 First of all, good afternoon everyone and I'm very flattered to see so many of you here I I would like to the extent possible to treat this as a as a conversation and we will have an opportunity for exchange As we as we go along But I think if only to be visible from the back it's it's better that I stand up for for the this these launching remarks Well Joyce is already in fact said some of it present funder lion has decided In her political guidelines, which is the document that will actually mark the the policy of Of her whole five-year mandate to put an emphasis on two parallel economic and social transformations one of them is What has already been launched last month the European Green Deal with a focus on Transformation not only in the interest of the climate And of the environment but also a transformation in the interest of the European economy and society because she takes the view that it is only by as it were seizing the challenge preparing for it and investing in it and leading on it that in that area of Clean technologies of transformation of economic processes that we can continue to be prosperous and maintain our European social model and She takes the same view in the area of digital This is an area where Europe is I think perhaps sometimes excessively seen As being behind There are certainly areas where Europe has lost position and is less strong But it is ultimately an optimistic agenda because it is also a transformation which can leave us hopefully more efficient with more egalitarian societies contributing also to the to the green transformation and assuring European prosperity in the coming years Building upon assets that we still have in spades in Europe if we deploy them well She has identified a few of the areas that this of course won't exhaust the agenda in this respect because it's digital reaches into so many areas of of life one of them is that we must Ensure that we have Technological sovereignty Joyce already mentioned the term in respect of key technologies in the digital area now this is not Technological sovereignty defined against anyone or anything it is simply the ambition for Europe to have some of the key Factors of production of the future economy at its own disposal Of course in some respects for our security that we can call upon things like quantum computing and cryptography or Cyber security Competencies when they are needed, but in part it is about ensuring our general prosperity and and and economic Capacity in Europe So that will in part take the form of ensuring that the key infrastructures of a digital economy are in place Infrastructure is and and ensuring that the economy can can use good infrastructure is a key competence of any sovereign entity and there we move beyond Broadband both mobile and fixed but into slightly More arcane things for the citizens such as high performance computing that will allow massive data Processing by by European researchers and and businesses. We look at areas such as the capacity in Europe to to process huge amounts of data, which will be necessary for example for many products and services to be powered by artificial intelligence and we have Massive opportunities to to harness data data goes well beyond the the sensitive and and already well-worn debates on personal data, there are huge amounts of economic Industrial environmental data being generated and more and more all the time So this is an area where whatever may have been Missed opportunities in the past They're still huge opportunities to be seized ones in areas where In particular with industrial data the the manufacturing and industrial strength the amount of investment that is going on in digital By in particular larger European industrial players actually gives us some ground for for Optimism and a basis on which to build we see in areas like artificial intelligence that while The levels of investment in AI by by businesses and public research in Europe are not yet Anywhere at the level we would wish to see and in comparison to some key world players If you look at one of the basic benchmarks of intellectual excellence The number of peer-reviewed publications In in the AI field then Europe is actually the the intellectual powerhouse of this field This is an asset which of course we must be able to to seize we must be able to make sure that AI Practical expertise is available through our digital innovation policies to to SMEs and of course we need a As clear as possible a legal framework for this this new and powerful General purpose Economic tool to be to be used across our economy and society. It's one reason why present Wonder lion committed within the first 100 days of The of the mandate to bring forward Policy proposals in the area of AI and data policy because of course the two go together And I will not say that that keeps me awake at night, but it does keep me up late at night I will concede that much One of the other areas that we see as really critical to make sure that the economic framework for Digital flourishing in Europe is is firm Is there of digital services? It is often said that Europe is stronger on goods than on services. We have a Framework for digital services in the Commerce Directive that has given extremely good service over about 20 years But it is normal that in an economy where so much now passes across digital Intermediaries of one sort or another where some of them have acquired massive Market power or let us say Social or economic significance that we look at the the the moving parts of that regime and and see in particular as regards issues of of responsibility for what is happening on On digital platforms that we we are still Well served by those sound basic rules Another key aspect of assuring sovereignty is of course security Be it on our 5g networks where we have a very important cooperation ongoing now with national authorities to lay down Framework conditions for the security of those networks With a so-called toolbox coming out Hopefully within this month, but moving beyond that Clearly the trust that people have in an increasingly digitized economy and society and life Will be conditioned upon the security of the products be it the baby phone In in keeping an eye on the kids while you're downstairs The famous connected fridge or the Massive amounts of industrial data of which are the key to the to the innovation power of our companies Cyber security is In a way the other side of the coin to the increasing digitization the increasing connection Of everything that is going on in our lives. This is an area where we need Even stronger cooperation mechanisms between the cyber security authorities of the member states and with the EU It's why she speaks of a joint cyber unit that can react more more actively to To threats it's also why it's important to have a very vibrant cyber security Sector in terms of both research and delivery in our In In our ecosystem It's why it is important that we have strong norms in terms of certification of products and a whole gamut of other things What I have referred to is a relatively That's a Whistlestop tour of the many issues that need to be addressed any transformation across an economy and society Inevitably has a large number of moving parts But I will I will end with the the message that I began with it is a positive agenda There is an awful lot to be gained for Europe in this area. We have a lot of strengths and the European added value here above all else is in convening and Coordinating strengths that are present in in many of our member states and ensuring that we have a common and Coherent policy to exploit them to the full. Thanks very much, and I look forward to the discussion