An Irish Minister of State, Niamh Smyth, presented the priorities of the next Presidency of the Council of the EU on technology, artificial intelligence and digital transformation at the 'Shaping the Next Digital Frontier' Digital Conference in Nicosia.
Smyth, Minister of State, Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment of Ireland, sent a clear message that Europe's digital competitiveness needs to be combined with resilience, security and strong European values.
Smyth was speaking at the event organized by the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy in the context of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union, a few months before Ireland takes over the next Presidency.
During her speech, Smyth congratulated Cyprus on the progress achieved during its Presidency in a period of particularly complex digital and technological developments, noting that the discussions held in Nicosia offer a valuable basis for the continuation of European initiatives in the digital sector.
As she stated, the Irish Presidency will be based on three key pillars: competitiveness, security and resilience, and European values. In the field of digital policy, these priorities translate into strengthening the adoption of artificial intelligence, accelerating digital transformation, simplifying the regulatory framework, strengthening digital infrastructure and promoting the responsible and transparent use of new technologies.
Smyth underlined that strengthening Europe's digital competitiveness is a key prerequisite for economic resilience, improving productivity and creating high-value jobs. In this context, she described the Digital Decade Policy Programme, which sets out the European Union's objectives until 2030 in the areas of digital skills, business, public services and infrastructure, as particularly important.
At the same time, Smyth noted that the annual State of the Digital Decade reports function as a valuable tool for assessing progress and identifying areas that require further action at European and national levels.
Referring to Ireland, she stressed that the country has significant advantages, such as a dynamic start-up ecosystem, targeted policies for artificial intelligence and strategic investments in cutting-edge technologies, including microelectronics and quantum technology.
As she pointed out, Ireland's new Digital and Artificial Intelligence Strategy, published earlier this year, is fully aligned with the goals of the Digital Decade and aims to transform the country into one of Europe's leading digital economies by 2030.
Concluding her intervention, Niamh Smyth emphasised that Europe today has a unique opportunity to strengthen its position in the global technological environment through coordinated policies that will combine innovation, security, investment and respect for European values.
(Source: InBusinessNews)
