Brussels, 30/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - Commissioner for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes repeats it over and over again - if the European Union wants to find the path to growth, it is absolutely crucial that it develops its digital market. Increasing investment in broadband and maximising the digital sector's contribution to economic recovery in Europe will be two essential actions that she will pursue in 2013, she announced last December, recalling the digital sector's exceptional speed of growth - seven times greater than other sectors but still slowed down by an incomplete pan-European political framework. In this context, the Scandinavian and Baltic countries are a success story. They have succeeded in using and spreading new technology both in the private and public sector, which makes the region one of the most innovative and competitive in the world with regard to digital technology. Last week during a conference organised by Microsoft, the Baltic Development Forum and the Centre for Policy Studies, Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Norwegian Minister of Government Administration Rigmor Aasrud, the deputy director general of DG Connect at the European Commission and other political decision-makers and business people in the region discussed the factors that would help the development of ICT in the European Union, using the example of the Nordic-Baltic region as a basis. “The European Commission is working on a digital single market and looks at these countries as an example of how things should be done to generate growth”, Roberto Viola said. The vice-president of Microsoft, Brad Smith, confirmed the proactivity of the region in digital matters, saying that Microsoft's investment in the Baltic Sea region since the year 2000 has been more than in any other part of the world. “If the Baltics can come together, they can pioneer a model that can spread to the rest of Europe and really set an example for the world”, Smith said.
A combination of several factors has played a pivotal role in the development of new technology in the Scandinavian and Baltic countries over the last two decades, enabling them to succeed where others have failed. These factors include a highly developed telecoms infrastructure, a very widespread use of the internet and e-government services, significant private investment in R&D, easy access to finance for ICT projects (although this has become more difficult in recent years, the participants noted), a high number of patents registered with the European Patent Organisation, a culture of entrepreneurship in education systems, a high percentage of employees specialised in new technology, and frequent uptake of ICT in other economic sectors. The participants underlined the potential of regional cooperation and interoperability in the supply of ICT services, to the benefit of the whole of Europe. “What we need to do if we want Europe to move ahead, is to create positive examples of international, or intra-European use of IT services”, said Ilves. In conclusion, the director of the Baltic Development Forum, Hans Brask, invited the Commission to take part in the Forum's annual summit in Riga on 29-30 April, emphasising that a public-private dialogue was needed with all regional stakeholders. (IL/transl.fl)