On 25 May 2021, EBS hosted the 5th edition of the ReThink Digital Summit, “Shaping Europe’s digital future”. The event was attended by 2,100 participants, and additional attendees who watched the live stream event, reaching a total of 5,600 views.
The event began with opening remarks by EBS Director General Arnaud Thysen. This was followed by interviews with Commissioner Reynders and French Secretary of State for the Digital Economy Cedric O, which served as opening conversations for the panel discussions that followed.
The first panel, titled “Ensuring Fair And Open Digital Markets”, included speakers from the European Parliament and Commission, industry, and academia, who engaged in lively discussion on the Digital Markets Act, and the need to ensure the openness of important digital services and to create regulations fitting diverse business models.
The first panel was followed by a post-session interview with MEP Yon-Courtin, who shared her views on the Digital Markets Act, and with Denmark’s tech Ambassador Anne-Marie Engtoft Larsen and EVP for Government Affairs of Salesforce Eric Loeb, who shared their perspectives on “Values-Driven Leadership For A New Transatlantic Tech Agenda”.
The second panel discussion titled “Ensuring A Safe And Accountable Online Environment” focused on how to mitigate online risks while preserving the digital ecosystem, and included the participation of speakers from the European Parliament and industry.
SHERPA Coordinator Bernd Stahl joined MEPs, industry and policy experts and EU tech reporter Jennifer Baker in the third panel discussion, “Creating A Competitive And Trustworthy AI Ecosystem”. Prof. Stahl shared his views on the key priorities to build a trustworthy AI ecosystem, including a knowledge base and governance structure to ensure a better understanding of AI, as well as a system to overcome obstacles, to ensure more transparency, and to address biases.
The panel was followed by another post-session interview, this time with MEP Dragos Tudorache, who expressed his views on the impacts of AI on the labour market in the EU post COVID-19.
The final panel, “Cybersecurity – Boosting Resilience Against Cyber Threats”, focused on the EU’s Cybersecurity Strategy, which was discussed by MEPs, and cybersecurity experts.
The event ended with a final interview with Professor of Economics at Imperial College Business School Tommaso Valletti and closing remarks by EBS Director General Arnaud Thysen.
The full programme and recordings of the sessions are available here.
