IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The European Commission issued an action call in Davos for companies, governments, educator, social partners, employment service providers and civil society at national and regional levels to join its effort to give young Europeans the tools to enter digital careers or to create jobs as entrepreneurs. Europe has up to 700,000 unfilled ICT jobs and declining competitiveness at a time when the the number of digital jobs is growing by 3 percent a year during the crisis and the number of new ICT graduates and skilled ICT workers is shrinking. EC vice president Neelie Kroes called on joint action between governments and companies to bridge the digital skills gap.

Read more: European Commission calls on govts, firms to bridge digital skills gap

On 18 December 2012 the European Commission adopted seven new priorities for the digital economy and society 2013-2014, following a comprehensive policy review, placing new emphasis on the most transformative elements of the 2010 Digital Agenda for Europe.

European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes said in this regard: "2013 will be the busiest year yet for the Digital Agenda. My top priorities are to increase broadband investment and to maximise the digital sector's contribution to Europe's recovery." The digital economy is growing at seven times the rate of the rest of the economy, but this potential is currently impeded by a patchy pan-European policy framework.

Read more: EU: Seven new priorities for the digital economy and society 2013-2014 adopted by the EC

Education experts and lawmakers gathered in the European Parliament earlier this week at the invitation of US software giant Microsoft to debate the role that information and communication technologies (ICT) should play in education.

The new generations of children use ICT on a daily basis at home, but not as much in school as they should in order to stimulate creativity, experts said at the Parliament event on Tuesday (22 January).

Read more: EU: Should teachers bring ICT into the classroom?

EU-Kommissarin Cecilia Malmström hat am Freitag das European CyberCrime Center (EC³) im niederländischen Den Haag eröffnet. In dem zu Europol gehörenden EC³ sollen nach den Worten von Malmström die "besten Gehirne Europas" an der Bekämpfung von Cyber-Kriminalität arbeiten und sich dabei der besten verfügbaren Technologien bedienen können.

Read more: EU-Kommissarin eröffnet Cybercrime-Zentrum