“Digital technologies are critical enablers of sustainable growth, innovation and employment in the modern European economy,” states a new report launched today by DIGITALEUROPE. “Forty per cent of productivity growth in Europe is made possible by interaction between information technology and communications capabilities with industry, services and public sector activities; this figure can grow exponentially as we move out of the recession if ICT is adopted more broadly,” states Bridget Cosgrave, Director-General DIGITALEUROPE.

European competitiveness and prosperity in the global digital age is inextricably linked to a dynamic ICT sector says DIGITALEUROPE’s ‘Vision 2020: A Transformation Agenda for the Digital Age.’

The achievement of a European Digital Single Market lies at the heart of European future competitiveness, points out Erkki Ormala, President of DIGITALEUROPE. “At least four per cent additional GDP (EU27) can be gained by stimulating further adoption of ICT and digital services through the creation of a Digital Single Market. We must remedy our market’s fragmentation.”

Digital technologies play a strategic role in creating growth opportunities for domestic and export growth opportunities for manufacturing, services, environmental and cultural industries. “The digital industry is taking a proactive approach to identify quick wins, which demonstrates our ability to enable competitiveness and sustainability in other sectors across Europe,” Cosgrave adds.

DIGITALEUROPE’s report delivers a clear message from technology thought-leaders to EU decision-makers on the essential building blocks required for Europe’s future competitiveness.

“Europe must invest in infrastructure enabling Next-Generation Networks and Services to flourish – Internet everywhere is essential,” adds Cosgrave who also points to the need for Europe to be host and home to a healthy ICT R&D sector. “We should be boosting the current thirty-five billion euro expenditure in R&D to a minimum of three per cent of EU GDP by 2015 to stay ahead of the game.”

Nourishing Europe’s pool of creative and technical talent of brilliant young minds is the foundation of our global digital society. “Europe’s ICT sector represents more than six million employees – these figures are likely to jump in the coming three to five years as an expected ninety per cent of all jobs by 2015 require ICT skills. Job creation for by the sector is expected to exceed 300,000 new jobs in the next five years. Our young generation need e-Skills to be assured of future employability.”