On the 1st March, EIF will host a High-level Roundtable with MEPs, experts and EIF members in the context of the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The Roundtable will be chaired by Pilar del Castillo MEP and EIF Chair.

The European mobile industry is one of the most successful in the world and has a strong track record in innovation and developing new services (GSM, 3G, first to deploy 4G).

Europe’s rapid migration to 4G services and devices is helping to stimulate a recovery in the continent’s mobile industry, according to the new GSMA study “Mobile Economy: Europe 2014” that finds that 4G will account for more than half of mobile connections in the region by 2020, up from 10 per cent in early 2015. This trend is fuelling consumer demand for a new wave of innovative mobile services, helping European operators move towards a stabilisation of revenues and margins following several years of declines in one of the world’s most competitive mobile regions.

There are encouraging signs that Europe’s mobile industry is beginning to recover as both operators and consumers begin to see the benefit from the billions of euros of investment in 4G networks over the last few years. Europe’s mobile operators are embracing new technologies and new business models, leading innovation in areas such as M2M, digital commerce, mobile identity and advanced network services. But this positive outlook for the industry remains fragile, especially in light of renewed concerns over the macro-economic situation in Europe. 

The mobile industry has the potential to deliver even greater benefits and play a leading role in helping the EU to meet the growth, jobs, sustainability and innovation objectives set out by the EU 2020 Strategy. The question is, how can we sharpen Europe’s mobile edge? The mobile industry is playing a central role in supporting economic activity and recovery in the region: with a direct impact on Europe’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2013 (contributing 3.1 per cent to, equivalent to EUR433 billion, including EUR105 billion generated directly by mobile operators; by 2020, it is estimated that the industry will generate a total economic value of EUR492 billion); and with an indirect impact on adjacent industries.

The EU institutions can contribute greatly to building a connected Europe by encouraging next-generation network investment and innovation, delivering a dynamic digital single market and enabling a sustainable recovery and powers a world-leading digital economy and connected society.

Should you wish to participate, kindly inform the EIF Secretariat at secretariat@eifonline.org.