Читать книгу Financing the digitalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises - Группа авторов - Страница 6

Foreword

The effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the European and global economies is significant. While the Digital Revolution was well under way globally, the pandemic has led to the wide recognition of the importance of digital transformation for our immediate economic recovery and future resilience. Internet of things, 5G, big data, blockchain technologies and artificial intelligence can help us achieve greater supply-chain transparency and flexibility, increase data security, strengthen remote workforces and automate manual processes. Digital technologies can also help us in our fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enable Europe to be the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, as encapsulated in the objectives of the European Green Deal.

In this context, it is unfortunate that European industry currently operates below its digital potential. This is particularly true for our small and medium-sized enterprises, which, because of their high vulnerability to supply and demand shocks, have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, the opportunity for economic recovery and future growth through digitalisation in Europe’s largest industrial segment is significant. This is why I am particularly pleased with the timely publication of this study, which discloses the ongoing policy discussions under the InvestEU and Digital Europe programmes. These are discussed with reference to the European Union’s response to the pandemic.

The study proposes a clear path forward. Europe’s digitalisation journey can accelerate if we strengthen our current innovation and digitalisation ecosystem and empower the role of digital innovation hubs. Specifically, these digital innovation hubs should coordinate support to companies within local industrial ecosystems. They should develop central knowledge-sharing platforms and provide technical and financial advice, enhancing their cooperation with the financial community to guide European entrepreneurs throughout their financing journey.

For its part, the EIB Group, in close collaboration with the European Commission, recently launched two new pilot initiatives for financing digitalisation. The first is a guarantee facility under Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (COSME) for the financing of digitalisation projects; the second focuses on early-stage equity investments in artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies. These two pilot initiatives are important steps forward in better matching supply with demand for the financing of digital projects. They address some of the key issues currently limiting the market supply of funding.

I would like to thank my colleagues at the European Commission for the excellent collaboration with our Advisory Services team and senior sponsorship throughout the study. The EIB is committed to mobilising our advisory and financial firepower in order to help reap the full benefit of digitalisation for European industry.

Lilyana Pavlova

Vice-President of the European Investment Bank