ICT innovation

The Surge Summit is a renowned event in the Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) region, and resonates strongly with the EU4Digital Facility's objectives in promoting digital transformation and harmonisation in the Eastern Partnership countries. Dedicated to fostering connections and collaboration among emerging start-ups and investors, the 2023 Surge Summit in Tbilisi, Georgia on 5-7 September, allowed start-ups from various countries to present themselves to potential investors.

The team that curates news, announcements, stories and other publications about EU4Digital and Eastern Partnership digital activities invites you to take stock of the growing number of ways you can access this content – in particular, a brand-new Twitter account : come and join the conversation!

Want to find out more about digital developments, future priorities and the policy agenda for Eastern partner countries? The EU4Digital Initiative is organising two events dedicated to the topic of digital transformation in the Eastern Partnership. On 14 November 2023, the Digital Conference for the Eastern Partnership will provide a space for wider discussion and anyone who is interested in participating will be welcome. On 15 November 2023, invited members of the EU4Digital Phase II Steering Committee will meet to discuss the flagship regional EU4Digital Initiative and projects.

To boost the performance and growth of the innovation and start-up incubation ecosystem in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) region, EU4Digital Facility identified key priorities and shared them in two events. These online awareness sessions concluded intense study of Eastern partner start-up ecosystems’ performance, gaps and needs, which are detailed along with recommendations in a new report. Participants in the two events heard from regional ecosystem actors and learned the key findings of the study: Eastern partner countries should prioritise the empowerment of ecosystem builders and capacity building of incubators.

Representatives of government, business, consultancy and academic organisations gathered to discuss Georgia's economy and IT sector prospects at the 2023 Digital Transformation Forum in Tbilisi. The four-day event opened on 26 June 2023, organised by the Georgian ICT Cluster with the support of the USAID Economic Security Program.

Startups from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine met with representatives of the innovation ecosystem in France and the Eastern Partnership (EaP) at the event ‘Startup Bridge: East meets West’. EU4Digital Facility organised the ICT Innovation networking event in partnership with Expertise France. Held in Paris on 16 June 2023, the event was hosted by Wilco—an innovation accelerator dedicated to creating value for both startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Registration is open for two online events addressing the need to advance the performance of innovation incubators in the Eastern Partnership (EaP). The aim is to increase the success rate of converting ideas into sustainable companies. EU4Digital Facility is organising the events to raise awareness about funding and promoting the activities of innovation ecosystem builders to empower incubation. Held on 18 July and 9 August 2023, the complementary sessions will highlight the role of innovation ecosystem actors and their partnerships in delivering high-performing incubation services to startups. All interested parties are welcome to participate.

Ukraine’s vibrant startup community was well represented and highly visible on three significant occasions in mid-June – a UK parliamentary debate and major events Viva Tech and Tech Week. Among thousands of conference participants, they attracted the attention of a president, an award shortlisting, and meetings with potential investors.

To strengthen digital development and innovation in Moldova, representatives of the EU4Digital Facility and the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) visited the country on 14-16 June 2023. The visit provided an invaluable opportunity to engage with key stakeholders and explore initiatives that are advancing the Republic of Moldova’s digital landscape.