The empowerment of people is essential for any transformation. Digitalisation is shifting limits and will dissolve the still existing separation between blue and white-collar workers. Never before had the digital agenda been so necessary and vital. It is not just an immediate response to the impact of the COVID-19, but it also makes the drive for research and innovation indispensable. The current economy models are out of breath because of the speed in which changes occur. We are in the era of globalisation, climate change, pandemics, digital transformation, collaborative economy, urban concentration and depopulation of the rural world. Numerous changes that governments struggle to regulate. However, they also imply new divergences and polarisations between mechanisms and societies. Therefore, new responses are necessary.

The digital economy is characterized by new economic models such as the sharing economy and the gig employment models. In the sharing economy, consumers and providers are connected via online platforms. The platform provider is the most important entity, running operations through temporary employees or “gig” workers. The rising importance of the sharing economy has resulted in many countries looking deeper into the segment, addressing it in their national transformation plans, and drafting tailor-made regulations.

Join ASCAME, in partnership with other relevant associations in the digital and innovation sectors, in this key Hot Seat Talk.

Key points for discussion:

• The situation and evolution of the collaborative economy in the Mediterranean region.
• Whether its model adapts to the regional economy and the Mediterranean business culture.
• How to better position the region as a favourable destination for foreign global
  companies.