The project successfully delivered on time all planned activities, including the conference program, execution of the event, and the production of the confer-ence and project reports. The outcomes provided a robust foundation for in-forming EU digital investment priorities and supporting evidence-based research and policy decisions.
The main performed activities are described below:
o Conference program supplemented with an early save-the-date: The conference program featured relevant and engaging speakers, includ-ing high-level keynote speakers. Networking activities were incorpo-rated to encourage in-person attendance, and site visits to Aalborg’s leading companies in the space and healthcare sectors were arranged to further motivate participants to attend physically.
• Execution of the conference. The conference was executed from the 2-3 July at Aalborg Congress and Culture Center.
• Communication plan (CP)
o A detailed communication plan has been developed, outlining activi-ties before, during and after the conference.
• Website, with the extended program, matchmaking activities livestream and a link to the recording of the conference. The website can be seen on the fol-lowing link: Conference | The Future of Digital Investments in the EU.
• Conference report in a short and easy to read format.
The conference brought together a broad range of stakeholders at the pan-European, national, and regional levels, including policymakers, companies, re-search institutions, think tanks, and the media. The conference had a total of 45 speakers and 350 participants, distributed across the following categories: gov-ernment, business, research and organizers.
The conference achieved a high level of engagement in the sessions, supported by Slido, an audience interaction platform, and guided by a highly engaged expert moderator, Lykke Friis, Director of Think Tank EUROPA.
The political participation at the conference was furthermore satisfactory, with prominent politicians and officials from both the EU and Denmark. Following prominent politicians and officials attended the conference and contributed to the discussions on Europe’s digital future:
• Caroline Stage Olsen, Denmark’s Minister of Digital Affairs
• Christina Egelund, Denmark’s Minister for Higher Education and Science
• Thibaut Kleiner, Director at the European Commission DG CONNECT
• Markus J. Beyrer, Director General of BusinessEurope
• Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, Director General of DIGITALEUROPE.
In collaboration with the Enterprise Europe Network and AddSmart (a Danish EDIH), the conference hosted a successful matchmaking initiative that resulted in 82 meetings, of which 56 led to consortia agreements.
