1. Member State Board on Digital Entrepreneurship
Strategic Policy Forum
First meeting of Member State Board on Digital Entrepreneurship
Brussels, 28 April 2014
John Higgins
President, Strategic Policy Forum on Digital Entrepreneurship

2. The aim
To reinforce the dialogue among business, science and politics with the aim of shaping an EU strategic vision, a short and long-term strategy and concrete actions to its implementation;
To advise the Commission on policy issues and actions to enhance Digital Entrepreneurship in Europe;
To promote the development of Digital Entrepreneurship policies by Member States at national and regional level.

3. Composition
The members are appointed by the Commission, identified among key actors in the digital entrepreneurship field.
The following key organisations are represented:
Industry representatives: digital entrepreneurs, traditional industries (pioneers in the digital transformation of their business), technology service providers to digital entrepreneurs and relevant associations;
Private organisations supporting and monitoring digital entrepreneurship, including NGOs, universities, research organisations, intellectual property experts, equity firms, etc.
Public authorities, particularly active in the area of digital entrepreneurship.

4. Mandate
The Forum will have a mandate for 2 years, might be extended if needed.
Identified priority areas, covered by the Forum’s work are:
Identifying new business opportunities for jobs and growth;
Removing the most significant barriers that hinder digital entrepreneurship;
Raising commitment and actions among the key stakeholders.
A mid-term report is expected to be delivered by December 2014:
Setting the state of play of Digital Entrepreneurship in Europe;
Identifying key challenges and stumbling blocks;
Shaping an EU vision, a strategy and a roadmap with recommendations for concrete actions by the Commission.
A final report is expected by the end of 2015.

5. Organisation of the work
Working methods
A two years mandate
Forum meetings: (3 in 2014, 2 in 2015) will take place in Brussels
Meetings will be chaired by the European Commission
The Forum will be managed by a Board made up of Forum Members: President + 2 Vice-Presidents
Additional workshops will be organised to inform Member States
Secretariat and technical assistance to be provided by the Commission services and EY
Organisation of the work
Working Groups will be set up to work on specific themes and produce reports to feed the overall discussion
WHY? – The rationale: new business opportunities for growth and jobs
HOW? – The strategy: removing the barriers
The VPs will steer the work of each Working Group
External experts will be called upon to contribute on an ad-hoc basis
Working Groups

6. Working Groups WG1 New business opportunities for growth and jobs
Identification of relevant opportunities for growth and jobs powered by digital technologies
Focus on:
“WHY” this may be an issue where policy intervention would be necessary/beneficial;
“WHAT” needs to be done by key stakeholders to boos digitally empowered entrepreneurship in Europe.
WG1 New business opportunities for growth and jobs
WG2 Removing existing barriers
Identification of the most inhibiting barriers for starting and growing new digital enterprise and to the digital transformations of existing businesses.
Response to two questions:
“WHAT” needs to be done to unlease digital entrepreneurial potential;
“HOW” to remove existing barriers and adopt more proactive policy measures.

7. EC secretarial support team
Structure
CHAIR
Pedro Ortún Silván, DG ENTR / EC
PRESIDENT
John Higgins
WORKING GROUP 1
VICE-PRESIDENT
Antonio Murta
WORKING GROUP 2
VICE-PRESIDENT
Irène Braam
Participants
(industry, non-industry, public authorities)
Participants
(industry, non-industry, public authorities)
EC secretarial support team

8. The journey of the Forum
2014
2015
1st Forum
28 Feb 2014
2nd Forum
2 Jul 2014
3rd Forum
4 Nov 2014
4th Forum
Q2 2015
5th Forum
Q4 2015
Setting the scene, meeting participants, selecting Working Groups
Discussing where Europe wants to be in the area of Digital Entrepreneurship
Presenting the Mid-term report
Updating and further elaborating ideas from the Mid-term report
Presenting the Final report
MEETINGS
Working Group sessions
Working Group sessions
Working Group sessions
Working Group sessions
WG reports
WG reports
WG reports
WG reports
Mid-term report
Final report
REPORTS
Development of the Roadmap and Action Plan to boost Digital Entrepreneurship in Europe

9. Reaching Out Initiative
2014
1st Forum
28 Feb 2014
2nd Forum
2 Jul 2014
3rd Forum
4 Nov 2014
MEMBERS
WG calls
15/16 April
WG calls
Mid June
FORUM
Reaching out Initiative
Early June
Participants: External Stakeholders, Brussels
EXTERNAL
February
April
June
July
November
Reaching Out Initiative: Objective: Obtaining insights and ideas from external stakeholders across EU 28 How: Competition to pitch ideas Timeframe: Invites out 22 April – Submission Deadline 9 May Interested: Contact us for more details
BOARD
Ad-hoc calls / meetings
Next activity

10. Annex
Forum Members

11. Meet the Forum Members Filippo Berto Berto Salotti CEO & Founder
Javier Lopez Calvet
Carrefour
CFO - Belgium
Ignasi Guardans
CUMEDIAE
Chairman & Founder
Jeremy Millard
Danish Technological Institute
Chief Policy Advisor
Sandy Grom
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Assistant director
Franc J. Dorfer
Eierfabrik
Managing Director
Axel Pols
EITO
Chairman EITO
Managing Director Bitkom
Paul Browne
Enterprise Ireland
Manager
BE-NE-LUX
Mihkel Tikk
Estonian Information System’s Authority
Head of Department of State Portal
Fabian Zuleeg,
European Policy Centre
Chief Executive
Daniela Florea
Geo-strategies
CEO
Blaž Golob
GoForeSight Institute
Director
Antoine Aubert
Google
Director, European Public Policy
Sylvia Leal Martin,
IE Business School,
Academic Director of ICT and Innovation
Laurent Zibell
IndustriALL
Policy Advisor
Caroline Jenner
JA-YE Europe
CEO
Reinhilde Veugelers
K.U. Leuven
Senior Fellow-Breugel
Professor K.U. Leuven
Fernando Herrero Acebes
Head of Economic Promption Service, Madrid Emprende

12. Meet the Forum Members Neil Miller SoundCloud General Counsel
Jean Muehlfeit
Microsoft
Chairman Europe
Taylor Reynolds
OECD
Head of the Information Economy Unit
Peter Arvai
Prezi
CEO
Patrick Hoffstetter
Renault
Chief Digital Officer
Rinse Tamsma
SAP
Vice President Global Sales
Business One
Bartlomiej Gola
SpeedUp Group
CEO
Steven Bartholomew
Telefonica Digital
Director of Public Affairs
Stijn Vander Plaetse
Telenet
Vice President Product and Marketing
Alain Heureux
The Egg Brussels
CEO
Filippo Addarii,
The Young Foundation,
Head of EuropeLab and Director of International Strategy
Colin Mason
University of Glasgow
Professor
Adam Smith Business School
Hanne Melin
eBay Inc.
Policy Strategy Counsel