The Internet Economy Foundation was present throughout the recent DLD Munich, as we hosted a panel that explored how France and Germany can work together to drive Europe’s digital future. Titled Digital Powerhouse Europe? An urgent Agenda for Macron and Merkel, the session featured leading tech founders and investors from both Germany and France.
With the election of Emmanuel Macron and the recent re-election of Angela Merkel, both countries are keen to align their plans for aggressive development in the digital economy and anchor them within Europe. What specific policy priorities should Europe set, and how can they be achieved? Our panel discussed the many aspects of this burning issue, especially increasing capital and investment, ensuring platform neutrality, and encouraging Europe to think big.
Source: DLD Media GmbH
The panelists were:
- representing France Digitale as its Vice President, Frédéric Mazzella, the founder and CEO of the peer-to-peer mobility platform BlaBlaCar, one of France’s best-known unicorn startups,
- also giving the French perspective was France Digitale co-founder Marie Ekeland, a partner of the venture capital firm Daphni,
- and the German perspective was be given by IE.F board member and former Deutsche Telekom CEO René Obermann, now Managing Partner at Warburg Pincus.
- The panel was moderated by the IE.F’s Chairman, Professor Friedbert Pflueger.
Other IE.F board members who spoke at DLDmunich this year include Klaus Hommels, founder of Lakestar, and Robert Gentz, co-founder of Zalando.
Links to the DLD-Session as well as photos and other videos of the conference
Video: Digital Powerhouse Europe
Keynote Klaus Hommels: Europe & the Digital Economy
Highlights from Unicorns made in Germany
For updates and more pictures or videos, visit www.dld-conference.com