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G - 7 Summit in Italy : What has transpired so far vis_a_ vis India's role. Modi met: 1. French President, Emmanuel Macron 2. Ukraine President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy 3. UK PM, Rishi Sunak 4. German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz 5. Japanese PM, Fumio Kishida 6. Italian PM, Giorgia Meloni 7. Canadian PM, Justin Trudeau 8. US President, Joe Biden 9. King of Jordan, Abdullah Hussein 10. President of UAE, HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan 11. Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoan 12. Brazilian President, Lula da Silva 13. UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres. A) Key highlights of PM Modi address: 1. India's commitment to advocating for the priorities and concerns of the Global South on the global stage. 2. India's leadership in artificial intelligence (AI), noting India's status as one of the first countries to develop a national AI strategy and launch the AI Mission focused on 'AI for All' 3. India's energy principles based on availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability, pledging efforts to achieve Net Zero by 2070. 5. Ending monopoly in technology, stating "We have to collectively ensure that the benefits of technology reach all sections of society. 6. Solidarity with Ukraine, support for a cease-fire and hostage release deal in Gaza, investment in sustainable infrastructure in Africa. 7. PM Modi talked about Indian parliamentary elections, hails transparency and fairness in electoral process. PM Narendra Modi talked about the recently concluded parliamentary elections whose results came out on June 4. PM Modi, while highlighting the significance of the electoral process, said “The uniqueness and magnitude of the elections in India can be understood from some figures: More than 2,600 political parties, more than 1 million polling booths, more than 5 million Electronic Voting Machines, 15 million polling staff, and about 970 million voters, out of which 640 million people exercised their franchise.” PM Modi further hailed the fairness and transparency through which the election happened and said, “The entire electoral process has been made fair and transparent by the ubiquitous use of technology. and the results of such a large election were also declared within a few hours! This was the biggest festival of democracy in the world and the biggest in the history of humanity. It is also a living example of our ancient values as the mother of democracy.” 8. He emphasized about the goal of developed India by 2047, 9. Making every possible effort to fulfill our commitment to achieve target of Net Zero by 2070." added, "India's approach in field of energy is based on four principles - availability, accessibility, affordability and acceptability." 10. We must make technology creative, not destructive, he said . 11. Agreement on a US proposal to back a $50 billion loan to Ukraine with frozen Russian assets. Summarised by : Prof Dr Om Prakash Gupta Professor - Diplomacy and International Relations @Wisdom University USA

Sometimes, you just have to call a spade a spade. And when it comes to digital #policymaking, Germany — Europe's largest economy and a vital part of the global order — is just punching well below its weight. As the country gears up for another nationwide election (planned for late February), it's time German politicians and policymakers take a long hard look at the country's ambitions on digital and where they see themselves in the global pecking order. Given a likely pullback by the incoming US administration on global engagement (including on digital), it's an opportunity for Berlin to demonstrate how the country's global engineering prowess, pragmatic approach to fiscal rules and innovation and export-led economy can play a bigger role in democratic countries' stance on everything from #artificialintelligence to #contentmoderation. More in this week's Digital Politics newsletter 👇 "Until Berlin decides what it actually believes in (and that won't likely happen until after next year's election, at the earliest), Germany will remain on the sidelines of many of these digital debates. Just as Europe and the wider Western world needs the country to step up and play the role that many of its allies now need it to assume. "If it doesn't, then Europe's largest economy won't be the only one to suffer. A coherent, well-articulated and forward-looking digital agenda from Berlin is needed now more than ever. "It's time German politicians and policymakers got to work."

