The digitalization of public administrations across Europe is a growing trend, but adoption and penetration are not uniform. The use of advanced digital technologies could expedite procedures around the application for EU funds and bring the benefits of e-government to countries lagging behind. The creation of the Next Generation EU recovery plan in response to Covid-19 provides an opportunity to use advanced digitalization to navigate the public funding process. However, EU countries are not all equally digitalized, with the Nordic countries being the most integrated and Eastern Europe struggling to create a more digitalized system. The largest EU economies in terms of GDP are not necessarily among the digital frontrunners. Digital public services face challenges, and Arthur D. Little has identified critical elements of digital public services, including digital infrastructure, digital skills, and advanced digital technologies. Digital technologies can be a fundamental driver for economic growth if applied correctly to public funding procedures.
