Hello, good morning. Are you ready to Restart Europe?
I know the answer. I know your impressive track records.
Welcome in Venice, young innovators!

Young. How many of you are under 20? under 30? under 40? I am 49, that’s why I am going to have a seat right now.
So.
What a magnificent place to talk about innovation today. Isn’t?
In the common sense this is the italian great beauty.
But you, the innovators, are the real great beauty of our age. Startuppers, makers, civic hackers, open scientists, social innovators.
In a word: dreamers. Dreaming of a better World. And making it possible day after day.
Thank you for being here today.
This stunning and everlasting beauty of Venice makes me think about our uncertain future.
Take Venice. But I could say the same for Paris, Madrid, London Berlin and so on.
If we, as humanity, in a recent past, were able to make such beautiful, amazing cities, why can’t we make smart cities?
If we, as europeans, could leverage arts and crafts in order to tremendously improve people’s lives, why can’t we relaunch manufacturing? And bring it back to Europe again through digital technologies?
I could go on and on. But this is your mission today.
To Restart Europe.
And so first let me thank you all and each of you for being here today.
You have my personal gratitude for this because I know what time means for an innovator.
You do not care for slides. You want to make things.
You do not attend round tables. You want to change the world. And you can’t wait.
We won’t waste your time. At least, it’s our goal today.So your mission here is ambitious.
Maybe too much.
We will see.
But the fact is that we need to restart Europe and we want to make it done.
And we can play a fundamental role in it.
Because there is no Europe without economic growth
And there is no economic growth without digital economy.
And there is no digital economy without digital skills. Evenly distributed among every citizen. Easily managed by politicians and public administrators.
That’s why you are here today. To build a powerful network of european innovators who can make this dream true. To Restart Europe through openness, participation, collaboration. Let’s say: digital culture.
And so, good morning again. And good luck.
We need your talent, we need your passion.
Let’s restart Europe together!