Conference assesses 'Go Digital' achievements and looks forward to FP6
'I see exciting possibilities in the Sixth Framework programme [FP6] for SMEs [small and medium sized enterprises] developing, researching and adopting new technologies, working towards the SME of the future,' said Robert Verrue, current Director-General of the European Commission's Information Society DG. Mr Verrue was speaking at the 'SMEs Go Digital' conference in Brussels on 16 May, where delegates from the Commission, SMEs and support organisations assessed the progress of the Go Digital initiative over the past year. Mr Verrue singled out integrated projects, a proposed new tool for FP6, as a tool which will provide new opportunities as well as challenges for SMEs. 'In the new framework programme we plan to have integrated projects,' said Mr Verrue. 'These projects may include the actual adoption of new technologies by SMEs. However, integrated projects will also pose new challenges for SMEs and support organisations in order to consolidate efforts and address ambitious challenges.' Completion of the first phase of the Go Digital initiative has been accompanied by a report outlining national and regional eBusiness policies. More than 150 policy initiatives targeting SMEs are identified in the report, mainly in areas of raising awareness, promoting information and communications technology skills, SME support networks and entry into the eMarket. Internet access of EU micro enterprises (those employing fewer than 10 people) increased from 40 per cent to 70 per cent between 1999 and 2001, said Mr Verrue, highlighting what has been achieved by SMEs, support centres and technology providers 'In some countries this increase has been dramatic,' he continued, citing Greece, where SME and micro enterprise access to the Internet increased from 24 per cent to 78 per cent between 1999 and 2001. Go Digital has also seen the launch of over 60 technology take-up projects, which are testing new information society technologies in over 400 European SMEs. 'These practical applications of technology, funded by the IST programme, are vital to traditional enterprises. The projects allow traditional enterprises to become leading edge companies,' said Mr Verrue. The current Director-General of the Commission's Enterprise DG Fabio Colasanti, who is soon to replace Mr Verrue as the Information Society DG's Director-General, also highlighted a number of Go Digital achievements, starting with an increase in understanding. 'We now understand the state of play about the adoption of eBusiness and ICT much more clearly than we did one year ago [and] we understand now much more clearly the obstacles to the participation of SMEs in the digital economy,' said Mr Colasanti. Mr Colasanti described these barriers as a lack of security on the Internet, slow speed and instability of telecommunications networks, legal and payments uncertainties and the concern that the goods or services that SMEs are offering may not be suitable for electronic trading. Mr Colasanti put these concerns into two sub-categories: commercial and technical. The Director-General drew a number of conclusions from the first phase of Go Digital: benchmarking and sharing best practice are powerful tools, cooperation with SME stakeholders is the best guarantee of success and coordination at policy and project level needs to be further improved. Mr Colasanti finished on a personal note, saying that he will find his move from the Enterprise to the Information Society DG 'both challenging and very interesting'. The Go Digital initiative is at the crossroads between DG Enterprise and DG Information Society, combining entrepreneurship with a sound technological base to foster competitiveness,' he said.