Latest News
- PRESS RELEASE
- Coalition of top tech & media companies to make internet better place for our kids
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(1 December 2011) 28 leading companies have come together to form a new Coalition to make a better and safer internet for children. Put together by the Commission, founding Coalition members are: Apple, BSkyB, BT, Dailymotion, Deutsche Telekom, Facebook, France Telecom-Orange, Google, Hyves, KPN, Liberty Global, LG Electronics, Mediaset, Microsoft, Netlog, Nintendo, Nokia, Opera Software, Research in Motion, RTL Group, Samsung, Sulake, Telefonica, TeliaSonera, Telenor Group, Tuenti, Vivendi, Vodafone. Priority actions include making it easier to report harmful content, ensuring privacy settings are age-appropriate, and offering wider options for parental control, reflecting the needs of a generation that is going online at an increasingly young age.
See also: Neelie Kroes: industry delivering a safer internet for kids
- PRESS RELEASE
- Horizon 2020: Commission proposes EUR 80 billion investment in research and innovation, to boost growth and jobs
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(30 November 2011) The European Commission has today presented a package of measures to boost research, innovation and competitiveness in Europe. Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn has announced Horizon 2020, an EUR 80 billion programme for investment in research and innovation. Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou has put forward a Strategic Innovation Agenda for the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), which will receive EUR 2.8 billion of funding under Horizon 2020. In parallel, Vice-President Antonio Tajani has announced a complementary new programme to boost competitiveness and innovation in SMEs, with an additional budget of EUR 2.5 billion. The funding programmes run from 2014 to 2020.
See also: Horizon 2020 : background memo
- PRESS RELEASE
- EUR 2.5 billions to boost business competitiveness and SMEs 2014 - 2020
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(30 November 2011) Promote access to finance and encouraging an entrepreneurial culture, including the creation of new enterprises are the core issues of the new financial support programme, tabled by the European Commission in Brussels today. With a budget of EUR 2.5 billions over the period 2014-2020, the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs, COSME is a funding instrument, which is largely continuing the activities under the current Competitiveness and Innovation programme (CIP). The new programme targets in particular: 1) entrepreneurs, in particular SMEs, which will benefit from easier access to funding for their business, 2) citizens who want to become self-employed and face difficulties in setting up or developing their own business, 3) Member States' authorities, which will be better assisted in their efforts to elaborate and implement effective policy reform.
See also: EU access to finance schemes created more than 175 000 jobs and will create more jobs
- PRESS RELEASE
- European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) to create more innovation hubs
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(30 November 2011) The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is to significantly step up its efforts to drive innovation and entrepreneurship in the EU with the creation of six new cross-border innovation hubs, known as Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), in 2014-2020. The European Commission has allocated a budget of EUR 2.8 billion in the next financial framework to enable the EIT to expand and consolidate the development of its existing KICs which focus on climate change, sustainable energy and ICT.
- PRESS RELEASE
- European robots helping to perform safer, quicker brain surgery
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(28 November 2011) EU-funded researchers from Germany, Italy, Israel and the UK have achieved a breakthrough development in robotic neurosurgery. The ROBOCAST project has developed a new type of robot that gives two important advantages to surgeons: 13 degrees (types) of movement, compared to the four available to human hands during minimally invasive surgery, and "haptic feedback" the physical cues which allow surgeons to assess tissue and perceive the amount of force applied during surgery. The robot has performed accurate keyhole neurosurgery on dummies, and when ready for humans, could ease the suffering of millions of Europeans diagnosed with tumours, and conditions such as epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and Tourette syndrome.
See also: 340 events for European Robotics Week
- PRESS RELEASE
- Council for Education, Youth, Culture and Sport (28-29 November)
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(25 November 2011) The EU Council for Education, Youth, Culture and Sport will take place on 28-29 November. Neelie Kroes, Vice-President responsible for the Digital Agenda, and Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, will represent the European Commission.
- NEWS ARTICLE
- EU students at risk if teachers and officials do not end apathy to technology in the classroom
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(1 December 2011) Vice President Kroes has called on teachers and education administrators to end their apathy to technology in the classroom and the education system, or risk being "guilty of a grand failure: a failure to give our children the best chance in life." Kroes said that from South Korea to the slums of Nairobi technology often plays a larger role in education than in Europe and this needs to change. "We need every teacher digital, and every student digital. Right from the very start of formal education." "Why, here in Europe, do most of our classrooms still feel like they did when I was at school?" "Let technology support and enhance learning...When digital media can be combined to create interactive rich content to help teaching: why are we still based on blackboards, textbooks and a uniform approach for everybody?" Kroes said many teachers do see the point and achieve great results: "These technologies are routinely and readily available." In particular such technology helps to tailor learning: "It can help people learn at their own pace, in their own way, wherever they are, and throughout their lives."
- EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
- Transparency & Openness
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8 December 2011 Brussels, Belgium
eGovernment has primarily been considered as a smart means to achieve economical benefits and reduce the administrative burden. Other objectives of eGovernment have however begun to emerge, such as government transformation, leading to more transparency and accountability. This event aims to discuss the redesigning of governance to foster transparency and openness.
- EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
- Seamless eGovernment
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20 December 2011 Brussels, Belgium
One of the main goals of the European Union remains the enhancement of the mobility of citizens and businesses across national borders. This mobility requires easy access to public services in a uniform manner throughout the EU territory.
- EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
- User-Centric eServices
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20 December 2011 Brussels, Belgium
This event will focus on user-empowerment, on how modern technology can transform the way citizens communicate, and the ways that governments can enable citizens to access eServices at their own convenience for a minimal cost.
- EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
- Unlocking the Machine to Machine ecosystem
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14 December 2011 Brussels, Belgium
According to research unveiled by industry association GSMA, the number of mobile connected devices in the world is set to grow 100 per cent from more than 6 billion today to 12 billion in 2020. This trend will provide a significant growth potential for the entire M2M ecosystem. Mobile operators are uniquely placed to work in partnership with other industries to enable this opportunity.
- EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
- ICT-based Entrepreneurship for Development in Africa: Learning from Global Best Practices
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5 December 2011 Brussels, Belgium
The event aims to identify the policy and business requirements that foster ICT-based entrepreneurship and bottom-up developments in Africa by looking at best practices examples. The debate will be based on the presentation of a study that focuses on the concrete contribution of technologies to social and economic development in developing countries.
- EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
- eHealth & Equity in the Global Health Communities
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15 December 2011 Brussels, Belgium
The aim of this event is to discuss the potential of eHealth to help strengthen health systems and improve safety, quality and efficiency of care as recognised by the World Health Assembly in its resolution on eHealth in 2005. Mobile health, especially in developing countries, the global impact of eHealth, health IT and its promotion of health equity and patient-centered care will be amongst the themes covered. An expert panel discussion with the audience will follow in the afternoon with additional topics. Participation to the event is free but registration is mandatory.
Reminders
- EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
- Future Network and MobileSummit - Call for Papers & Workshop Submissions
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4 July 2012 - 6 July 2012 Berlin, Germany
In the context of convergence and innovation, the 21st Future Network and MobileSummit will address the challenges of building the Future Internet Infrastructures, based on mobile, wireless and fixed broadband communications technologies. High-quality scientific papers (up to 8 pages) and proposals for Workshop topics are invited for online submission from 9 November until 9 December 2011.
New in the Library
- REPORTS AND STUDIES
- Economic Analysis of the Single Market for an Information Society
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2 December 2011
In parallel with the legal analysis, the Commission published an Economic Analysis of the Single Market for an Information Society carried out by the external consultant DIW Econ. The study found that ICT, e-Business and e-Commerce are all tools that can help accelerate economic growth as well as improve European economic integration. For example, ICT infrastructure, skills and usage have resulted in a statistically significant increase in cross-border trade flows among European countries. Additionally, the variation in prices was much lower for countries that have implemented the Euro, signalling that the idea of the Single Market can be found in an electronic internet form as well. However, EU Member States are not at the same level of ICT infrastructure and e-Business and e-Commerce usage. While many countries can compete on the world stage, other countries lag far behind which leaves room for further government support. Moreover, even in countries with high levels of infrastructure and usage, much government work can be done to further foster the climate needed for a more comprehensive information society. This work requires policy initiatives to create the correct institutional and legal frame conditions that allow ICT and e-Business to thrive. The study proposes a new policy outlook for the information society.
Contact: INFSO-DIGITAL-AGENDA@ec.europa.eu
- REPORTS AND STUDIES
- Guide to broadband investment
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1 December 2011
Final report of a study for an EU guide on models for investment for Public Authorities investing EU funds in NGA infrastructure. This guide is the result of a joint effort from Analysys Mason, various Commission services, the European Broadband Portal and the Bottom up Broadband initiative born under the Digital Agenda for Europe. Publication of the official version of the guide will follow soon.
Contact: INFSO-DIGITAL-AGENDA@ec.europa.eu
- SPEECH
- Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda
- IPv6: letting the Internet meet its potential
German IPv6 Summit 2011, Potsdam, 1 December 2011
- SPEECH
- Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda
- Transforming learning through technology - new tools for teachers, new opportunities for students
17th International Conference on Technology Supported Learning and Training, Berlin, 1 December 2011
- SPEECH
- Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda
- Opening up Europe's cultural treasures to the online world
Education, Youth and Culture Council, Brussels, 29 November 2011
- SPEECH
- Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda
- Incentives to invest in the future: creating an open, competitive telecoms market
Speech to ECTA (European Competitive Telecommunications Association), Brussels, 28 November 2011
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