Intéressante analyse de WIRED sur le remplacement de Thierry Breton par Henna Virkkunen dans l'article "Big Tech’s New Adversaries in Europe" de Morgan Meaker "Instead Virkkunen’s title implies the focus has shifted to technology’s role in European security and the bloc’s dependency on other countries for critical technologies like chips. Et en citant Mathias Vermeulen : “There's this realization that you now need somebody who can really connect the dots between geopolitics, security policy, industrial policy, and then the enforcement of all the digital laws,” he adds. Earlier in September, a much anticipated report by economist and former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi warned that Europe would risk becoming “vulnerable to coercion” on the world stage if it did not jump-start growth. “We must have more secure supply chains for critical raw materials and technologies,” "Political priorities might be shifting, but the frenzy of new rules introduced over the past five years will still need to be enforced." (...) “The tone of the confrontation might become a bit more civil, but the issues are unlikely to go away.”

Investigating Europe's Digital Dependence: Why the Silence from Political and Industrial Leaders? Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Handelsblatt, theguardian.org, ElPais News, BILD, LeFIGARO, Corriere della Sera, DIE ZEIT, Le Parisien, The Irish Times, La Stampa, Verlag Der Tagesspiegel, Blick, Belfast Telegraph Key Questions for Investigation: European Political Inaction: Why are European political institutions, including the European Commission and national governments, failing to develop robust strategies for reducing reliance on U.S. technologies? What barriers (e.g., lobbying, political ties, funding constraints) are preventing action despite obvious risks? Germany’s Role and Responsibility: Germany, as a leading European economy, continues to depend on Microsoft and similar companies for public sector digital infrastructure. Why hasn’t the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs or other government bodies prioritized investment in European alternatives? How effective are current investigations by Germany’s Federal Cartel Office? Are they addressing the root causes, or merely issuing symbolic gestures? Industrial Priorities: Why are major European industries, which dominate globally in fields like automotive, engineering, and finance, not investing in homegrown or open-source technologies to safeguard operations? What role does the fear of short-term costs or loss of efficiency play in delaying such investments? Potential Conflicts of Interest: To what extent have lobbying efforts by U.S. technology giants influenced European policymaking? Are there existing ties between European political figures, tech companies, and U.S. stakeholders that impede impartial decision-making? Missed Opportunities for Innovation: The European Union has been vocal about supporting innovation—why has this not translated into meaningful investment in European tech independence? Could European technology initiatives like Gaia-X or NextGenerationEU funds be better directed to accelerate open-source solutions? Hidden Agendas: Has there been deliberate obfuscation of risks tied to external dependencies for political, economic, or strategic reasons? Are there any internal whistleblowers or overlooked reports that could shed light on this inertia? Call for Action: Your esteemed publication has a unique ability to investigate and uncover the truth behind this concerning issue. By examining the intertwined political, economic, and industrial factors, you can bring much-needed transparency and accountability to the forefront of the public discourse. Europe cannot afford to remain silent on its digital sovereignty any longer. Your investigation could pave the way for meaningful change. Kindly let us rock this. Yours Matthias Leibbrand

🌐 As Europe's digital industry is fast falling behind the US and China in a global tech race, our recent #StateOfEU high-level roundtable turned its focus on the conundrum facing European policymakers as they seek to create regulatory and financial frameworks that encourage progress and innovation, while protecting society and democracy from the dark side of the tech revolution.     A session on ‘catalysing the EU’s industrial evolution through innovation’ as framed by a stark warning on the danger posed to democracy by abuses of tech power, from Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at the Stanford University Cyber Policy Centre, and author of 'The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley'.    Schaake said Europe had to go much further to prevent a “leaking loss” of governance and power from governments to big tech, despite already significant legislative decisions.     What Europe needs is not more regulation, but better regulation, suggested Liisa Pakosta, Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs from Estonia, a world leader in rolling out digital services for citizens and businesses.     ❝I would like to underline this principle: that we keep regulating in the EU only when it enables growth and when it enables development and when it enables technical interoperability of services […] having these outcomes to be ethical, transparent, auditable and (in line with) all those basic values that we have.❞    Ben Brake, Digital and Data Policy Director-General at the German Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport, was among several speakers emphasising the negative consequences for competitiveness if Europe fails to complete a unified market in digital and other key fields.    ❝We always tell ourselves that we have this, that we are going forward with it, but too often, we leave the interpretation of European law to national regulators and national courts. [...] That has led to a scattered landscape of interpretation of European law,❞ Brake lamented.   It is imperative that European policymakers take a more comprehensive approach, contended Joakim Reiter, Chief External and Corporate Affairs Officer at Vodafone and former deputy director general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).    ❝There is very limited recognition in Europe how far we have fallen behind in digital infrastructure,” he warned. “If we are serious about competitiveness […] There is a lot to do in Europe.❞    The news from across the Atlantic makes that even more crucial, Reiter added. ❝In the light of the US election results, I think it is time for all of us to wake up and realise that we are going to have to take control of our own destiny, including in the digital space [...] Incrementalism must be over; we need to have a very comprehensive understanding of the entire ecosystem.❞ ➡️ Find out more about the event: https://bit.ly/StateOfEU24 #RenewedSocialContract #DigitalEU #FutureOfEurope

