Digital Convergence 2022

Digital technology at the heart of the lives of citizens and organizations

Over the past decade, digital technology has gradually penetrated all areas of society and the economy. The health crisis we have just experienced, and are still experiencing, has given it a further boost. What was, until recently, a subject for specialists, some of them technical, is now of interest to most of our fellow citizens and organizations, both businesses and public administrations.

Digital technology is gradually becoming a political priority at all levels, from local authorities to the European Commission. Hardly a month goes by without a regulation or bill being linked to digital issues. The acceleration of digital transformation, along with the ecological transition, are the two main factors driving the evolution of our economies and society over the next fifteen years.

Six themes to help digital make sense, at national and European level.

For all these reasons, the “Convergences numériques 2022” (Digital Convergence 2022) collective has drawn up a set of proposals for the presidential candidates. These proposals are structured around six themes: digital inclusion, education and training, ecological transition, economic transformation, security and, finally, strategic autonomy.

Digital technology must make sense in terms of its contribution to society; we need, on the one hand, an openness to innovation and new technologies and, on the other, a collective reflection on these technologies and our common choices, based on facts and concrete data.

Digital technology will only come into its own if it is appropriated by individuals and society as a whole. Education, training and diversity are therefore at the heart of the issues at stake for its sustainability and development.

Digital transformations must be ecological, and the ecological transition will not happen without the digital transition. The ecological transition is at the heart of public policy, and digital technology is a lever for building it more effectively. By controlling its environmental footprint, digital technology must be able to contribute to the objectives that France and the European Union have set themselves in terms of carbon neutrality and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The multiplication of connections, like the acceleration of digital transformation, generates new risks, cyberattacks from malicious actors of all kinds (governments, cybercriminals, hackers, etc.). Digital security issues must now be tackled using an ecosystem approach, involving suppliers and users of digital products and services, alongside regulators, citizens, administrations, managers and civil servants.

Last but not least, the challenges of the digital age naturally extend beyond our borders, and need to be considered in conjunction with our partners in a dynamic Europe. So it’s vital to think beyond France’s digital perimeter, and project ourselves as quickly as possible into a European internal market, the only critical size that makes sense in the face of international competition.

The announcement of the creation of the “Convergences numériques2022” collective was made when an article co-signed by all the members of the collective was published in Le Monde on 01 / 12 / 2021.