Digital skills - Creating economic growth across Europe

“In Europe, we have a long-term vision to use knowledge and innovation to drive ourselves forward. The digital revolution is not about creating virtual realities, it is about diverse companies reaching out to real global customers using digital skills,” said moderator Tamsin Rose, Non-Resident Fellow at Friends of Europe, at the Digital Skills conference hosted in Brussels on 24 February 2016.

The expert panel discussed how the EU can move towards digital skills acquisition and completion of the digital single market, with a focus on how to support SMEs vying to take their place in European and global markets.

“The digital revolution in Europe is not about tech companies,” said Matt Brittin, President for EMEA Business and Operations at Google. “It is about small businesses and entrepreneurs. They are the ones creating growth and job opportunities daily here in Europe.”

While institutional support for digital skills and a more cohesive single market in the EU are much needed, it is important that small businesses in Europe maintain flexibility to customer needs and market realities – their strength in comparison to multinationals.

“SMEs should have flexible models,” said Tano Lopez, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Spain-based Fleed International Student Network, “and this needs to be mirrored in our institutional frameworks as well. We need new rules to adapt to a new reality.”