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Digitalisation in a low growth environment

The Commission is organising a high-level workshop bringing together experts from the academia, the Commission and other European and international...

The workshop “Digitalisation in a low growth environment” brings together experts from academia, private businesses, national administrations, the European Commission and other European and international institutions to discuss the broad economic impacts of digitalisation and the investment needs to ensure a smooth transition.

  • financing policy | Economic and Monetary Union | economic policy | euro
  • Thursday 10 October 2019, 09:00 (CEST)
  • Belgium
  • Live streaming available

Programme

  1. 10 Oct 2019, 09:00 - 09:30 (CEST)

    Registration and welcome coffee

  2. 09:30 - 09:45 (CEST)

    Introduction - K. Jorna, Deputy Director General, DG Economic and Financial Affairs, European Commission

  3. 09:45 - 10:30 (CEST)

    Keynote speech - Prof. P. Aghion, London School of Economics, Collège de France and Harvard University

  4. 10:30 - 11:00 (CEST)

    Coffee break

  5. 11:00 - 12:30 (CEST)

    Session I“Digitalisation, productivity and growth: challenges for the European economy” - Chair: P. Świeboda, Deputy Head of the European Policy Strategy Centre, European Commission

    Speaker: Prof. M. O’Mahony, Professor, King’s College London

    Panel: U. Engelmann, Head of Unit, DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Commission; P. Steinberg, Director General, Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs (BMWi); S. Toffaletti, Secretary General European Digital SME Alliance; A. Nowacka, Public Affairs Lead, Seznam

  6. 12:30 - 13:45 (CEST)

    Lunch break

  7. 13:45 - 15:15 (CEST)

    Session II“Artificial Intelligence, robots and the labour market” - Chair: M. Geleng, Director, DG Employment and Social Affairs, European Commission

    Speaker: Dr. E. Ernst, Chief of the Macroeconomic Policy Unit, International Labour Organization

    Panel: F. Benini, HoU, DG CNECT, European Commission; L. Visentini, General Secretary, ETUC (European Trade Union Confederation); M. Mamertino, Senior Economist, LinkedIn

  8. 15:15 - 15:45 (CEST)

    Coffee break

  9. 15:45 - 17:15 (CEST)

    Session III“Investment strategies for a digital economy”Chair: M.V. Tovšak Pleterski, Director, Economic and Financial Affairs, European Commission

    Speaker: D. Pilat, Deputy Director of the Science, Technology and Innovation Department, OECD

    Panel: J. Harvard, Combient; Ana Neves, Director of Departmento da Sociedade da Informação, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia; P. De Lima, Head of Economic Studies, European Investment Bank.

  11. 17:15 - 17:45 (CEST)

    Closing remarks - M. Buti, Director General, DG Economic and Financial Affairs, European Commission

Practical information

When
Thursday 10 October 2019, 09:00 (CEST)
Where
CHAR building, Mansholt room
CHAR building, Mansholt room, Belgium

Description

Digitalisation has emerged in recent years as a potential key driver of growth and job creation. However, there is no consensus about the net macroeconomic impacts of the ongoing digital transformation. It could lead to productivity gains and more qualified jobs, but also negatively impact on competition, income distribution and job opportunities, especially for low skilled workers.

The policy challenge is to anticipate the benefits and the costs of digital transformation, to accompany changes in the labour market and to ensure that the benefits of technological change are widely shared, among countries and social groups. This requires stimulating innovation by boosting investment in research and infrastructures ( e.g. cross-border 5G corridors, high performance computing, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity) and balancing income distribution asymmetries by means of investment in education and skills.