EU4Digital DESI Accelerator launched on 30 May

EU4Digital Facility launched its Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) acceleration activities on 30 May 2023. The DESI Accelerator one-day kick-off event raised awareness about the activity, its benefits, and plans for DESI implementation in the Eastern Partnership (EaP).

DESI is a tool for evaluating the degree of digitalisation of economies and societies in the European Union. It is used to track the evolution of five major areas: connectivity, human capital, internet use, integration of digital technology and digital public services. The topic is highly relevant and important in the context of the implementation of the digital transformation process.

During the EU4Digital DESI Accelerator kick-off event, Atis Migals, Digital Skills Stream leader of EU4Digital Facility, presented the action plan and benefits. He introduced and provided guidance on the materials to support EaP representatives in proceeding with the DESI Accelerator activity. These include a survey for collecting information about DESI measurement in Eastern partner countries and the DESI implementation methodology.

The second part of the event was dedicated to introducing DESI itself, with a focus on the peculiarities of its implementation in Eastern partner countries. Mara Jakobsone and Vita Vitola-Lapina, senior experts of the EU4Digital Digital Skills Stream, provided valuable insights on the DESI state of play, interconnection with the European Union’s Digital Decade, and methodological nuances, including the potential challenges in practical implementation of DESI in Eastern partner countries.

The event established a basis for upcoming cooperation with the representatives of five Eastern partner countries and their involvement within the framework of the EU4Digital DESI Accelerator.

The event presentation slides (pdf) are available to download.