Digital Innovation

The European Commission's Digital Agenda forms one of the seven pillars of the Europe 2020 Strategy. The main objective is to develop a digital single market for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in Europe, and it is made up of seven pillars. In order to strengthen this objective and in line with one of President Jean-Claude Juncker's ten priorities, the European Commission published the Digital Single Market Strategy for Europe (DSM) in May 2015. The DSM aims to create the possibilities for the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital and seamless access to online goods and services for citizens and businesses.

ICT is an important driver for growth, both as a sector, but also as an enabler of other sectors; as well as an enabler for public sector modernisation. However, to succeed with strategies for digital growth, just investing in ICT is not sufficient. The investment needs to go hand in hand with capacity building, skills development, simplification of existing processes, securing adequate infrastructures, supporting new start-ups and digitisation among existing industry. European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) can be an important source of support to such processes. The development of digital growth dimensions within their Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3) will enable regions to identify the priorities for ICT investment relevant to their specific territory.

This portal presents the S3 Platform's work with ICT issues and provides documents and links to guiding material for regions developing digital growth strategies, as well as information about upcoming events. In the Online Section of the Digital Agenda Toolbox, there is both a downloadable version of the Digital Agenda Toolbox, and also links to a large number of specific sub sections with information on specific DAE themes.

The European Commission launched on 19 April 2016 the first industry-related initiative of the Digital Single Market package. Building on and complementing the various national initiatives for digitising industry, the Commission aims to trigger further investments in the digitisation of industry and support the creation of better framework conditions for the digital industrial revolution. One of the key elements of the Digitising European Industry initiative is the development of a network of Digital Innovation Hubs (DIH). The Smart Specialisation Platform, together with DG CONNECT, has put online the 'yellow pages' of DIHs, to visualise their geographic distribution in the EU and provide information on their services and competencies. The activities include improving the evidence base for sound policies in the area of digital regional growth, by providing examples of how DIHs participate in Smart Specialisation development and implementation.

• European Commission (2016), Digitising European Industry - Reaping the full benefits of a Digital Single Market, COM(2016) 180 final
• European Commission (2015), A Digital Single Market Strategy for Europe, COM(2015) 192 final
• European Commission (2010 ), A Digtal Agenda for Europe, COM/2010/0245
• REGULATION (EU) No 1303/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL, laying down common provisions on the ERDF, the ESF, the CF, the EAFRD and the EMFF and laying down general provisions ..., Official Journal of the European Union, L 347/320