EC International Partnerships Commissioner Josef Síkela visits Ericsson HQ
The role that Ericsson and other technology leading European companies have to play in building digitalization partnerships between the EU and other regions was center stage during a visit by the European Commission Commissioner for International Partnerships, Josef Síkela, to Ericsson HQ.
Commissioner Sikela’s June 18 visit to the Ericsson Imagine Studio in Kista, north of Stockholm, formed part of his mission to progress the European Commission’s Global Gateway initiative - a European strategy aimed at boosting smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport sectors and to strengthen health, education and research systems across the world.
Commissioner Síkela and his departmental delegation were hosted by Ericsson leaders, including company Chief Technology Officer, Erik Ekudden.
Ekudden explained some of Ericsson’s latest connectivity products, solutions and demonstrations to the commissioner during a tour of the Ericson Imagine Studio.
The delegations held a closed meeting where Ericsson raised the enabling role that advanced, secure and trusted 5G connectivity can play in meeting his departmental objectives.
Ericsson expert Jon Gamble with EC International Partnerships Commissioner, Josef Sikela, at the Ericsson Imagine Studio in Stockholm. Photo courtesy of the European Commission.
Industry, government and individual next-generation connectivity use cases were also discussed, such as the utilities sector, the railway industry, public safety and how private mobile money solutions help to bridge the digital divide in developing regions. Ericsson’s Wallet Platform has more than 550 million registered users, in 25 countries and processes more than 38 billion transactions per year fostering financial inclusion.
The Ericsson delegation emphasized the role of secure and trusted 5G as a global innovation platform and also reaffirmed the company’s support of the EC Global Gateway initiative.
Commissioner Síkela’s visit was the second time Ericsson headquarters has hosted an EC Commissioners in less than a month. It followed the May 30 visit of Henna Virkkunen - European Commission Executive Vice-President, Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.