Periodic Reporting for period 1 - INPACE (Indo-Pacific-European Hub for Digital Partnerships: Trusted Digital Technologies for Sustainable Well-Being)
Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31
The mission of the INPACE project – “Indo-Pacific-European Hub for Digital Partnerships: Trusted Digital Technologies for Sustainable Well Being” - is to establish a sustainable hub, fostering dialogue, innovation and trust in digital technologies, supporting the implementation of the Digital Partnerships (DPs) between the EU and Japan, South Korea, Singapore, as well as the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) with India. The wider goal of INPACE is to contribute to the deepening of the collaboration between the regions in digital technologies and their application for the well-being of the citizens in Europe and in the Indo-Pacific region. The unique feature of INPACE is technology-policy convergence, embedded into the project design.
Toward this goal, INPACE works on three levels:
• Establishing regular exchanges between leading experts from Europe and partner countries on policies, further developments of digital technologies, and their implementation and commercialisation
• Supporting the digital policy dialogues on the governmental and institutional level and the implementation of the DPs and the TTC
• Informing and involving a large community of stakeholders into the dialogues via online, in-presence events and via the INPACE Hub
INPACE Multi-Stakeholder Hub supports these interconnected activities, and provides a space where experts, policy makers, and the digital innovation community across Europe and Indo-Pacific are informed and can exchange ideas to drive digital innovation.
INPACE organises exchanges between experts from industry, associations, government institutions and the research communities by setting up 16 Thematic Working Groups (TWGs) that bring together forward-looking experts in specific domains from the partner countries and from Europe. The TWGs are organised in five Clusters: (1) Digital Dialogues, Policies, and Education ; (2) Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Well-being ; (3) Digital Technologies: Trustworthy Decision Support ; (4) Digital Technologies: Chips for the Future ; (5) Digital Technologies: Future Networks
INPACE aims at the following longer term outcomes and impact:
• Convergence on principles in regulation, legislation, and standards for digital technologies and new joint policy initiatives between the EU and the Indo-Pacific
• Harmonised research and innovation funding programs and joint calls
• Reduction of barriers for trade and commercialisation of digital technologies
• Long-term collaborations in the field of digital technologies and their applications
Toward this goal, INPACE works on three levels:
• Establishing regular exchanges between leading experts from Europe and partner countries on policies, further developments of digital technologies, and their implementation and commercialisation
• Supporting the digital policy dialogues on the governmental and institutional level and the implementation of the DPs and the TTC
• Informing and involving a large community of stakeholders into the dialogues via online, in-presence events and via the INPACE Hub
INPACE Multi-Stakeholder Hub supports these interconnected activities, and provides a space where experts, policy makers, and the digital innovation community across Europe and Indo-Pacific are informed and can exchange ideas to drive digital innovation.
INPACE organises exchanges between experts from industry, associations, government institutions and the research communities by setting up 16 Thematic Working Groups (TWGs) that bring together forward-looking experts in specific domains from the partner countries and from Europe. The TWGs are organised in five Clusters: (1) Digital Dialogues, Policies, and Education ; (2) Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Well-being ; (3) Digital Technologies: Trustworthy Decision Support ; (4) Digital Technologies: Chips for the Future ; (5) Digital Technologies: Future Networks
INPACE aims at the following longer term outcomes and impact:
• Convergence on principles in regulation, legislation, and standards for digital technologies and new joint policy initiatives between the EU and the Indo-Pacific
• Harmonised research and innovation funding programs and joint calls
• Reduction of barriers for trade and commercialisation of digital technologies
• Long-term collaborations in the field of digital technologies and their applications
The following major results were achieved during the first year of the project:
• Successful engagement to the INPACE Hub of 80+ experts across TWGs, ensuring balanced representation from various countries and sub-thematic areas, and connection between technological and policy clusters
• 45+ activities on the TWGs level: public webinars, workshops, sessions
• 12 factsheets focusing on technological TWGs’ priorities across Indo-Pacific countries
• The panorama report, highlighting collaborative efforts between the EU and Indo-Pacific partners to address challenges in sustainability, digitalisation, and technology standardisation
• An analysis of synergies and commonalities in policies, strategies between the EU and partner countries
• The INPACE Hub as a digital collaboration platform designed to connect and em-power diverse communities and stakeholders, with 154 members (users) registered during the first year of the project
• The first International Symposium on Digital Technologies and Policies, was held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, on 21–22 October 2024 with more than 100 participants, coming from Europe and the Indo-Pacific
• Policy work with 6 policy experts continuously involved; the podcast “Digitalising Together: The EU, the Indo-Pacific and Digital Partnerships” and policy brief “From Policy to Action: The Way Ahead for the EU-Republic of Korea Digital Partnership”
