Good morning,

I am back from Asia and I got really impressed by the vitality, dynamism and enthusiasm of our Japanese and Korean partners and members for enhancing globally the digital economy with us, DIGITALEUROPE!
 
The goal of the trip was twofold. Firstly, I wanted to visit our Members’ headquarters to better understand their strategies and the competitive business environment in which they operate. Secondly, I wished to express my determination and commitment in supporting free trade and open market access.
 
In Tokyo, DIGITALEUROPE participated in the 7th ICT Strategies Workshop Dialogue, jointly organised by the European Commission and the Japanese Government, and in the EU-Japan Business Roundtable. At both events, building on top of the great work done by DIGITALEUROPE’s Trade Policy Group, I welcomed the Economic Partnership Agreement and recalled that we need new mechanisms enabling data to flow freely across EU and Japan. I also stressed the importance to work at a mutual understanding of our data protection systems with the goal to have full adequacy as soon as possible. This is important for the whole economy to flourish, not only for the ICT industry!
 
We also discussed three areas where we can collectively make a difference in enhancing the competitiveness of the digital economy while improving the inclusiveness of the digital society – i.e. (1) common understanding of standards on Cyber Security and Cyber defence, (2) common guidelines and definition on a Human Centric approach to the development of AI in Society, (3) common Research and Development programmes on IoT, AI and Cyber Technologies enabling also alignment of future common standards.
 
Having engaged closely with a broad variety of public and private stakeholders, I was impressed by the likeminded approach to technology and the very close and trustworthy dialogue we have established. Only through bi-lateral and international dialogue we can ensure the development of an open, safe, competitive and inclusive Digital Global Market, hence DIGITALEUROPE will keep engaging and expand the dialogue with other likeminded nations and partners.
 
I wish to thank all our Japanese and Korean members for their support in preparing my trip. In particular, heartfelt thanks to NEC, Panasonic, Sony,Hitachi for the excellent meetings and impressive technology showcases they organised during my stay in Tokyo. Same message of appreciation goes to Samsung and LG electronics who have guided us through their manufacturing sites and innovation centres in Suwon and Paju.
 
We also had the chance to visit, exchange and discuss closer cooperation with a series of key partners from the industry, such as JEITA in Japan with whom we co-hosted dinner in Tokyo, and ECCK, KEA and the EU Delegation in Korea. We also had several talks with the car industry to coordinate efforts, as we believe that another issue to monitor carefully is about the usage and definition of spectrum bandwidth and frequencies for connected cars and autonomous vehicles. Here too, sharing common vision and standards is a must!
 
We were truly impressed by the technology exhibitions of our member companies, who are true global innovation leaders. We saw mirrors and windows that tell about your health conditions and how to dress according to the weather forecast, fridges that encourage you to eat healthy, TV displays with AI features that make sure you get optimal information and entertainment… Personally, I am looking forward to this bright future and it is clear that the close dialogue between leading industry players and regulators is more important than ever. Together we shape a safe and inclusive digital future!  
 
Returning to Brussels, the AI proposal of the Commission has been published and DIGITALEUROPE will take the lead in discussing ethics liabilities and in embracing a cross policy approach on regulations that have a direct impact on the future of AI development and investments in Europe. Right now 85% of all AI investments are predicted to be outside EU - this is not good!  AI is the tool that will drive the data economy and value creation and not least the improvements in citizens lives.
 
When you give man a tool he can build a house or tear it down, let us build a house and make sure we define a development path for AI based on a Human Centric Approach. DIGITALEUROPE will make a substantial effort to change this together with our corporate members and our nearly 40 National Associations. See our summary of the European Commission proposal well as our press release.
 
Last week, we have also talked to the press on key policy issues such as data privacy and fake news.
 
It is time to bear in mind that overregulation should never be the first and preferred option. This what I told The Guardian when they asked me if the European Commission must regulate on fake news, and this is what I repeated to the Financial Times and EurActiv when assessing the usefulness of the ePrivacy rules which, regretfully, risk undermining the privacy protections in the GDPR, rather than serving to enhance them. In these matters and in others, regulators must look at the current legislation and see if anything is missing first!
 
Finally, let me conclude by telling you that I am delighted to announce that Helena Lovegrove is joining DIGITALEUROPE this week to support our efforts towards operational excellence, and that Milda Basiulyté will join us in June to strenghten and leverage our sustainability efforts. Let’s wish them a warm welcome on board!

Thank you,

Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl