The policy debate, organised by Friends of Europe in partnership with the Connected Europe initiative and Vodaphone, will be an opportunity to discuss the recommendations of the Resilient Europe Working Group with a multi-stakeholder audience.
How will Europe’s recovery plans, and the thread of digitalisation that runs through them, build resilience into systems and ensure that communities are better able to cope, adapt and bounce back from future shocks? In recent focus groups, Debating Europe found that citizens identified trust as a key element in building digital resilience, citing its essential role in identifying mis- and disinformation, safeguarding against cyber threats, protecting personal data, and strengthening the relationship between governments and the people they serve.
To enhance its resilience, Europe will need to focus on five key areas: improving infrastructure and connectivity; ensuring that education and training are fit for the digital age and take an integrated approach to mental health and well-being; building trust between governments and businesses as the ‘e-state’ increasingly comes into being; confronting issues around privacy and data; and innovating through products and services.