Although Luxembourg is ranked third in Europe according to the eGovernment Benchmark, the Digital Decade public consultation highlights areas for improvement. Luxembourg stands out for its high scores in ‘user-centricity’ (97%), ‘transparency’ (90%) and ‘cross-border services’ (92%), well above the European average. The country also ranks well in the "key success factors" with 80%, a score that is expected to increase thanks to the bill on the "ounce only" principle aimed at simplifying administrative procedures.
The results of this ranking are based on the analysis of almost 11 000 websites in Europe, assessed using 14 indicators and 48 questions. In parallel, Luxembourg launched the public consultation Digital Decade, an annual barometer of digitalisation progress up to 2030. So far, only nine ecosystem stakeholders have responded, with the consultation open until 23 July.
Luxembourg's ambitions for 2030 are manifold. First, increase the proportion of residents aged 16-74 with basic digital skills to 80% (currently 60%). Secondly, to reach 10% of employees with specialised ICT skills, while increasing the share of women (currently 22.5%). Third, ensure gigabit coverage for 100% of households, compared to 78.9% fiber coverage currently.
In terms of infrastructure, although some targets are not quantified, Prime Minister Luc Frieden referred to the acquisition of a quantum computer to complement the Meluxina HPC, thus increasing the country’s computing capacity.
For businesses, the goal is for 75% of them to use the cloud, artificial intelligence and big data by 2030, and for 90% of SMEs to reach a basic level of digital intensity. Luxembourg, with a current adoption of 32.6% for the cloud and 32.4% for big data, is below the European average and far from the 75% target. However, AI uptake is more promising, at 14.40%, well above the EU average.
Luxembourg also aims for 100% of citizens and businesses to have access to the main public services online by 2030. Currently, only 76.1% of citizens have access to their medical records online, indicating a need for reinforcement in this area.
Luxembourg is putting in place various initiatives to achieve these ambitious objectives. For example, the creation of the EIG MyConnectivity in 2021 aims to accelerate digitalisation, and specific programmes such as Fit4Start are simplified to include artificial intelligence. Financial support from the European Commission and the Ministry of Economy plays a key role in these efforts.
In summary, although Luxembourg is performing impressively on eGovernment, the Digital Decade public consultation highlights areas requiring increased efforts to achieve the 2030 targets. Ongoing initiatives, supported by financial resources and legislative projects, aim to strengthen digital skills, improve technological infrastructure and ensure universal access to digital public services.
Source: Luxembourg maintains third place in eGovernment Benchmark, Delano, Thierry Labro