The IDEU project (Inclusive Digitalisation in the EU) has launched its crowdsourcing campaign in Belgium to gather the opinions and ideas of citizens on the topic of digital transformation, with the aim of achieving an inclusive transformation across Europe that leaves no one behind.
In today’s digital age, basic digital skills are essential for full participation in society. However, according to the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI 2024), only 59.4% of Belgians aged 16–74 possess basic digital skills. Across the EU, this issue is even more pronounced in older age groups and rural areas. Moreover, there is also a gender gap in the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) sector, as only 19% of ICT specialists in the EU are women, while in Belgium, women make up just 18% of ICT professionals.
In the first phase, running until the end of July 2025, the crowdsourcing initiative will focus on identifying the main challenges related to these two issues. In the following phases, citizens will be invited to propose solutions and co-create new policies.
Through IDEU’s partners, the crowdsourcing will also be available in five other European countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Romania, and Spain. The outcome will be a set of concrete policy recommendations for decision-makers to promote a more inclusive digital future.
The Belgian campaign is available in English, French and Dutch and takes just 10 minutes to complete. By this, IDEU wants to ensure citizens are included in the digital transformation process happening in Europe.
IDEU project is co-funded by the European Commission, Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme (Grant Number 101147200).