As a new European Commission is about to take office, one of its key challenges over the coming five years will be to ensure the effective implementation of the large body of digital regulations passed during the last five years and to accelerate Europe’s technological leadership. This was also strongly advocated for in the recent Draghi Report and clearly referenced in the mission letter to Henna Virkkunen, the new Commission Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.
As this CEPS Explainer outlines, to understand what’s currently happening in the digital field and to confidently walk forward into the future, we need to know first where we’ve come from over the last five years. One of the major developments in the digital realm that has accompanied the EU’s recent regulatory enthusiasm is the growth of Digital Public Infrastructures (DPIs), spurred by the need to quickly and effectively respond to two major crises – first the Covid-19 pandemic and then the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
About the authors:
Massimiliano Gambardella is Adjunct Professor of Labour Economics and Digital Innovation at the Parthenope University of Naples and Head of Relations with Universities and Research Institutions at PagoPA.
Cristiano Zagari is lecturer at the FIVEG Academy at the University of Naples Federico II and Head of EU and International Affairs at PagoPA.