Today we are already seeing the difference it makes. From cars to classrooms; from payments to power stations. And this offers huge opportunities for citizens, the society and the economy. I often focus on the economic opportunities: and they are significant.
The Internet economy generates over one fifth of our growth; 200 million Europeans buy online each year. But it’s more than economic. It is also for true believers. As Pope Francis put it recently: good communication helps us to grow closer, to know one another better, and to grow in unity; in his own words, the Internet is a “gift from God”. I don’t know if it’s really a gift from God. But his words are definitely a gift to the Digital Agenda for Europe. And what we have seen is just the beginning. On the horizon stand new opportunities: big data, cloud computing, the Internet of things, high performance and quantum computing: you name it. Of course: like any new advance, these opportunities can be misused.
We have the technological ability to do immense, unprecedented things. Many of those things are positive; some are damaging. And increasing reliance means increasing vulnerability. Here to read more.