The power of government technology is creating waves in global affairs. Artificial intelligence, cloud, chip design, data or cyber resilience are fast becoming the frontlines of how nations innovate, interact, compete - and collaborate. To advance #GovTech collaboration and help governments and policymakers globally to adapt to this new #GovTech reality, World Economic Forum and GovTech Campus Deutschland developed the first-of-its-kind #GlobalGovernmentTechnologyCentre (GGTC) in #Berlin as a global lighthouse platform to address the opportunities and challenges that come with the emergence of government technology. Connecting national governments and technology ecosystems globally will be the core of the Centre's future activities. We are thrilled that the government of Ukraine and the city of Kyiv will host the second centre as part of the Global Government Technology Centre network to promote more efficient, effective and accessible public services. The official signing of GGTC Kyiv took place today on the sidelines of the Diia Summit in Zurich, joined by our Head of Ecosystem & Partnerships, David Steinacker. Congrats, Mykhailo Fedorov and Valeriya Ionan, we are looking forward to collaborate with you, the Ukrainian government and the people of Ukraine to build resilient, tech-savvy governments and citizen-focussed public services! Many thanks also to Sebastian Buckup Stephan Mergenthaler Lisa Meng, Klaus Schwab, and Børge Brende for pushing this exciting global govtech network. Wolfgang Schmidt Ursula von der Leyen Margrethe Vestager Robert Habeck Christian Lindner Volker Wissing Ben Brake Dr. Tobias Lindner Dr. Franziska Brantner Anna Christmann Markus Richter Lars Zimmermann Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) Germany Senatskanzlei Berlin Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Digitales Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH Bjoern Seibert Achim Berg Ammar Alkassar Christian Pfromm Ina-Maria Ulbrich

Key takeaways: 🔒 For varying reasons, governments are refusing to allow much needed cross-border integration. This largely reflects nationalist politics and special interests. As a result, regulatory barriers persist. 🗂 The well-known tech expert Andrew McAfee of MIT has made a powerful critique of EU policy. He agrees that the state of the EU tech industry is dire. But the problem is not lack of money: EU governments spend much the same amount (and share of GDP) on supporting research and development as the US federal government. Yes, the former is fragmented among member states. But that is not the main problem, he argues: “It’s governmental intervention in that ecosystem not with funding, but with laws and regulations, and other constraints, restrictions, and burdens on companies.” ⚙ The issue is rather philosophical and political. The EU needs to find a way to regulate the tech sector that does not simultaneously throttle its growth. Doing that will be a huge challenge. #Draghi #Report #Competitiveness #MartinWolf

