Series Overview

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Forum Europe are launching an event series looking at how the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) programme is used by Member States, especially with regard to the minimum of 20% of National Recovery & Resilience Plans (NRRPs) investments directed to the digital transition.

Questions the event series will address include the following:

  • What are the Member States’ digital investment priorities as part of their NRRPs?
  • Are those digital investments meeting the most pressing needs?
  • What opportunities and challenges are identified by both Member States and potential recipients of these funds?
  • In sum, can we expect the RRF to achieve its objectives? 

Session 1

Digitalisation of European SMEs - Challenges & Opportunities
2 June . 10:00 - 12:00 CEST | Online

The first episode of this series will look specifically at the digitalisation of European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). While SMEs are the backbone of the European economy, many do not grasp the benefits of digitalisation. The EU’s Digital Compass includes the ambitious target to reach over 90% of European SMEs with at least a basic level of digital intensity by 2030, up from 60% in 2020. This is, therefore, not surprising that multiple Member States have prioritised SMEs digitalisation in their respective NRRP.

While many Member States have already launched calls and have received pre-financing disbursements, the event will provide a platform for European SMEs to learn and exchange views with EU and national policymakers on the opportunity provided by RRF funds. It will also be an opportunity to identify potential investment gaps related to the digitalisation of SMEs in the EU and discuss how the RRF can help bridge those gaps.

We hope you can join us for this first session on 2 June!

Agenda

10:00 – 10:05

Welcome Remarks

Irena Bednarich

Irena Bednarich
EMEA Director, Corporate Affairs, HPE

10:05- 10:25

Keynote Speeches

10:25- 11:30

Panel Discussion

11:30- 12:00

Audience Q&A

Speakers

240florika

Florika Fink-Hooijer

Director General, DG Environment

European Commission

240Brian 2

Brian Tippens

VP and Chief Sustainability Officer

HPE

josefine

Josefine Hintz

Officer
Sustainable Economy and Procurement

ICLEI

david 240

David Peck

Associate Professor, Climate Design & Sustainability, Circular Built Environment and Critical Materials

Delft University of Technology

gareth bevan 240

Gareth Bevan

Senior Technologist, Sustainable Transformation

HPE

240sonja-van-renssen

Moderator: Sonja van Renssen

Energy Monitor

New Statesman Group

Gilles Thiebaut

SVP and Managing Director
North-Western Europe

HPE

gustav kalbe

Gustav Kalbe

Deputy Director of Directorate C & Head of Unit, High Performance Computing and Quantum Technology

DG CNECT, European Commission

Utz Uwe Haus

Utz-Uwe Haus

Head of HPE HPC/AI EMEA Research Lab

HPE

Kimmo Koski

Kimmo Koski

Managing Director

CSC - The Finnish IT Center for Science

Michael Resch

Prof. Dr. Michael Resch

Director of the HLRS

HPC Centre Stuttgart

Irena Bednarich

Moderator: Irena Bednarich

Director, Corporate Affairs, EMEA

HPE

Partners

hewlett packard enterprise
Forum Europe logo

Event Platform

This event will take place using Forum Europe’s virtual solutionFor more details on our virtual solution, please visit forum-europe.com.