ウィスパリング同時通訳研究会コミュのPresident von der Leyen at the ‘Masters of Digital 2021' event

Thank you, thank you so much Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl,
Dear friends of DIGITALEUROPE,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you very much for this opportunity. Well, indeed, at the very beginning of my mandate, I put digital innovation at the core of my agenda. And the reason is simple. The reason is you, the thousands of European digital entrepreneurs, innovators and pioneers. You are the reason why I believe the 2020s can be Europe's Digital Decade. A decade when Europe becomes a global leader in the digital world. Because you have already planted the seeds for Europe's Digital Decade.
And let me start with just one example. This year, the whole world has set its eyes upon a small European ‘deep tech' company, BioNTech. BioNTech developed the first widely authorised vaccine against COVID-19. And the story of BioNTech is amazing and ordinary at the same time. BioNTech is one of the many start-ups born as a spin-out of a European university. It all started with a handful of people and a bold, visionary idea. It then grew thanks to public funding. It is now attracting global investment. And it is delivering a safe and effective vaccine to the whole world.
This is but one of Europe's many success stories. And the list of your nominees for the Future Unicorn Award is equally impressive. From green energy to innovative therapies, and many, many other examples: You are showcasing the immense potential of our digital sector. Europe is now attracting more capital for start-ups at seed stage than any other region in the world. Europe's ‘deep tech' companies are worth a combined EUR 700 billion today, and they are growing at incredible speed. Europe is a rising digital power.
I know that some of you in the audience represent big global companies who are investing here in Europe precisely for this reason: New ideas are coming from the old continent. And this is not only about start-ups in ‘deep tech'. European industry as a whole is entering a new era. One fourth of industrial robots in the world are produced in Europe. Over 40% of Europe's enterprises have already adopted technology based on artificial intelligence. So Europe is going digital, right now, as we speak.
Yet, I am convinced that Europe is still punching well below its weight. I believe this is because of two main reasons: The first one, obvious, a lack of investment. European companies invest massively in R&D in certain sectors, such as automotive or pharma. But our investment in other fields still lags behind the U.S. and China. And artificial intelligence and quantum computing are two good examples. And think again about the BioNTech case. Technologies that will become decisive in ten or fifteen years are being developed right now, by a handful of people in a lab or a factory. And we must make sure that they find the resources they need today to become the ‘next big thing' of tomorrow.
And the second issue we must tackle concerns rules and regulations. For years, our digital businesses have dealt with way more obstacles than their competitors abroad. And small and promising European companies have had a hard time when trying to scale up beyond national borders. Investment has been delayed because the rules of the game were not clear. And as a result of all this, too many European businesses have left our continent in order to grow. Today I would like to tell you about how we are changing this – with more public investment and with business-friendly rules, so that Europe's Digital Decade can begin.
First, on investment. Of course, these are tough times for businesses all across Europe. It is hard to plan investment in the middle of a pandemic, with little certainty about the future. And this is one of the reasons why we have put together NextGenerationEU: You know it, the Recovery Plan worth EUR 750 billion, which comes on top of the European and the national budgets. NextGenerationEU is the largest digital investment plan Europe has ever seen. At least 20% of NextGenerationEU will fund digital investment – and that means, roughly, EUR 150 billion. So NextGenerationEU will help bring high-speed internet to all corners of our Union, including our countryside.
It will invest in the skills European workers need for the digital transition. Building on the experience of Gaia-X, NextGenerationEU will support the creation of a European cloud, a world-class infrastructure to store and manage data, with the highest standards on security, on privacy, and on data portability. And NextGenerationEU will also support the creation and the expansion of Digital Innovation Hubs. These are places where businesses can find the digital solutions they need. And thanks to Digital Innovation Hubs, traditional industries will learn that they will gain from using data and artificial intelligence. And digital businesses will find new investors who can help them scale-up.
So NextGenerationEU can be a game changer. The fourth industrial revolution blurs the lines between the digital and the physical world. You are the vanguard of Industry 4.0. And now, NextGenerationEU, can help this fourth industrial revolution just to go mainstream.
