Stockholm co-summit sets bar for digital technology

© Simon Pugh Photography

Stockholm: In his opening speech at the Co-summit organised by ARTEMIS and ITEA in Stockholm (for which Pan European Networks acted as official media partners), Daniel Johansson, State Secretary to the Swedish Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Communications, underlined the significance of the impact that ARTEMIS and ITEA projects had on today’s software industry and on society.

In terms of societal challenges being faced by Sweden, a forerunner of innovation and digital technology, Johansson referred to ARTEMIS and ITEA not only as technology enablers but also integral to solving these challenges.

The sixth edition of the co-summit was organised by ITEA – the EUREKA Cluster on software-intensive systems and services – and by the ARTEMIS joint undertaking on embedded systems, in co-operation with VINNOVA, the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems. This year’s co-summit focused on the role that software and software innovation can play in boosting the prospects for high-tech employment and industry in Europe. The transnational innovative projects in ITEA and ARTEMIS are a significant factor in propelling Europe to boost its high-tech industry and to maintain, upgrade, and grow its employment to keep Europe prosperous.

Both Heinrich Daembkes, President of the ARTEMIS Industry Association, and Rudolf Haggenmüller, Chairman of ITEA, sent a very clear message about the value of software innovation and development to building a stronger European industry and more sustainable society.

With the consensus on the need to push forward, to be bold and to seize the high ground, Daembkes and Hagenmüller reiterated the conviction shared by all at the co-summit. Daembkes said: “We have seen in the projects at this Co-summit how ICT is helping to create jobs and opportunities.”

Haggenmüller’s summing up bore an equally positive note: “Software innovation is key to being world leader. We are very ambitious so let’s work hard and with happiness to achieve our goals.”