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We have been closely monitoring the situation with COVID-19, and after much consideration, the European Commission together with the German Presidency have made the decision to cancel the ICT 2020 conference, due to take place 1-3 December in Cologne. As the nature of the event lies particularly in the personal exchange and networking of the digital community, we have to prioritise the health and safety of the ICT stakeholders. However, we will explore the possibility to bring you this unique event in 2021. More updates will be shared in September. Stay safe, informed and connected!

The following topics will be addressed throughout the course of the day: Preview of the economic impact of open source; Open source policy trends around the world; Latest initiatives of the European Commission and Member States; Discussions on findings and actions with experts from academia, business and policy. The event is organised in the context of a current study conducted by OpenForum Europe (OFE) and Fraunhofer ISI.

With a central theme “Towards a strong European Data and AI Ecosystem”, the European Big Data Value Forum (EBDVF) 2020 edition will bring together the German and European communities on Artificial Intelligence and Data.

This special initiative will look into the future ten years until 2030 and how to align health and care systems with the needs of ageing populations. The initiative will also make sure to cover the implications for innovative capacity-building in systems and services for healthy ageing.

The current global trend of digital consumption is unsustainable in terms of the energy and materials it requires. The exponential growth of digital consumption has led to a digital carbon footprint currently increasing at 8% each year. Although energy efficiency gains have been achieved through technical progress, there is no technological breakthrough expected in the next 10 years that could reverse or even counter this trend.

The Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) IdeAcademy week offers a week-long online course presenting a unique mix of inspirational and practical contents for researchers interested in disruptive projects.

Gradually we are all becoming more and more dependent on connected technology. We will be able to live longer with an increased quality of life due to medical devices and sensors attached to, or integrated into our bodies. However, our dependence on technology grows faster than our ability to secure it, and a security failure of a medical device may cause patient harm and have fatal consequences.

PREFET, a platform based on and bearing the same name as the ongoing Pathfinder project, offers a four day event focusing on the top technology trends for long-term Research and Development and social impact.

Nowadays anyone who uses a computer connected to the internet could be a target for hackers. During this CONNECT University session organised to celebrate the European Cybersecurity Month, Chema Alonso, world-renowned security expert and ethical hacker, will share some fascinating hacking tips & insights together with the security risks that are coming with the new technologies such as AI, Cognitive Services, Tech Intensity, OAuth Tokens.

The European Commission has launched a public consultation inviting Member States and other stakeholders to provide their views and comments on the existing EU State aid rules on public support for the deployment of broadband networks. The public consultation is part of an overall evaluation by the Commission of the relevant rules with a view to assess whether they are still fit purpose or whether they will need to be updated in light of recent technological and market developments. All interested parties can respond to the public consultation until 5 January 2021.