like AI and quantum computing are reshaping defence. 

Speakers included Laura Jiménez Orgaz, Global Head of Cyber GRC at Santander; Saskia Van Uffelen, Digital Manager at Agoria; Luca Tagliaretti, Executive Director of the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre; and Matteo Paonni, Deputy Head of Unit at the European Commission, Joint Research Centre. The discussion emphasised the importance ofpublic-private collaboration, future-focused skill development, and bridging the gap between civilian and military applications. 

The European Digital Skills Strategy 

Moderated by Vincenzo Renda, Director for Single Market and Digital Competitiveness at DIGITALEUROPE, this panel explored the achievements of the European Software Skills Alliance (ESSA) project and the role of EU-funded initiatives in tackling Europe’s digital skills challenges. 

Speaking at this panel, Katarzyna Koziol, Principal Business Developer – Global Education at Amazon Web Services, Pilar Roch, Director General of AMETIC, and Georgi Dimitrov, Head of Unit for Digital Education at the European Commission, DG EAC, highlighted SMEs’ struggle to find ICT talent, the importance of micro-credentials, and sustaining digital skills initiatives beyond funding cycles. 

Leveraging Standards for Consistent Digital Skills Training in Europe 

Moderated by Helena Lovegrove, Senior Director for Operations & Projects at DIGITALEUROPE, this panel explored the role of standardisation in creating a unified digital skills framework. Andreea Gulacsi, Director for Policy and External Affairs at CEN CENELEC, addressed public-private partnerships in shaping training standards. Wanda Saabeel, Senior Education and Standardisation Expert, stressed the need for adaptable frameworks, while Emilio Davila Gonzalez, Head of ICT Standardisation at the European Commission, DG CNECT, highlighted the importance of collaboration between academia, industry, and policymakers for consistent certification and workforce mobility. 

Closing the event, José Martinez Usero, Director of Projects at DIGITALEUROPE, reflected on the critical role of collaboration in building a digitally resilient Europe. He emphasised the need to prioritise digital skills on the EU agenda and the importance of fostering partnerships between industry, academia, and policymakers. DIGITALEUROPE remains committed to driving innovation and empowering Europe to lead in the digital age.