A digital agenda for Europe

The flags are out @EP_Edinburgh, nice day to talk #digital #digitalparticipation @sallyld @eurohumph @NeelieKroesEU pic.twitter.com/36VmbJSbYY — Chris Yiu (@clry2) May 7, 2014

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.