The 12th Digital Partnership Meeting: working sessions back to back to the Knowledge Society Forum and the Open Data Conference

The 12th Digital Transition Partnership meeting took place in Eindhoven on the 27th, 28th and 29th March, back to back with the Knowledge Society Forum and the Open Data Conference, allowing the working sessions to be balanced out with inspirational discussions. The Partnership meeting was devoted to working sessions on a selected set of Actions, including Actions 2, 4, 8, 10 - 11, and 13.

Working groups worked towards agreeing on necessary future Actions, task distribution, as well as monthly teleconferences and meetings organised by Action Leaders to discuss progress and next steps. During the working sessions, the application of a framework focusing on a 3-month timeline and achievable results was adopted to strengthen future activities. Partners also very much reflected upon possible synergies across Actions. For example concerning Actions 10-11, the Actions remain separate, but Partners will join efforts  when it comes to their implementation. Action 3 was not selected for discussion in the working sessions, but the ambition to create a tool guide for digitalisation dedicated to civil servants is still on the table.

Alongside the working sessions, the Knowledge Society Forum and Beyond Data Conference provided useful platforms to network and add new perspectives to the Partnership work. The Knowledge Society Forum was also an occasion for the launch  of 10 principles on citizen data to give guidance to European local governments, companies, academia and citizens on how to use personal and non-personal data generated in the public digital sphere to improve urban life. At the Beyond Data Forum, tools and investments focusing on scaling up actions were discussed, with a focus on how to facilitate further exchange in this context.

The meeting resulted in further steps towards realising the Digital Agenda, and closed with an Emerging Tech Expo.