A human-centric digital transition : innovation and inclusiveness

Abstract

The European Commission has often promoted a “human-centric” vision of digital technologies as the guiding principle for both public and private actors when developing and deploying new technologies. As clearly expressed in the “Declaration on European Digital Rights and Principles” (22 January 2022), choosing a humancentric approach to the digital transition means that “putting people at the center of the digital transition is a key priority” for Europe. Aims such as fostering participation in the digital public space, increasing safety, security, empowerment of individuals, and ensuring freedom of choice in the digital environment are associated to this vision. In this respect, there are still many challenges associated with the digital transformation that need to be addressed and, specifically, the enormous digital divide that many countries continue to experience nowadays. Considering that the digital divide policies are focused primarily on physical access to infrastructures and 2 starting from the idea that our digital future cannot exist without robust, resilient and accessible infrastructures, this panel discusses the role of essential physical infrastructures as foundations and enabler of the digital transition. The panel will also look at how addressing the digital divide and the digital transitions are drivers for change and growth in Europe and how the transition will be financed.