The Campus Party, to be held in London this coming September (2-7 September), will host the presentation of the new StartUp Europe Forum initiative. The new forum will consist of a group of experts and leaders in the world of digital technology and entrepreneurship, to provide strategic advice to the European Commission.
This initiative is part of StartUp Europe, a center of excellence launched by Telefónica and the Lisbon Council in 2010 and based in Brussels, which aims to promote entrepreneurship and digital innovation in Europe, support entrepreneurs and create jobs in Europe.
The StartUp Europe Forum will include a special session by the Leaders Club, which presented a manifesto outlining a new vision for Europe, in a session entitled: ‘From coal and steel to cable and the digital world’.
The Vice President of the European Commission in charge of the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, will deliver the keynote address at the StartUp Europe Forum on Monday, 2nd September. Kroes stated: “I want technology entrepreneurs to have the opportunity to start in Europe and continue here. There is a long way to go before they realize in Europe that there is a leading digital ecosystem in the world, but we are determined to achieve this”.
This forum will also host the launching of the StartUP Europe Index, an indicator that locates points of innovation across the European Union. Eva Castillo, President and CEO of Telefónica Europe, said: “Young people are full of ideas, energy and enthusiasm, and with the right support, they can turn their ideas into reality. We are delighted to be able to collaborate in organizing StartUp Europe within the Campus Party Europe, a platform for thousands of young campus participants who exchange innovative ideas and acquire the tools and skills that are needed to achieve ambitious and long-term projects”.
Telefónica is one of the leading ICT sector companies that have joined The Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs, which aims to solve the shortage of professionals in the sector and is seeking to have around 700,000 ICT professionals in Europe by the year 2015, as well as curb the steady decline of graduates in programming sciences. To help solve this problem, there will be a space within Campus Party called The Market Place, the largest technology career fair in Europe, where major companies like Telefónica will participate, and House and Internships, which works with more than 4,500 companies in 20 countries to provide major opportunities for practical training and employment for young people around the world.
