Belgium retains digital strength

DESI is an annual study, which is carried out on behalf of the European Commission. The study makes a comparison of the 28 member states in the European Union with regard to five different areas: connectivity, human capital, internet use, integration of digital technology and digital public services. The others in the top five are Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland.

The European Commission puts Belgium in second place with regard to connectivity. When it comes to use of the internet, our country is third and for integration of digital technology we are in fourth place. The DESI report also states that Belgian companies are using the potential of digital technology very well, including online commerce, social media and applications in the cloud. Belgian companies are in 2^nd place when it comes to the electronic sharing of information using business management software. Also, according to the European Commission, 65% of Belgian internet users use the web to entertain themselves with videos, music or games.

Progress had also been made in the area of digital public services in our country: Belgium moves from the 13^th up to the 10^th position. Almost four out of ten Belgian internet users actively use egov-services and Belgian residents can manage 85% of their so-called ‘life events’ online. The use of electronic forms, however, can still be improved.

The study also shows that Belgium scores well for coverage. 99% of the network has a rapid connection of over 30 megabits per second, and 78% of Belgian households subscribe to broadband. The report advises further investment in mobile broadband and ultra-fast connections of over 100 megabits per second.

Belgium still needs to make considerable efforts in the area of education and training, according to the report. It particularly needs to focus on its human capital, for which it currently only ranks eleventh. Not enough young people are choosing scientific, technical and mathematical studies. A point was also made about the lack of IT professionals.

On the other hand the Belgian consumer uses the internet intensively, and Belgium has moved up from 7^th to 3^rd position. Digital trading went up from 5^th to 4^th place.

In fact, one in four Belgian companies seems to be using the internet for selling. 13% demonstrate significant online activity.

The launch of ‘Digital Belgium’ by Alexander De Croo, Minister of Digital Agenda, and Prime Minister Charles Michel in April 2015 has a positive mention in the DESI report. ‘Digital Belgium’ includes a number of points that are connected with the challenges that are also raised in the DESI report, such as a state-of-the art digital infrastructure, encouraging ultra-fast internet, focus on the digital divide and increasing the numbers of technically-trained professionals.

Minister De Croo remains ambitious: “Our 'Digital Belgium' project defines a strategy which combines ambition with action. That is the very essence of the digital economy. Don't get stuck in the planning phase but take action quickly. There is of course still a long way to go. The shift towards the digital economy is not a sprint, but a marathon. We have everything we need in our country to be among the digital top in Europe. It is just a question of exploiting this potential.”

Over the last year ‘Digital Belgium’ was behind a number of launches including the tax shelter for start-ups, the ‘Digital Champions’ platform created to promote digital skills and the outline of an ambitious open data policy. Meanwhile preparations are underway to provide more support for the peer-to-peer economy. The way towards digital transformation is guided by the ‘Digital Minds for Belgium’, a group of people with fundamental experience in the digital world. This group includes people from the internet business, CEOs of technical companies, academics, venture capitalists and opinion leaders.