Brussels,
THE NEW FRONTIERS
Advanced digital technology
The European Union (EU) is focusing on three advanced technologies for the future:
Internet of Things (IoT)
The IoT connects physical objects to digital environments, allowing them to report on their status and surroundings. It brings benefits to individuals, industries, and cities, powering applications from smart homes and mobility to connected healthcare, energy, and manufacturing.
The EU is fostering a thriving IoT ecosystem based on a human-centric approach that respects European values, empowers citizens, and ensures a single market for IoT. Key policy updates include the Data Act (2024, applicable 2025), which gives users rights over data generated by IoT devices, and the Cyber Resilience Act (2024, applicable 2027), which introduces cybersecurity obligations for connected products.
Blockchain
Blockchain technology, originally known as the backbone of cryptocurrencies, is now a strategic enabler for trust and transparency. Beyond finance, it supports secure identity verification, data sharing, supply chain monitoring, and e-voting solutions.
The EU aims to become a global leader in blockchain through initiatives like the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) and the European Blockchain Partnership, where Member States and the Commission cooperate on cross-border public services. The EU is also investing via Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Programme to accelerate adoption, foster interoperability, and develop blockchain standards aligned with European values.
Next Generation Internet (NGI)
The EU takes a human-centric approach to advanced internet technologies, ensuring they improve citizens’ lives, strengthen democratic participation, and respect rights such as privacy, inclusivity, transparency, and security.
The Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative reimagines the internet as an open, interoperable, and people-focused ecosystem. Its priorities include:
NGI Initiative
The NGI initiative, funded by the EU, provides financial support to grassroot innovators and SMEs working across all layers of the internet: from networking and transport technologies, open hardware and firmware, to decentralized ledgers, e-identities, software productivity tools, and applications.
Using a cascade funding mechanism, NGI distributes resources to a wide community of innovators, helping to shape the internet as a platform ecosystem that embodies EU values.
NGI directly contributes to the development and uptake of digital commons in Europe, reinforcing the EU’s vision of a safer, more open, and inclusive internet for all.
👉 Go to NGI Portal
👉 Check financing opportunities
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Blockchain
- Next generation Internet
Internet of Things (IoT)
The IoT connects physical objects to digital environments, allowing them to report on their status and surroundings. It brings benefits to individuals, industries, and cities, powering applications from smart homes and mobility to connected healthcare, energy, and manufacturing.
The EU is fostering a thriving IoT ecosystem based on a human-centric approach that respects European values, empowers citizens, and ensures a single market for IoT. Key policy updates include the Data Act (2024, applicable 2025), which gives users rights over data generated by IoT devices, and the Cyber Resilience Act (2024, applicable 2027), which introduces cybersecurity obligations for connected products.
Blockchain
Blockchain technology, originally known as the backbone of cryptocurrencies, is now a strategic enabler for trust and transparency. Beyond finance, it supports secure identity verification, data sharing, supply chain monitoring, and e-voting solutions.
The EU aims to become a global leader in blockchain through initiatives like the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) and the European Blockchain Partnership, where Member States and the Commission cooperate on cross-border public services. The EU is also investing via Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe Programme to accelerate adoption, foster interoperability, and develop blockchain standards aligned with European values.
Next Generation Internet (NGI)
The EU takes a human-centric approach to advanced internet technologies, ensuring they improve citizens’ lives, strengthen democratic participation, and respect rights such as privacy, inclusivity, transparency, and security.
The Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative reimagines the internet as an open, interoperable, and people-focused ecosystem. Its priorities include:
- empowering users with open-source, decentralised digital solutions,
- ensuring accessibility and multilingual tools,
- supporting digital commons and community-driven innovation,
- reinforcing trust through privacy, data protection, and secure infrastructures.
NGI Initiative
The NGI initiative, funded by the EU, provides financial support to grassroot innovators and SMEs working across all layers of the internet: from networking and transport technologies, open hardware and firmware, to decentralized ledgers, e-identities, software productivity tools, and applications.
Using a cascade funding mechanism, NGI distributes resources to a wide community of innovators, helping to shape the internet as a platform ecosystem that embodies EU values.
NGI directly contributes to the development and uptake of digital commons in Europe, reinforcing the EU’s vision of a safer, more open, and inclusive internet for all.
👉 Go to NGI Portal
👉 Check financing opportunities
