Series Overview
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Forum Europe are launching an event series looking at how the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) programme is used by Member States, especially with regard to the minimum of 20% of National Recovery & Resilience Plans (NRRPs) investments directed to the digital transition.
Questions the event series will address include the following:
- What are the Member States’ digital investment priorities as part of their NRRPs?
- Are those digital investments meeting the most pressing needs?
- What opportunities and challenges are identified by both Member States and potential recipients of these funds?
- In sum, can we expect the RRF to achieve its objectives?
Digitisation of European SMEs - Challenges & Opportunities
The first episode of this series will look specifically at the digitisation of European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). While SMEs are the backbone of the European economy, many do not grasp the benefits of digitisation. The EU’s Digital Compass includes the ambitious target to reach over 90% of European SMEs with at least a basic level of digital intensity by 2030, up from 60% in 2020. This is, therefore, not surprising that multiple Member States have prioritised SMEs digitisation in their respective NRRP.
While many Member States have already launched calls and have received pre-financing disbursements, the event will provide a platform for European SMEs to learn and exchange views with EU and national policymakers on the opportunity provided by RRF funds. It will also be an occasion to identify potential investment gaps related to the digitisation of SMEs in the EU and discuss how the RRF can help bridge those gaps.
We hope you can join us for this first session on 2 June!
Agenda
10:00 – 10:05
Welcome Remarks
Irena Bednarich
Vice President, International Government Relations, EMEA and APJ, HPE
10:05 – 10:35
Keynote Speeches
Gilles Thiebaut
SVP and Managing Director, Northern Western Europe, HPE
10:35 – 11:30
Panel Discussion
Moderated by: Irena Bednarich
Vice President, International Government Relations, EMEA and APJ, HPE
Leonidas Christopoulos
Secretary General of Digital Governance and Simplification of Procedures, Hellenic Ministry of Digital Governance
Antti Riivari
Director-General, Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH)
11:30 – 12:00
Audience Q&A
Speakers
Florika Fink-Hooijer
Director General, DG Environment
European Commission
Brian Tippens
VP and Chief Sustainability Officer
HPE
Josefine Hintz
Officer
Sustainable Economy and Procurement
ICLEI
David Peck
Associate Professor, Climate Design & Sustainability, Circular Built Environment and Critical Materials
Delft University of Technology
Gareth Bevan, Senior Technologist, Sustainable Transformation, HPE Gareth Bevan
Senior Technologist, Sustainable Transformation
HPE
Moderator: Sonja van Renssen
Energy Monitor
New Statesman Group
Gilles Thiebaut
SVP and Managing Director
North-Western Europe
HPE
Gustav Kalbe
Deputy Director of Directorate C & Head of Unit, High Performance Computing and Quantum Technology
DG CNECT, European Commission
Utz-Uwe Haus
Head of HPE HPC/AI EMEA Research Lab
HPE
Kimmo Koski
Managing Director
CSC - The Finnish IT Center for Science
Prof. Dr. Michael Resch
Director of the HLRS
HPC Centre Stuttgart
Moderator: Irena Bednarich
Director, Corporate Affairs, EMEA
HPE
Partners
Event Platform
This event will take place using Forum Europe’s virtual solution. For more details on our virtual solution, please visit forum-europe.com.
