Bridging research and market deployment of digital technology.
Digital technology and infrastructure have a critical role in our private lives and business environments. We rely on them to communicate, work, advance science and answer current environmental problems. The Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) is an EU funding programme focused on deploying digital technologies and infrastructures at large scale across Member State to bring the benefits of digital to citizens, businesses, and public administrations.
As such DIGITAL supports six key capacity areas and to shape the digital transformation of Europe’s society and economy, in line with the EU’s 2030 Digital Compass goals.
Main Facts
Total budget
€ 8.1 billion
Duration
2021 – 2027
6 Specific Objectives (SO)
High-Performance Computing
Artificial Intelligence
Cybersecurity and Trust
Advanced Digital Skills
Digital capacities and interoperability
Semiconductors
Digital Europe Programme - Benefits
Compete globally
Other regions of the world invest huge amount of public capital in advanced technologies. The US and China spend €10-20 billion annually on AI alone
Achieve scale through collective co-investments
Given the size of investments needed, scale required, and risks involved Europe needs to pool the resources together
Regain control over Europe’s value chains
and ensure Europe’s technological sovereignty
Better address Europe’s economic and societal challenges
For instance, climate, health, mobility and public services
Ensure broad take-up of digital technologies across all regions of EU
In deploying latest technologies to offer best services to citizens and business
Support SMEs to acquire or access the latest technologies and skills
More than 400,000 EU vacancies in these fields
Results
High-Performance Computing & Quantum
Ongoing investments to deliver world-class supercomputing capacities all over Europe for public and private users, serving more than 800 scientific and industrial applications.
Europe has already 3 top supercomputers in the Top10 of the fastest supercomputers in the world & among greenest in the world.
JUPITER, Europe’s first exascale supercomputer to be operational end of 2024.
AI Factories
AI Factories are dynamic ecosystems that foster innovation, collaboration, and development in the field of AI. They bring together the necessary ingredients – computer power, data, and talent– to create cutting-edge generative AI models.
Through the EuroHPC JU, investment will be leveraged to acquire new or upgrade existing EuroHPC JU supercomputers with AI capabilities, create supercomputing services in AI, and develop AI-oriented microprocessors and skills support.
Destination Earth
A flagship initiative of the Commission, aiming to develop a highly accurate digital twin of the Earth using unprecedented modelling capabilities thanks to EuroHPC JU supercomputers and Artificial Intelligence capacity.
Europe will be better prepared to respond to major natural disasters, adapt to climate change and assess the potential socioeconomic and policy impacts of such events.
4 AI Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs)
In agrifood, healthcare, manufacturing and smart cities and communities.
Network of physical and digital facilities across Europe bringing together 128 partners from 16 countries offering testing and validation services to AI innovators.
European Digital Innovation Hubs:
More than 150 hubs are now available across 90% of the European regions, serving public and private organisations, in particular SMEs.
Hub’s role: testing digital solutions before investing, digital skills development, access to consulting and financial services.
27 national Cybersecurity Coordination Centres
providing access to technological expertise and ensuring cross-border cooperation.
4 Pilot Lines for Chips
Pilot Lines are pioneering, state-of-the-art facilities to test, experiment, and validate chips technologies and designs to form the basis for Europe’s next generation of semiconductor production.
Nearly €1.7 billion of EU funding invests in 4 Chips pilot lines.
4 large-scale pilot projects
involving over 360 public authorities and private entities. across the EU are piloting the European Digital Identity Wallet across 11 important use-cases. Examples include:
- Accessing government services
- Opening a bank account
- Mobile driving license
- Signing contracts
- Travel ID
Data spaces
Many data spaces are enhancing data availability for businesses, public organisations and researchers across the European Union.
Example: The European Cancer Imaging Initiative, launched in September 2023, linking up 36 datasets of images of 9 cancer types, for a total of over 200 000 image series of ca. 20 000 individuals.
This infrastructure will enable the development of AI tools that aim to enhance cancer treatment and diagnosis.
2 Cross-Border Security Operations Centres consortia
formed to strengthen coordinated Union detection capacities and common situational awareness of cyber threats and incidents, a pilot for to be adopted Cyber Solidarity Act and its European Cybersecurity Alert System.
Training and education
37 projects in key technology areas to address digital skills gaps
more than 500 participating higher education and training institutions, industry, and research organisations.
Over 2,500 participants enrolled in digital master’s programmes and training courses.
Initiatives for key sectors and specific target groups:
- Cybersecurity Skills Academy
- Building skills for Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem
- Training opportunities for HPC professionals
- Support for girls and women in digital
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