Local and regional approaches to digital inclusion

Digital inclusion remains one of the biggest challenges of the digital transformation. The increasing digitalisation of essential services, the labour market and social and democratic participation. It is those parts of society which already face exclusion or are otherwise disadvantaged who risk being further disconnected and left behind the most.

There is a lot of attention on this year’s European elections, and on the EU’s regulatory power continuing to make great strides in the digital sector with the AI Act, the Digital Services Act, and the Digital Market Act. However, digital inclusion measures are ultimately implemented on the local and regional level, and in many parts of Europe local elections are taking place simultaneously with the European elections.

For these reasons, Mediawijs, and ALL DIGITAL, the pan-European network of digital education stakeholders, are organising a conference highlighting local and regional approaches to digital inclusion, featuring perspectives from academic research and good practices from around Europe.

To follow the event online – click here

Agenda

• 8h45: Welcome and registration
• 9h30: Plenary opening by
  • Altheo Valentini, President, ALL DIGITAL
  • Alenka Le Compte, Digital Inclusion Expert, Mediawijs
  • Gerardo Franco, Europe Philanthropies Lead, Microsoft
• 10h00: Presentation by the universities VUB and UGent: “Localising digital inclusion policy: A comparative analysis of local policy responses to digital exclusion in Belgium, France, and Norway”
  • Dr. Sarah Anrijs, MICT-UGent
  • Paola Verhaert, SMIT-VUB
• 10h45: How does Mediawijs support local governments on digital inclusion in Flanders?
  • Alenka Le Compte, Digital Inclusion Expert, Mediawijs
• 11h00: Coffee break
• 11h30: Panel discussion with good practices from Belgium and Europe
  • Flanders: Josie Vranken, City of Ghent
  • Brussels/Wallonia: Veronique de Leener, CABAN
  • Europe: Liliana Arroyo, Generalidad de Catalunya, Spain
  • Europe: Miomir Rajcevic, Media Education Centre, Serbia
    Moderator: Stefano Kluzer, Research Consultant and Co-Author of the DigComp 2.2 Update, ALL DIGITAL
• 12h15: Discussion in smaller groups on the local and regional approaches to Digital inclusion
  • Facilitators: Alenka Le Compte, Mediawijs, Norman Rohner, ALL DIGITAL
• 13h00: Networking Lunch