This year marks the 15th anniversary of CCIA Europe. We already celebrated that milestone a few weeks ago in Brussels, and around the world we’ve passed 50, but in this article I’d like to take you along on our journey, reflecting on how far we’ve come and all of CCIA Europe’s achievements since 2009.
Of course, today the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) is an international not-for-profit trade association, which advocates for the connected economy worldwide from offices in the European Union, United Kingdom, and United States.
The early days
Back in 2009, when CCIA decided to cross the Atlantic to set up shop in the capital of the EU, things looked very different. While CCIA’s Members already included some well-known names, the massive growth and expansion of the digital sector had only just begun. And today’s technology-enabled economy had not yet fully come into being.
Most of our members only had small offices in Brussels, if any at all, and CCIA’s beginnings in Europe were very humble. In fact, CCIA was one of the first international technology associations to recognise the importance of EU policy and decision making. There was a clear ambition and desire to contribute to the policy conversations in Europe.
While our member companies grew their cutting-edge digital technology products and services, which captured the hearts and imaginations of Europeans along the way, the EU institutions also started taking greater interest in regulating the flourishing tech sector.
This meant more work – and more responsibilities for the growing CCIA Europe team, which got a much broader portfolio of policy issues to cover. Founded initially as a one-person operation, five years later we had grown to four full-time staffers, and in the spring of 2017 that team moved from a shared office to CCIA Europe’s first dedicated own space.
Leading voice for the digital sector
The Brussels office developed from an overseas ‘outpost’ into a full-fledged team that increasingly managed to set the agenda in Brussels. We developed our own distinct made-in-Europe policies, recommendations, and approaches. Come 2024, and the digital tech sector is one of the most regulated industries in the European Union, with over seventy major new laws applying to tech adopted during the last legislative term alone. Our team now counts nine staffers, providing a broad range of expertise to CCIA Europe’s members.
Over the last 15 years, we have become a leading voice for the tech industry in Brussels and beyond – connecting policymakers to the dynamic, constantly evolving digital sector and informing the conversation on crucial tech policy files. Our mission, however, remains unchanged. We keep working to improve understanding of the digital economy and tech industry issues, also sharing the sector’s collective expertise, with a view to fostering balanced and well-informed policy making in Europe.
While it’s impossible to predict what the next 15 years will bring in terms of tech innovation and digital breakthroughs, I am excited about our sector’s collective potential for societal progress. As an advocate for a thriving European digital economy, CCIA Europe will continue to actively contribute to EU policy making in a constructive way, as it has been since 2009.
Our amazing team continues to grow, as do the policy fields we engage in. We continue to make a difference and push positive ideas that will help our members and Europe continue to grow and thrive together. Here’s to CCIA Europe’s next 15 years – and beyond!
PS
Make sure to watch this video about our 15th anniversary, in which Matthew Schruers (President & CEO of CCIA) reflects on CCIA Europe’s journey since 2009, while I talk in more detail about the challenges ahead.
