Driving Digitalization in Southern Europe. The role of National Recovery and Resilience Plans and the current EU Policy Agenda

Contents
Speakers

The Institute for Competitiveness (I-Com), on behalf of PromethEUs, organised the public conference entitled “DRIVING DIGITALIZATION IN SOUTHERN EUROPE. The role of National Recovery and Resilience Plans and the current EU Policy Agenda”.

The event took place on Wednesday 29 June, from 18:00 to 20:00 CET, at the European Parliament (Room A3H1).

The conference closed PromethEUs’ activities of the first semester 2022, which focussed on the discussion around the expected impacts of the digital pillar of national Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs) in the public and private sector, particularly on competitiveness.

The conference was also the occasion for PromethEUs to present its Joint Paper on the issue at stake.

By bringing together selected high-level speakers from institutions, business and consumer associations, the conference’s aim was to draw attention on the nexus between the measures envisaged by national RRPs in the digital field and the relevant EU policy measures and legislative proposals currently under discussion.

Here the event’s programme.

Speakers

Speakers confirmed:

Brando BENIFEI

Brando BENIFEI, MEP and co-Rapporteur on the AI Act

Brando Benifei, European Federalist, is from La Spezia, Italy, and is the Head of Delegation of the Italian S&D MEPs. His main areas of work are Internal Market and Consumers Protection, Employment and Social Affairs, and Constitutional Affairs. He is rapporteur for the Single Market Program and shadow rapporteur for the European Social Fund Plus. He is active in youth policies, digitalisation and the rights of persons with disabilities. In the previous term, he was responsible for the European Solidarity Corps, for the Post-Arab Spring in the MENA region and for key reports on the social inclusion and integration of refugees into the EU labour market, as well as youth employment policies such as the Youth Guarantee and the Youth Employment Initiative. He was also co-chair of the Youth Intergroup and vice-chair of the Disability Intergroup. In 2018, he received the MEP Award for his work on Employment and Social Affairs issues, for his work on youth unemployment. In 2016, Forbes included him in its annual 30 under-30 most influential in EU Politics list.

Benedikt BLOMEYER

Benedikt BLOMEYER, Director for Eu Policy, Allied for Startups

As Director of EU Policy at Allied for Startups, Benedikt engages with policy files ranging from AI to online platform regulation. He is particularly interested in shaping a fact-based discussion on the possibilities of innovation and technology, after having worked on the Digital Single Market in the last years. Prior to joining AFS he worked for a Small Business Alliance and Deutsche Welle and completed a traineeship at the Council of Europe. Benedikt holds a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and History from Jacobs University Bremen and a Master of Arts in International Relations and Economics from Johns Hopkins University.

Federico CAVALLO

Federico CAVALLO, Head of Public Affairs and Communication, Altroconsumo

Passionate about strategic thinking and innovation strategies, especially in multi-cultural contexts (UE, Middle-East, China), Federico gained his experience at the top of complex organizations both in the Public sector (Italian Parliament) and in the Private one. He also collaborates with various business training programs in the fields of Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Today, he is Head of Marketing and Communication of VINCI Energies Italy, in charge of its brands development.

Stefano DA EMPOLI

Stefano DA EMPOLI, President, I-Com

Stefano is the president and principal policy analyst at I-Com, the Institute for Competitiveness, a think tank based in Rome and Brussels which he founded in 2005. He currently teaches political economy and economic policy at the Roma Tre University, in Rome. Stefano is a graduate of the Coripe Consortium for Research and Continuing Education in Economics (Piemonte, Italy), where he received a master’s degree in economics and George Mason University (Virginia, USA) where he obtained his MA (Economics). Stefano has served in key advisory or expert positions on a number of task forces or scientific boards, including: Vice President of the Health City Institute; Scientific Director of the La Scossa Association; Board member of the European Foundation EYPROM; Expert Member of the Eurelectric Task Force on Investment; Expert Member of the Technical Secretariat for the Protection of Nature in the Italian Ministry of the Environment; Director at the Observatory on Energy Policy of the Einaudi Foundation. He has authored numerous publications on economic themes, particularly with regard to policy and regulation of the energy market and infrastructural services and the governance of the institutions, and his opinions and analysis has featured in major Italian newspapers.

Paulo FERREIRA

Paulo FERREIRA, Head of Internal Market and Industrial Policy Unit, Perm. Rep. of Portugal to the EU

Paulo Ferreira is the Head of the Internal Market and Industrial Policy Unit at Portuguese Permanent Representation to the European Union. He is a former Member of the Portuguese Government and an experienced Senior Economist, with a demonstrated history of working with Public Administration, and Economic Policy design and evaluation. The Council of the European Union is the institution that represents the member states’ governments. Informally known as the Council, it is where the ministers from each EU country meet to adopt laws and coordinate policies. Until 30 June 2021, Portugal will be presiding over the Council of the European Union for the fourth time.

Steffen HOERNING

Steffen HOERNING, Professor, Nova School of Business and Economics, IPP Lisbon

Steffen Hoernig is Full Professor at Nova SBE. He obtained a degree in Management at the Universität Bielefeld in Germany; a Master in Applied Mathematical Sciences at the University of Georgia, Athens, USA; and a PhD degree in Economics at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. His research and publication area is Industrial Organization and Game Theory, with particular emphasis on telecommunications economics. He has published in the RAND Journal of Economics, Economic Theory, Journal of Industrial Economics and the International Journal of Industrial Organization. He is co-editor of the Portuguese Economic Journal, and associate editor of Information Economics& Policy and Review of Economics. He is regular consultant for regulators, international companies and the European Commission on matters including the EU Framework for Telecommunications and issues in network competition and regulation.

