Alojzije Jukić, HGK: Cybersecurity and AI Will Be Key Factors in the Competitiveness of Economies

Members of the Presidency and Council of the IT Association of HGK, led by President Alojzije Jukić, met with Hilary Mine, Chair of the Executive Board of DIGITALEUROPE.

In the introduction, Tajana Kesić Šapić, Head of the Industry Department, emphasized that HGK’s membership in DIGITALEUROPE is important as it allows the domestic industry to articulate its views on challenges in IT, such as the pressing issue of the shortage of cybersecurity experts and the shortcomings of the Data Act proposal, stated HGK in a press release.

– The Data Act is an extremely important topic, especially when considering the AI initiative. We believe that more intense interaction between regulators, the European Commission, and the private sector is necessary to optimally arrange these frameworks so that cybersecurity is not compromised, but rather, on the contrary – to strengthen Europe’s strategic position in this domain. In the years to come, cybersecurity and AI will be key factors in the competitiveness of economies – emphasized Alojzije Jukić, President of the IT Association of HGK.

The intention of the Data Act is to strengthen the data economy in the EU, but DIGITALEUROPE – the association of digital industries at the EU level warns that the current proposal risks undermining the competitiveness of the European IT industry by imposing a data-sharing obligation not only on the user but also on third parties.

– We fully support the goal of creating a strong and competitive data economy in Europe. However, the current proposal of the Data Act is not purposeful and could permanently harm the competitiveness of some of the most successful European companies that employ millions of people. Furthermore, we believe that it could pose a serious risk to cybersecurity and protection – explained Hilary Mine, Chair of the Executive Board of DIGITALEUROPE.

Geopolitical Tensions

Mine highlighted that DIGITALEUROPE is actively lobbying for the Data Act to be revised and that there should not be a rush to adopt regulations that do not take a broad perspective into account. Meeting participants also discussed the skills gap in the cybersecurity job market.

Mine noted that one of the burning issues in the IT industry in Europe is the increasing number and intensity of cyberattacks, which pose a significant threat to the functioning of network and information systems and the entire single European market. The Russian military aggression against Ukraine has further exacerbated this threat, but numerous criminal and ‘hacktivist’ actors involved in current geopolitical tensions cannot be overlooked.

For this reason, meeting participants welcomed the launch of the Cybersecurity Skills Academy. Given that it is projected that one million professionals in this field will be lacking by 2030, despite promising employment opportunities, such an initiative could help bridge that gap.

The Academy will start online, on the European Commission’s digital skills and jobs platform. Individuals interested in a career in cybersecurity will be able to undergo training and receive certifications. An unavoidable topic in IT today is artificial intelligence. Meeting participants agreed that as AI advances, people are increasingly fearful of that progress.

For this reason, Mine believes that regulating AI is inevitable, and a major challenge will be that America, China, and Europe will regulate it in different ways.

She added that her experience unfortunately tells her that Europe will be the one that lags the most in regulation. The European digital industry is one of the leading drivers of economic growth and job creation, so regulations in the industry are extremely important, but it is essential that they are made in collaboration with the real sector, as this will ensure that the industry serves to strengthen the resilience of the entire European economy, it was concluded at the meeting.