Luxembourg among EU digital leaders, but weaknesses still exist

On 16 June, the European Commission presented the third progress report of the Digital Decade, a strategic plan for Europe's digital transformation until 2030. The document contains both an overall assessment of EU achievements and detailed national reports, including for Luxembourg, with individual recommendations.

Luxembourg has once again confirmed its status as a European pioneer of digitalisation. The European Commission praised the country's communications infrastructure: almost complete 5G coverage (99.6 per cent) and very high capacity networks (VHCN) cover 95.2 per cent of the territory - one of the best figures in the EU.

The country is also actively developing artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and sovereign cloud services, including the MeluXina-AI platform and participation in the AI Factories initiative. Cybersecurity policy has also been recognised: Luxembourg invests in national solutions with sector-specific protection measures and actively promotes open source software through the state-owned OSPO.

Particular attention is paid to participation in shaping digital rights: Luxembourg has implemented more than 100 initiatives in support of the European Declaration of Digital Rights and Principles, including 20 new projects in 2024 alone.

However, things are not all rosy. Despite the fact that 8% of the labour force are ICT specialists (the second highest in the EU), only 60.1% of the population has basic digital skills, and the gap between social groups persists. This suggests the need to continue with ambitious education and inclusion initiatives to ensure that the digital transformation does not leave vulnerable groups behind.

The report also points to a low level of digitalisation among SMEs: only 70.3% of SMEs have a basic level of digital intensity - just below the EU average. The use of cloud technology and data analytics remains limited, hindering digital breakthroughs in the business sector. Analysts call for greater development of financial instruments and access to venture capital for scale-up companies to support the sustainable growth of the start-up ecosystem.

The digital public services sector is another reason to be proud. For citizens, Luxembourg has almost reached the 2030 targets with a score of 97.7, and for businesses it has already reached the maximum score of 100. However, electronic medical records remain a weak link, with a score of 76.1, just below the EU average.

At the national level, the strategy is coordinated by the Service for Media, Digital Policy and Communication and implemented by an inter-ministerial committee, underlining Luxembourg's integrated approach to digital policy.

Thus, the country remains among Europe's digital leaders, but the report makes it clear: to maintain its position, Luxembourg will not only have to strengthen infrastructure, but also increase digital inclusion, develop technological entrepreneurship and fight digital inequality.