The European Court of Auditors will conduct an EU digitisation audit, analysing levels of support and funding for digital innovation across the bloc.
The EU digitisation audit will examine the efficacy of support accorded by Member States to the digitisation of industry, with particular reference to the aid provided to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in adopting digital technologies. Auditors will also investigate levels of support provided to Member States by the European Commission across the implementation chain of digital strategy, incorporating the processes of digital development, implementation of digital solutions and following up the progress of new programmes; as well as determining whether the legal environment overseen by the Commission is appropriately conducive to innovation in the digital age.
Auditors will conduct on-the-spot visits to a range of Member States, with potential destinations including Germany, Hungary, Poland and Portugal; and explore the progress made by a number of individual industrial digitisation projects around the EU. The EU digitisation audit will include a comprehensive assessment of the support provided by Member States to their Digital Innovation Hubs, which were introduced in 2016 as a mechanism for making technical, financial and industrial advice and opportunities available to businesses of all sizes aiming to integrate emerging digital technology.
Iliana Ivanova, the Member of the European Court of Auditors leading the audit, said: “To remain competitive, the EU needs to support industries in the digital transformation, which is currently underway. Digitising European industry is a key initiative in this context and with this audit we would like to check its effectiveness so far. Key advances towards Industry 4.0 are expected to be made by 2025. Companies across the EU, particularly SMEs, should prepare to adapt their traditional ways of working to the new digital technology.”
The full results of the EU digitisation audit are expected to be published in 2020.
