The digital transformation is impacting every aspect of European life. It is altering how people relate to each other (societal dimension), how products or services are provided (economic dimension) and how European states govern (political dimension). The digital transformation is therefore also impacting how public administrations work internally, how they engage with citizens and how they design policies.

This paper examines the ongoing digital transition of European public administrations by asking how European states prepare public administration officials for the necessary digital transition. The paper draws lessons from the transdisciplinary project "Managing digital trends" that has been implemented in Lower Austria from March 2022 to March 2023. The project had been designed in a transdisciplinary collaboration between researchers of the e-governance department at the University for Continuing Education Krems and the office for digitalisation of the Lower Austrian administration. The design process was iterative and applied a form of "design-thinking", while the training was based on active learning elements. 250 public administration officials had participated in the training to foster their digital mindset and to nudge their departments to proactively assess the positive and negative consequences of the digital transformation for their daily work. The paper showcases the outputs of the trainings, critically reflects its outcomes, and also shares take-aways about the transdisciplinary collaboration between academics and public officials. In doing so, the paper provides valuable insights on what considerations need to drive the future training of public administration officials, but it also offers food for thought on how the role of public administrations is changing in a more digital world.

The Digital Decade Policy Programme is well under way and the prospects towards reaching the targets set within the Digital Compass are not very optimistic, according to the Commission’s own recent reports. Due to its horizontal character and pervasiveness in virtually all other policy areas, coordination and consolidation of actors’ involvement in implementation processes are key to fulfilling the ambitious targets of the Digital Decade.

Indeed, this is the starting point of the analysis, which posits that Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) are at the nexus of implementing digital transformation processes, given their European support and regional and local outreach. The European Commission has actually emphasized the significance of DIHs, especially as regards the integration of digital tehnologies and digital skills and has recommended that Member States support their activity in the progress towards the targets of the Digital Decade.

This research aims to investigate this European support and how it translates at the national and regional levels, by looking into the operationalization of DIHs at these levels and analysing their involvement in digital policy implementation. Methodologically, the research will entail a mixed methods study on the activities and engagement of DIHs in digital policy implementation at the Member State level. Their engagement is studied through the analysis of Digital Decade reports, the European Digital Innovation Network, coupled with interviews of key experts in European DIHs.

To further illustrate the focal character of DIHs, the research will zoom in the case study of Romania, ranking last in the Digital Economy and Society Index, but which has emphasized the significance of DIHs by granting them national strategic importance. Not only are DIHs eligible for European and national funding, but they are also heavily involved in agenda setting, they collaborate with the national authorities and are part of the overall Romanian digital policy governance structures.

At a theoretical level, the implications of this research will contribute to the literature on multilevel governance (MLG) in digital transition by boosting the normative approach in MLG. At empirical level, the research will provide insights and recommendations into how to operationalize DIHs as policy actors that can streamline digital transformation at local and regional levels.

As a global tech race unfolds, the European Union has actively joined the competition and aimed at securing a technological leadership in areas such as online platforms, AI, big data and virtual worlds. The success of this technological revolution hinges on the quality, reach and adaptability of electronic communications within the EU because electronic communications networks and services provide the essential connectivity needed for the transfer of data, the operation of digital services, and the development of emerging technologies. However, the EU’s electronic communications regime faces challenges in adapting to this technology revolution. Factors such as internal market fragmentation, geopolitical competition from the US and China, and a lack of international regulatory cooperation have impeded the advancement of the EU’s telecommunications industry. These challenges have promoted extensive academic and policy discussions on how to overcome these hurdles and foster a conductive environment for a more advanced EU electronic communications networks and services.

Despite the evident economic and geopolitical significance of the EU’s electronic communications policy, there has been a lack of a systematic investigation. This paper aims to fill this gap by contributing to the growing, yet relatively limited, body of academic literature on the EU’s regime governing electronic communications. Drawing on insights from historical institutionalism, this paper explores the role of major actors, including the Commission, national regulatory authorities and private entrepreneurs, in the evolution of the EU’s electronic communications regime.