Draft Report on Digitising European Industry
The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy have published a draft report on Digitising European Industry. The Industry plays a key role in Europe’s economy. It provides jobs, economic dynamism and can crucially contribute with solutions to mastering grand societal challenges that the European Union faces ranging from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate change to changing demographics, social precariousness and loss of biodiversity. At the same time, the world is in the midst of a new industrial revolution based on digitalisation and automation. This is changing business models, value chains, production and consumption. New key technologies are emerging such as big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, cloud computing, robotics, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and so on. A global race is emerging on who can take on these new developments and adapt to them in a sustainable and social way the fastest. For European industry to remain competitive it is essential that it leads this new industrial revolution with innovation and on the basis of sustainability. The European Union has clear industrial advantages in this regard. It has the know-how, R&D, skilled workers, a large single market, a strong industrial base and history bringing together manufacturing and services. In this context, Europe needs an ambitious industrial modernisation strategy digitalising its manufacturing base. The European Commission’s Communication is an important first step in the right direction.
The full report can be accessed here.