During October Plenary Session, the European Committee of the Regions adopted an opinion issued by Cllr McCarthy which highlights cities' and regions' role in unlocking the opportunities that arise from the Digital Single Market strategy. It points out that the digitisation of products and services could add more than EUR 110 billion of revenue for industry per year in Europe. The European Commission is planning to focus EUR 500 million investment from Horizon 2020 program on the widespread roll-out of digital innovation hubs. Cllr McCarthy's report underlines that local and regional authorities are well placed to contribute to this form of competence center and technological one-stop-shop on behalf of industrial end-users.
"The key point of my opinion is that every feasible effort should be made to create strong focused partnerships at regional, national and EU level in this field to bring about considerable private investments and achieve ground-breaking impact on competitiveness via the development of commercialised products and services", rapporteur McCarthy said after adoption.
"Europe’s future economic growth and employment prospects, but also social cohesion, increasingly depend on the ability to understand, embrace and utilise all aspects of the innovation society within its regions. The opportunities for companies in traditional and non-technological industries, particularly SMEs, to fully embrace digitisation as a means of enhancing and securing their competitiveness cannot be overstated", rapporteur McCarthy stressed.
During the debate Mr Andrus Ansip, Commission Vice-President for Digital Single Market, said: "Communications networks and data flows have to work smoothly within countries, and across their borders. Regions are where the work to build a digital single market and economy begins in earnest. They are the starting point for Europe's ultimate digital success. Regions should inform and remove obstacles for emerging tech start-ups and other new businesses. They can link with other regions to create new digital networks and ecosystems."
After the intervention of the Commissioner Cllr McCarthy recalled that: "Cities and regions can provide the most accurate and timely information on labor markets and play a significant role in identifying skills mismatches by providing appropriate vocational programs and incentivising investment in response to local demand. There is a need for synergies – partnerships - local to EU, a need for EU Cohesion Policy to engage with smart specialisation policy ".