Do not get me wrong. I know that public investment cannot change the world alone. So the second thought is that this is a moment to join forces, to join forces between public and private investors. Last year, for instance, we created a new European investment fund for artificial intelligence and blockchain. We are now working together with the European Investment Bank, with national investment banks and with venture capital investors. In the first year, we have put together EUR 700 million of investment, and I am sure we can reach EUR 3 billion this year. So for a small digital business, or a ‘deep tech' start-up, this can make a world of difference. As resources from NextGenerationEU start to flow into our economies, it is now time to join forces between the public and the private sector.
And there is a second field where the European Union can make a great difference: in our Internal Market. This year we are re-writing the rulebook for our Digital Internal Market. I want companies to know that across the European Union there will be one set of core digital rules – instead of this patchwork of national legislation and national regulators for the same company. You know. All digital business in Europe, from Riga to Bilbao, should have the same geographical horizon: the European Single Market, with half a billion consumers and continent-wide opportunities.
So we are creating a single set of rules for all digital businesses operating in Europe. This is why we have just presented two new pieces of legislation. The Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act. The Digital Services Act defines the responsibilities of all digital actors operating in Europe. And the Digital Markets Act will ensure that the online world remains a space of innovation and accessible to all players, big and small. These are just the first steps, and more are following.
Let me focus in particular on data and artificial intelligence. Two sectors where the lack of clear rules creates uncertainty for businesses and for customers alike. Machine-generated data can be the fuel for Europe's recovery: We are literally sitting on a goldmine. Every day, every European business produces data without even noticing. Research tells us that the potential value of data produced in Europe will soon reach EUR 1.5 trillion a year. Imagine: 1.5 trillion, and we are only using a tiny percentage of this treasure. Data can make our fields more fertile. It can predict a machine's failure and fix it before it even happens. Data can cut Europe's energy consumption massively, with benefits for the planet and for your balance sheets too. For all these reasons and many, many more, data need to be shared and exchanged more widely. And therefore, companies need clear rules on how to access, share and sell available data.
Last November, we introduced a regulation on European data governance. And later this year, we will present a Data Act and proposals on health data spaces. What we want to do is to put those who generate data in the driving seat. If your business wants to buy or sell data, you should be able to fully trust the provider of a data sharing service. You should know what they can do and cannot do with your data. Of course there are certain conditions, under which data gathered by the public sector should be made available more widely. But all these examples show that it is only with clear rules that the data market can finally take off.
Data are also the essential fuel of artificial intelligence. I want to be very clear on this. I believe in the power of artificial intelligence. Just look at the winner of last year's Future Unicorn Award – Corti, from Denmark. They are using AI and voice recognition to help doctors predict heart attacks. It is simply amazing. And indeed, the possibilities of AI are immense. I do not have to tell you. AI can turn on wind turbines and can produce more energy as the weather changes, for example. AI can detect a cyber-attack faster than any human being. And, as a medical doctor I know that AI can also, for example, detect cancer in mammographies way earlier and more reliably than any human being. So AI brings undoubtedly huge opportunities.
But we also see the risks linked to certain applications of AI, for example facial recognition in public places or decisions touching important personal interests, such as recruitment. So after months and months of public consultation, this spring we will present a legal framework for artificial intelligence in Europe. We will set some requirements for high-risk applications of AI – from making sure that they use high-quality data, to ensuring human oversight. And in parallel, we will present a new plan to push European excellence on AI. This is something that businesses like yours are asking more and more from policy-makers: investment, but also clear rules for AI. You are telling us you do not want your technologies to be used for the wrong purposes. And when clear boundaries are set, innovation is free to run its course.
The innovations you are bringing to our markets can change the lives of millions. In some cases, they literally save lives. In the years ahead, the power of data and other digital solutions can help countless businesses emerge from the crisis. Europe's digital sector can drive our recovery. And we are determined to build the best possible conditions for this to happen. With infrastructure, with skills, with data clouds and funds for AI. Removing obstacles for rising unicorns, and giving certainty to investors. This is how Europe's Digital Decade can begin. A decade when we become masters of our digital future. Finally, ‘Masters of Digital'.
Thank you very much for your attention.