Raquel JORGE

Raquel JORGE, Policy Analyst, Elcano Royal Institute

Raquel Jorge-Ricart is a Policy Analyst on Technology, Digital and Cyber Policy at Elcano Royal Institute think tank. She is a former Fulbright Fellow in Washington, DC (Elliott School of International Affairs, GWU), where she specialized in technology and digital policy, and its implications on strategic risk management as well as security and foreign policy. Raquel has worked on policymaking projects at the Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, and at the GWU’s Institute for Science and Technology Policy, on cybersecurity and 5G issues related to trade and industry, cities, defence and security, and fundamental rights. Raquel is a member of the Spanish Observatory on the Social and Ethical Impact of Artificial Intelligence, and she collaborates with the think tank Elcano Royal Institute. Raquel earned a master’s degree in International Relations and African Studies from the University of Madrid, and a double bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Valencia (Spain) and Université Paris-X (France).

Maria-Manuel LEITÃO-MARQUES

Maria-Manuel LEITÃO-MARQUES, MEP and Vice-Chair, IMCO Committee

Maria Manuel Leitão Marques was a member of the Portuguese Parliament, as the Minister of the Presidency and of Administrative Modernisation in 2015 -2019. Prior to this, she held the office as the Secretary of State for Administrative Modernisation. In 2002 Maria Manuel was the European Commission expert, tasked with drafting on higher education in Angola and Mozambique under the ACP-EU cooperation programme in higher education. Between 2013 and 2014, Maria Manuel was a consultant for the “Evaluation of services of the one‑stop shop (BAÚ)” project in Mozambique, which resulted in the subsequent elaboration of proposals for modernization supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. During this time, she also was a member of the High-Level Group on Administrative Burdens (European Commission). In 2013 she was a consultant for the ‘Brazil-EU Exchange on Participatory Democracy’ (CESO PT/Ministry of Planning BR). Maria Manuel Leitão Marques has a Doctorate in Economics (University of Coimbra) and is since 2003 professor and Permanent Researcher at the Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra.

Carlos ROMERO DUPLÀ

Carlos ROMERO DUPLÀ, Senior Counsellor for Digital Transformation, Perm. Rep. of Spain to the EU

Carlos Romero Duplá is, since November 2013, Digital Transformation Attaché of the Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union, based in Brussels. Previously he was, from 2012 to 2013, Deputy Director General of Information Society Contents of the Secretary of State for Telecommunications of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism. State Attorney since 2001, he has held positions in the State Attorney’s Offices in Vizcaya, before the National Court and in the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade. Between 2006 and 2012 he was General Secretary and Secretary of the Board of the Public Business Entity Red.es.

Felicia STANESCU

Felicia STANESCU, Head of Unit Digital, Single Market, Industry, Competition, Innovation, Recovery & Resilience Task Force, Secretariat General, European Commission

Felicia Stanescu has over 15 years of international experience in the financial sector, combining public experience of developing European Union financial legislation with private experience of managing complex Mergers & Acquisitions and Initial Public Offerings. She has been since 2014 Policy Assistant to the Director General in the Directorate General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union of the European Commission, advising the Director-General on financial services policies. She has been with the European Commission since 2010 working previously on long-term financing policy aspects, coordinating the Commission’s input to G20, the Financial Stability Board and other international fora on financial regulation, and developing legislation for the post-trading sector (clearing and settlement). Prior to the European Commission, she worked in the private sector, mainly in banking, managing and advising on Mergers & Acquisitions and Initial Public Offerings. Positions included: Head of Strategy, ALM Management and Manager, Group M&A at BNP Paribas Fortis (Brussels, 2008-2010); Director, Equity Capital Markets at ABN AMRO Rothschild (London, 2003-2008); Assistant Director, Corporate Finance at ABN AMRO (London/Bucharest, 1999-2002). She started her career at KMPG Romania. Felicia holds a first-class degree in Economics from the University of Kent at Canterbury, UK (1994) and a degree in Business Administration from the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest (1996).

Aggelos TSAKANIKAS

Aggelos TSAKANIKAS, Scientific Advisor, IOBE

Aggelos Tsakanikas, Director at the Laboratory of Industrial and Energy Economics, and Associate Professor of Systems of Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, National Technical University of Athens. His research and published works are in technology strategy, business strategy, innovation economics, entrepreneurship, public policies, innovation studies, socioeconomics research and information society.

Driving Digitalization in Southern Europe. The role of National Recovery and Resilience Plans and the current EU Policy Agenda

Contents

Speakers

Related posts

Latest posts

Driving Digitalization in Southern Europe. The role of National Recovery and Resilience Plans and the current EU Policy Agenda

Contents

Speakers

Brando BENIFEI, MEP and co-Rapporteur on the AI Act

Benedikt BLOMEYER, Director for Eu Policy, Allied for Startups

Federico CAVALLO, Head of Public Affairs and Communication, Altroconsumo

Stefano DA EMPOLI, President, I-Com

Paulo FERREIRA, Head of Internal Market and Industrial Policy Unit, Perm. Rep. of Portugal to the EU

Steffen HOERNING, Professor, Nova School of Business and Economics, IPP Lisbon

Raquel JORGE, Policy Analyst, Elcano Royal Institute

Maria-Manuel LEITÃO-MARQUES, MEP and Vice-Chair, IMCO Committee

Carlos ROMERO DUPLÀ, Senior Counsellor for Digital Transformation, Perm. Rep. of Spain to the EU

Felicia STANESCU, Head of Unit Digital, Single Market, Industry, Competition, Innovation, Recovery & Resilience Task Force, Secretariat General, European Commission

Aggelos TSAKANIKAS, Scientific Advisor, IOBE

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