ALL DIGITAL 2023 Summit: Skills for Digital Tomorrow

The much-anticipated ALL DIGITAL 2023 Summit: ‘’Skills for Digital Tomorrow’’, hosted by ALL DIGITAL, Algebra University College and Telecentar from 25-27 September, is bringing together more than 150 European leaders, educators, trainers, policymakers, stakeholders, and industry experts from various digital skills domains for a dynamic and inclusive exchange of knowledge and ideas.  

As part of the European Year of Skills, the ALL DIGITAL 2023 Summit is a spotlight on the pressing need to empower and equip the European workforce with the essential digital skills required to thrive in the rapidly evolving digital landscape and the evolving job market. Speakers discuss strategies for bridging the digital divide, empowering marginalized communities, and ensuring equal access to digital resources. The Summit highlights the importance of digital inclusion, ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital transformation.

This morning in his keynote speech ‘’Enabling digital education and providing digital skills’’ Georgi Dimitrov, Head of Unit for Digital Education, DG EAC, European Commission, focused on why the Commission pushes the digital transformation agenda in education and training forward and reinforces its support for digital skills for all, mentioning ‘’The digital transition is not just about technology, it is first and foremost about people. Our role as policy-makers is to make sure every person is equipped with the digital skills to be part of the transition. And I believe this is only possible by supporting high-quality, inclusive and accessible digital education and training.’’

In his keynote, the Dean of Algebra University College, Mislav Balkovic, expressed his excitement about the event and its relevance, stating that ‘’ According to the latest Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), with which the EC measures the digital competitiveness of member countries, Croatia was ranked 21st out of 27 overall places on the scale, and although there is room for improvement, a significant shift was recorded in the area of investment by companies in the development of ICT skills, which is encouraging. Nevertheless, the share of Croatian citizens who possess basic digital skills is still low if we compare it with the EU average, so further work on the digital literacy of the nation is crucial. These ambitions overlap with the Digital Croatia Strategy 2032, which aims to increase the total number of ICT experts in the country and use the potential of the digital transition to transform Croatia into an efficient and advanced democracy with a high quality of life.’’

Altheo Valentini, President of ALL DIGITAL, also conveyed his enthusiasm, saying, "As President of ALL DIGITAL, I am proud to witness the impact of this Summit in our collective mission of creating a digitally inclusive Europe. By nurturing essential digital skills, we lay the foundation for a brighter and more equitable future for all citizens."

This year’s Summit features a diverse range of interactive sessions, panel discussions, practical workshops, and keynote presentations, and showcases groundbreaking insights, innovative methodologies, and collaborative efforts aimed at enhancing digital literacy, culture and education for the evolving digital landscape, and bridging the digital divide across Europe.

Highlights of the event include:

1. Keynote Speeches: Renowned experts and thought leaders deliver inspirational keynote speeches, sharing insights and visions for the future of digital skills in Europe. Policymakers, members of academia, and industry experts present the role of governments, universities and the tech industry in fostering digital literacy and skills and promoting lifelong learning in view of emerging technological advancement;
    
2. Hands-on Workshops: Interactive and practical workshops are conducted to enhance attendees' digital competencies, ensuring that participants can/could actively apply the knowledge gained. Through innovative tools, EU projects such as RAYUELA, CrAL, AI4AL, ACTIon, and EntreComp Synergies explored project-based learning, new learning methodologies, policy updates, gamification, and collaborative online platforms;
    
3. Lectures on Digital Transformation: Attendees have the opportunity to attend insightful lectures and gain a deeper understanding of the digital transformation's impact on creative and cultural industries, education, and soft skills. The lectures provide attendees with invaluable knowledge to transfer and implement in their organizations and communities;
    
4. ALL DIGITAL Cafe: The ALL DIGITAL Cafe serves as a platform for brainstorming and collaboration, facilitating the development of innovative ideas for future EU projects to tackle the digital divide and enhance digital inclusion efforts.
    
5. Lightning Talks: ALL DIGITAL members share knowledge and outputs from EU digital education projects and learning methodologies during this session6. Emerging Technologies Shaping Education: Renowned experts delve into the relationship between emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and IoT, with competences frameworks, policy actions, and education.

 Participants are offered meaningful interactions, networking opportunities, and the chance to contribute to the formulation of a digitally proficient European community.