Digital growth = a strong economic future
The European Union (EU) has set several ambitious goals as it works to create a “smart, sustainable, and inclusive economy” by the year 2020. Known as the European Union 2020 Strategy, these targets include everything from higher employment to greater social inclusion to reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
With the second funding period for the EU 2020 having recently begun, the EU’s 28 member countries are prioritizing their focus areas and applying for funding to meet their targets. To date, the majority of projects have centered on creating a more modern physical infrastructure. Yet if the EU is to achieve its goal of becoming “the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy in the world,” it’s critical that EU countries consider their technological infrastructures alongside their physical ones.
Yes, better bridges, schools, hospitals, and other physical improvements are important to a thriving EU. But so, too, is a strong technological foundation. By developing advanced IT infrastructures and services, EU countries can promote social inclusion and equal access to education. They can lay the foundation for more employment opportunities that support a thriving economy. And they can foster a more competitive Europe that responds with agility to the twenty-first-century challenges it faces.
Indeed, a digital single market is at the heart of the EU’s 2020 strategy, and many EU countries have been working to improve their technological infrastructures. Consider the following examples:
- Romania is investing 17 million euros to create a cloud platform for public institutions across the nation. The adoption of cloud services in Romania has been extremely low-below 10 percent in 2013. By adopting a national cloud platform, Romania hopes to spur the use of cloud computing across the nation. It also expects to lower costs, work more efficiently, and interact more effectively with citizens.
- Slovakia plans to bring e-government services to citizens in rural areas by delivering basic cloud infrastructure to thousands of small municipalities and villages around the country. By connecting municipalities and villages to the cloud, the project will enable 2 million citizens to quickly accomplish tasks ranging from changing their marital status to updating their passports. The project is expected to reduce costs for municipalities, while providing a uniform way to deliver e-government services across the nation.
- Estonia
is testing the feasibility of moving government data to the public cloud as a way of securing the nation’s digital identity. Specifically, the country is considering backing up government data in a “virtual data embassy ” in the public cloud outside of the country’s borders. By protecting its data in this way, the country intends to ensure national digital continuity in the event of war and other physical or cyber-emergencies.
These are just a few ways in which EU countries are incorporating a strong technological foundation into their 2020 strategies. Microsoft can help countries identify projects and link them to EU 2020 goals. We can share best practices from other countries. And we can help EU member countries implement secure IT infrastructure and services in ways that ensure their future success. To learn more, please see our EU Policy Blog.