Is Germany back in the Game? Impressions from the Digitalgipfel 2024 At this year's Digital Summit of the German Government in Frankfurt, the framing of many prominent governmental figures on Germany's digital progress was notably optimistic. They emphasised the country's strides toward digital sovereignty (referring to OECD reports frequently) as if they are already finding themselves in campaign mode – one year in advance of the federal elections. Marietje Schaake’s dialog with Chancellor Olaf Scholz provided a much needed #reality #check, pointing out that despite advancements, Europe remains deeply dependent on global tech giants, and the digital landscape is still largely influenced by commercial interests rather than the public good. The #Eurostack to the rescue? One of the most insightful sessions, convened by Carla Hustedt at the summit took place in a packed but modestly sized room, diving deep into what it would take for Europe to truly achieve technological sovereignty. The panel, featuring key experts such as Francesca Bria Adriana Groh Stefan Heumann unpacked the critical need for demystifying #digital #infrastructure across the entire tech and application #stack — and stressed that significant investment is required to stay competitive and in control of Europe’s digital future. The New "Gold" Scepticism: A Caution on the framing of #data Interestingly many of the summits participants regularly fell victim to the "new gold" framing when talking about data. Societies should not be built on gold or oil, which have historically led to exploitation and inequality, but rather on fertile (s)oil that nurtures sustainable growth, trust, and resilience. The parallel launch of the DataHub Europe by Deutsche Bahn and Schwarz Digits illustrates the rising importance of data-driven initiatives also in Germany - it remains key to develop these initiatives with a public interest focus, rather than reinforcing extractive models that mainly favor large corporations. Where are all the #European allies? One notable shortfall of the summit was the lack of a broader array of European voices. While there was repeated reference to the Digital Innovation Club and a few prominent representatives from countries like Estonia provided strong insights into Europe's digital ambitions, the conversation often felt narrowly focused on Germany’s perspective. Takeaway: Building a Democratic and Sustainable #Digital #Infrastructure As the debate over data sovereignty continues, the summit underscored that while Germany may see itself being "back in the digital game," there is still much work to do. Digital transformation in Europe requires a common approach to digital infrastructure and massive investment, underpinned by a shared European vision—one that priorities democratic values, sustainability, competitiveness and societal self-determination in the digital age. Excited to see what the next 12 months will bring!

Excited to join the Political Tech Summit next Saturday, January 25th, in Berlin for Brand New Bundestag! I’ll be part of the panel on "Reimagining Power: The Technology Needs of Europe’s Emerging Political Leaders." Europe is undergoing a wave of political transformation, with candidates and groups reshaping traditional power structures through bold visions and innovative approaches. But what tools and resources do they need to turn ideas into electoral success? 💡 We’ll dive into how digital tools, data, and communication platforms are reshaping political movements — and the barriers actors face in accessing them. Huge thanks to Josef Lentsch for organizing this timely and important event. Who else is attending? Grab your ticket (link in the comments), and let me know your thoughts: What tech or strategies do you think are game-changers for Europe’s new political leaders? Looking forward to a thought-provoking and inspiring discussion in Berlin. 🚀

📰 New (#OpenAccess) Article Alert 📰 in our Digital Transformation SI: "Crisis and choice in digital transformation: COVID-19 and the punctuated politics of government DX in Japan" by Matthew Brummer and Hiroko Ueno. #Japan #DigitalTransformation #COVID #Politics #Asia #PublicAdministration Abstract: National political systems often favour incrementalism, vested interests, and traditional power structures resulting in a “tyranny of the status quo” that stymies efforts for disruptive and essential policymaking. Punctuated equilibrium theory argues that the interaction of political institutions, interest mobilisations, and boundedly rational decision-making during periods of crisis can create windows of opportunity for significant change in public policy. In this article, we apply this theory to the case of government digital transformation (DX) in Japan through a longitudinal study of stasis, crisis, choice, and change. We find that the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2020 served as a significant catalyst for large-scale departures from the status quo, resulting in waves of institutional, policy and technological innovation, including most recently in artificial intelligence. While movement towards the development of DX had begun years earlier, it was the pandemic that dramatically accelerated its formation and implementation despite longstanding stakeholder resistance. These findings are significant for both theories of public policy in general and for digital transformation in particular, as well as for the scholarship on Japanese public affairs in the 21st century. https://lnkd.in/dV7qVF3D