EIT Digital at the Heart of Europe's Digital Innovation Priorities

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In the recently published proposal for the 2021-2027 EU budget, we see increased investment in Digital through a strong EIT (Digital) in Horizon Europe (overall increased focus on Digital) and an additional €9 billion Digital Europe program. Several EU member states have announced increased investments in digital technology, notably Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity. At our third annual conference today in Brussels, we present and discuss EIT Digital results on digital entrepreneurship and skills.

Successful execution of those plans needs talents, skills, technology and new business ideas. Since our launch, EIT Digital equipped more than 1,500 students with the skills to innovate and become entrepreneurs; we supported more than 270 startups and scaleups to grow internationally, created 60 new companies as a result of Innovation Activities, and launched more than 250 products and services commercially.

EIT Digital continues to build on these strong achievements. We welcome the increased investment in digital skills and technology at EU and member state level. This strong mandate allows us to have global impact through European innovation fuelled by entrepreneurial talent and digital technology.

"The digital transformation is one of the most impactful changes going on in our society; it affects the daily life of every single individual," says EIT Digital CEO Willem Jonker. "Europe has to play a prominent role in this transformation in order to ensure that European values are respected in the digital world to the benefit of our citizens, institutions and businesses."

About EIT Digital 

EIT Digital is a leading European open innovation organisation. Our mission is to foster digital technology innovation and entrepreneurial talent for economic growth and quality of life in Europe. We bring together entrepreneurs from over 180 top European corporations, SMEs, startups, universities and research institutes.

EIT Digital invests in strategic areas to accelerate the market uptake of research-based digital technologies and to bring entrepreneurial talent and leadership to Europe. Our innovation and education activities are organised in and around our co-location centres, where students, researchers, engineers, business developers and entrepreneurs come together to drive the digitalisation of society.

EIT Digital is a Knowledge and Innovation Community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Since 2010, EIT Digital has been consistently mobilising talents, ideas, technologies, investments and businesses across Europe and beyond to stimulate disruptive digital innovation. Its headquarters is in Brussels with co-location centres in Berlin, Budapest, London, Helsinki, Madrid, Paris, Stockholm and Trento, as well as a hub in Silicon Valley.

EIT Digital invests in strategic areas to accelerate the market uptake of research-based digital technologies focusing on Europe's strategic, societal challenges: Digital Industry, Digital Cities, Digital Wellbeing, Digital Infrastructure and Digital Finance.

EIT Digital breeds T-shaped entrepreneurial digital talent focused on innovation through a blended Education Strategy that includes a Master School, Doctoral School and Professional School.

Detailed information about EIT Digital's achievements can be found in the latest Annual Report.

For more information visit:http://www.eitdigital.eu

Follow EIT Digital on Twitter:@EIT_Digital