Champions for the Digital Decade – C4DD

In December 2024, the Digital Opportunities Foundation received confirmation of its participation in a network initiated by the European Commission to enhance Europe’s digital competitiveness and resilience.

At the heart of the project “Champions for the Digital Decade” (C4DD) is the establishment of National Coalitions and the creation of dedicated websites as central knowledge platforms. The goal is to make offerings in areas such as media literacy, cybersecurity, and skills for future jobs easily visible and accessible to all citizens.

As part of the “Digital Europe” program, which supports the digital European ecosystem and promotes digital inclusion, National Coalitions have already been established in 23 countries. Since Germany does not yet have a National Coalition, the Foundation’s task within the C4DD project is to initiate and establish such a nationwide network along with the corresponding website/platform.

Through the network of existing National Coalitions, relevant national initiatives and their offerings are also made known and accessible to a broader European audience via the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform (DSJP).

The EU’s “Digital Decade Policy Programme” includes specific targets—most notably, that by 2030, 80% of European adults should have at least basic digital skills, and the number of ICT specialists in Europe should rise to 20 million (compared to around 9 million currently). At the same time, the program aims to promote women’s access to the sector in order to reduce and eventually close the gender gap in technology. Current forecasts show that we are still far from reaching these goals.