Yesterday afternoon
Sally and I spent some time with
Robert Madelin, Director General at
DG CONNECT. We had a great conversation about
digital participation in Scotland, and the role that the third sector can play in ensuring that everyone in society benefits from advances in broadband and web technologies.
Amongst other things, the conversation challenged me to revisit how we use terms like infrastructure when we're talking about digital participation. Traditionally, the word conjures up images of copper, fibre and masts - but if we're thinking about smarter communities, then perhaps infrastructure is both the connectivity
and the skills we need to put it to good use.
A digital president?
In other news from Brussels, the
Lisbon Council has published an
open letter from the European Union Digital Champions to the contenders for the European Commission Presidency. They argue that the next president needs to be a digital president, because any serious strategy for growth and jobs must have digital at its core.
There is no "digital economy". The economy is digital.
Let's hope the candidates are listening.
Last modified on 22 January 2020