During the Hannover Fair in 2015 Commissioner Oettinger has expressed his ambition to develop a strategy to make European industry benefit from digital technologies such as big data, cloud computing, simulation, 3D printing, internet of things, robotics and cyber physical systems. These technologies are the key enablers of new business models, innovative products and lean production processes. Shaping their development and making best use of them is essential for industry in Europe to remain competitive.
The Commission presented four lines of concrete policy actions that can form the basis of an EU wide strategy on the subject and showed how these would link to the policy priority of the EU on the Digital Single Market and to national initiatives such as Industrie 4.0 (DE, AT), Industrie du Futur (FR), Smart Industry (NL), etc.
In order to refine and develop further the strategy, the Commissioner has organised roundtables with stakeholders to gather input on the public policies needed at EU, national and regional level to ensure that Europe makes the best out the digital transformations in industry.
The roundtable stakeholders had been asked to express their views on a set of questions (see details in annex) addressing the way digital technologies are affecting their businesses, the role they see for public policies in this fields including what policies are needed at EU, national and regional level.
<p><em>"companies should learn how to solve the following equation: Component + IT = Function + Services.</em>"</p>