The has approved the 2025-2027 Digital Europe Programme ( DIGITAL ) work program, allocating €1.3 billion to advance key technologies essential for the EU’s future and technological sovereignty.
DIGITAL is an EU funding program designed to bring digital systems closer to companies, citizens, and people administrations. Digital technologies is essential for communication, job, science, and tackling climate challenges.
The COVID-19 epidemic noted Europe’s reliance on outside systems, while Russia’s battle against Ukraine exposed risks in online supply stores. To maintain security and self-sufficiency, the EU may invest in security and strengthen its online infrastructure.
With a total budget exceeding €8.1 billion, the program focuses on some key areas such as supercomputing, artificial intelligence, security, advanced modern knowledge, and the widespread adoption of modern technology across the economy and society. It aids industry, small and medium-sized enterprises ( SMEs ), and public administrations in their digital transformation through an expanded network of European Digital Innovation Hubs ( EDIHs ).
The DIGITAL work program focuses on advancing AI, cloud and data, cybersecurity, and digital skills across Europe. It aims to expand by improving access to generative AI, particularly in the health and care sectors, and supporting energy-efficient data spaces under the AI Factories initiative. Strengthening the EDIHs will help businesses and public institutions access AI expertise, training, and technology testing.
Another key priority is advancing the Destination Earth initiative, which is developing a digital model of Earth to support climate adaptation and disaster risk management. Strengthening critical infrastructure protection, including hospitals and submarine cables, through initiatives like the EU Cybersecurity Reserve will boost .
The program also focuses on enhancing by supporting education and training institutions to develop and retain top digital talent. It will facilitate the implementation of the EU Digital Identity Wallet and the European Trust Infrastructure, ensuring adoption across Member States. Additionally, it seeks to modernize public services by promoting efficient, high-quality, and interoperable digital public administration.
Through these initiatives, the program aims to strengthen Europe’s digital autonomy and technological leadership.
Innovation will also be accelerated by the new Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), which awards the STEP Seal quality label to promising projects to improve their opportunity to access public and private funding.
” Securing European tech sovereignty starts with investing in advanced technologies and in making it possible for people to improve their digital competences. With the opportunities under the Digital Europe Programme, we are ensuring that new technologies– and with them new potential – reach European citizens, businesses and public administrations”, said , Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.