Source: European Union 2 Published on: 2026-06-25
The Digital Conference “Shaping the Next Digital Frontier” was held on 17–18 June at the Filoxenia Conference Centre in Lefkosia. The conference, organised under the Cyprus presidency of the Council of the European Union, featured high-level discussions on connectivity and digital infrastructure, the opportunities and challenges of rapidly evolving AI, and the protection of minors online, among other topics.
Multiple EU funding programmes are addressing these important topics. Learn more about the work of these programmes and HaDEA in this field.
DEP and Horizon Europe
The Digital Europe Programme and Horizon Europe fund projects that support the deployment of competitive, innovative technologies across Europe’s digital ecosystem. HaDEA plays an important role in implementing these programmes and advancing Europe’s digital transformation.
One example is DIGI-ME, a four-year project developing innovative, personalised and interdisciplinary master’s programmes focused on advanced digital skills in management and entrepreneurship. These programmes apply to sectors such as healthcare, energy, manufacturing, and sustainable and autonomous mobility. They also equip students with knowledge of key digital technologies, including AI, augmented intelligence, digital twins, blockchain, data analytics, and the Internet of Things.
HaDEA also manages the network of Safer Internet Centres, co-funded under the Digital Europe Programme. The network raises awareness of online safety issues, including cyberbullying, and helps reduce the risks children and young people face online through tools such as educational materials, podcasts, webinars, and communication campaigns. It also supports the Better Internet for Kids strategy by contributing to key Commission priorities, including tackling cyberbullying, improving age verification and age assurance, and supporting children’s mental health and well-being.
HaDEA is also helping roll out the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) network. These hubs bring together not-for-profit entities with complementary expertise to support the large-scale digital transformation of SMEs and mid-caps by boosting competitiveness, modernising infrastructure, and building digital capacity. AI is a major focus: 9 out of 10 hubs already provide AI-related services, including a first-line AI help desk for businesses and public sector organisations, with basic guidance on compliance with the AI Act.
HaDEA has signed eight grants under the latest call, establishing new hubs in several associated countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Albania, North Macedonia, Türkiye, and Ukraine. These hubs further support the uptake of critical technologies, including AI, across industries and value chains.
More broadly, the current wave of AI innovation has the potential to transform daily life in Europe and beyond. As digital technologies advance rapidly, it is essential that people trust the systems that affect them. At the same time, leadership in emerging technologies has become a geopolitical priority, and Europe has an important role to play, particularly in AI. The European approach seeks both technological sovereignty and trustworthy AI.
In this context, the Horizon Europe project Fostering Artificial Intelligence Trust for Humans, or FAITH, contributes by creating a human-centric framework to help AI practitioners assess, operationalise, and continuously reassess the trustworthiness of AI systems throughout their lifecycle. The project is testing this approach through seven large-scale use cases in media, transport, education, robotics, industrial processes, healthcare, and healthy ageing. Its consortium brings together research organisations, academic partners, SMEs, NGOs, and industry representatives from eight countries.
CEF-Digital is supporting Europe’s digital transformation by investing in secure, high-capacity connectivity where it is needed most. Within this framework, 5G for Smart Communities helps turn advanced connectivity into practical public-service innovation. The programme enables communities to test and scale applications that improve everyday life and public administration through local 5G deployment in areas such as healthcare, education, utilities, transport, and logistics.
One strong example is 5G-CDD in Romania’s Danube Delta. The project has deployed 26 operational 5G sites across 23 remote localities in a UNESCO-protected area. Its use cases include digital education, telemedicine, tourism, and environmental monitoring, showing how the initiative combines connectivity with inclusive territorial development by helping local authorities deliver smarter and more inclusive services.
The programme also supports innovation in transport and logistics, where secure, high-capacity connectivity is essential for efficient and resilient supply chains. In this area, 5G Valenciaport is a strong example. The project is exploring advanced applications for port operations, including security and augmented reality solutions, helping to modernise logistics in one of Europe’s key maritime gateways. Its progress is being closely followed by other EU ports, highlighting its wider replication potential.
WAT-ERR-IB is introducing 5G-enabled solutions for smarter water management and emergency response. In its smart water use case, connected sensors and leak-detection technologies allow problems in water networks to be identified more quickly, helping utilities prevent minor leaks from becoming major incidents and respond more efficiently.
Beyond 5G corridors and community use cases, CEF Digital is also addressing one of Europe’s most persistent connectivity challenges through support for Digital Global Gateways. A flagship example is Atlantic CAM, a pair of projects linking mainland Portugal with the Azores and Madeira through a new high-capacity submarine cable system. Representing a €137 million investment, including €55 million in EU funding, the projects will replace an obsolete system and deliver a 3 700 km network with six fibre pairs, while the Azores inter-island segment will include 12 fibre pairs. The infrastructure will not only help bridge the digital divide for remote islands, but also include smart functions such as seismic monitoring, showing how connectivity infrastructure can strengthen both resilience and environmental intelligence.
• Horizon Europe Cluster 4: Digital
• Connecting Europe Facility 2
• Digital Europe Programme