• Work on the pilot projects started
• Successful engagement to the INPACE Hub of 80+ experts across TWGs, ensuring balanced representation from various countries and sub-thematic areas, and connection between technological and policy clusters
• 45+ activities on the TWGs level: public webinars, workshops, sessions
• 12 factsheets focusing on technological TWGs’ priorities across Indo-Pacific countries
• The panorama report, highlighting collaborative efforts between the EU and Indo-Pacific partners to address challenges in sustainability, digitalisation, and technology standardisation
• An analysis of synergies and commonalities in policies, strategies between the EU and partner countries
• The INPACE Hub as a digital collaboration platform designed to connect and em-power diverse communities and stakeholders, with 154 members (users) registered during the first year of the project
• The first International Symposium on Digital Technologies and Policies, was held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, on 21–22 October 2024 with more than 100 participants, coming from Europe and the Indo-Pacific
• Policy work with 6 policy experts continuously involved; the podcast “Digitalising Together: The EU, the Indo-Pacific and Digital Partnerships” and policy brief “From Policy to Action: The Way Ahead for the EU-Republic of Korea Digital Partnership”
• Work on the pilot projects started
INPACE's first year laid strong foundations for future technology-policy convergence, building trust and networks essential for meaningful contribution to the digital partnerships between Europe and Indo-Pacific countries. While it is still early to measure the full impact, the INPACE consortium identified pivotal accomplishments during its initial year:
1. Building networks: INPACE launched the INPACE Hub and connected 80+ experts across Europe and the Indo-Pacific, fostering collaboration in AI, 6G, cybersecurity, digital policy and other domains. These networks support long-term cross-regional cooperation and innovation
2. Capacity building and knowledge sharing: INPACE organised the first International Symposium on Digital Technologies and Policies, 45+ activities on TWGs level, developed a knowledge database helping to reinforce scientific capacity and meaningful dialogue, enabling long-term cooperation and shared learning
3. Policy-Technology integration: By bridging policymakers and technical experts, INPACE created structured pathways for collaboration, ensuring regulatory and technological alignment
4. Bridging regional differences: INPACE developed a comprehensive understanding of research and innovation landscapes in different regions, including priorities, approaches, and potential for international digital collaboration, reducing barriers and strengthening digital partnerships
5. Contribution to DPs related to specific countries, especially for Japan and Republic of Korea (policy brief EU-ROK, preparation of EU-Japan Digital Week)
These first-year achievements should be viewed as foundation-building rather than final outcomes. Key needs to ensure future uptake and success include:
1. Supporting dialogue into action, helping to forge DPs EU-Indo-Pacific from bottom-up: establishing bridges between industry players, researchers, policy makers, other stakeholders, aligning with international initiatives, advancing on pilot projects, contributing to policies or standards
2. Extending sustainable expert communities (bottom-up): ensuring the engagement of the experts, with balanced representation, promotion of the interdisciplinary collaboration, and ensuring network longevity
3. Maximising knowledge exchange and community interaction: reinforcing policy-technology convergence, development of the accessible knowledge-sharing frameworks, tracking measurable outcomes
1. Building networks: INPACE launched the INPACE Hub and connected 80+ experts across Europe and the Indo-Pacific, fostering collaboration in AI, 6G, cybersecurity, digital policy and other domains. These networks support long-term cross-regional cooperation and innovation
2. Capacity building and knowledge sharing: INPACE organised the first International Symposium on Digital Technologies and Policies, 45+ activities on TWGs level, developed a knowledge database helping to reinforce scientific capacity and meaningful dialogue, enabling long-term cooperation and shared learning
3. Policy-Technology integration: By bridging policymakers and technical experts, INPACE created structured pathways for collaboration, ensuring regulatory and technological alignment
4. Bridging regional differences: INPACE developed a comprehensive understanding of research and innovation landscapes in different regions, including priorities, approaches, and potential for international digital collaboration, reducing barriers and strengthening digital partnerships
5. Contribution to DPs related to specific countries, especially for Japan and Republic of Korea (policy brief EU-ROK, preparation of EU-Japan Digital Week)
These first-year achievements should be viewed as foundation-building rather than final outcomes. Key needs to ensure future uptake and success include:
1. Supporting dialogue into action, helping to forge DPs EU-Indo-Pacific from bottom-up: establishing bridges between industry players, researchers, policy makers, other stakeholders, aligning with international initiatives, advancing on pilot projects, contributing to policies or standards
2. Extending sustainable expert communities (bottom-up): ensuring the engagement of the experts, with balanced representation, promotion of the interdisciplinary collaboration, and ensuring network longevity
3. Maximising knowledge exchange and community interaction: reinforcing policy-technology convergence, development of the accessible knowledge-sharing frameworks, tracking measurable outcomes