An exhibition of 50 EU-funded research projects was heavily dominated by health issues, and almost all relied on digital innovation.
Products showcased at the exhibition included virtual platforms designed to help control stress and a device for the physically disabled allowing people using "brain caps" to communicate without moving.
Pushing standardised e-government services across member states, along with the ICT system interoperability to support those services, has been a big focus for the EU for some time. It wants 50 per cent of individuals and 80 per cent of businesses to use e-government tools by the end of 2015, for example.
Having the clout to deliver that transformation is a different matter: it is the responsibility of member states themselves to implement and co-ordinate e-government services. All the EU can do is set targets, promote discussion, and do its best to foster a favourable regulatory environment while introducing interoperability into its own IT infrastructure.
Read more: Analysis: EU data-sharing projects show early promise
Speaking at the conference on Technology Supported Learning and Training in Berlin yesterday, Kroes explained that, if allowed to exist, this gap would negatively affect the European economy.
"We need to make digital literacy, digital skills and technology-supported learning central to the public policy agenda. You are nowhere without digital skills in the 21st century," Kroes said.
Read more: EU: Neelie Kroes demands greater emphasis on IT in education
Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda, said that the European Union has provided the ability to travel, trade and work across the region, but that more needs to be done to streamline these systems.
“There are obstacles for businesses looking to operate cross-border,” she said. “None of this makes sense in the digital age. We are imposing extra barriers on businesses who want to expand within the single market. To date, e-government, which should be part of the solution, has been part of the problem.”