No one could have predicted the extent to which our world would change in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And yet, despite the dramatic situation, 2020 has been a transformational and, dare I say, successful year for CERRE. 

In 2020, our think tank celebrated its 10th anniversary. Driving regulatory innovation for a decade, CERRE has provided decisive contributions to improve the regulation of digital and network industries. Having attracted close to fifty members as well as securing the attention and respect from policy makers, corporate and regulatory decision makers, civil society and academia, the model imagined ten years ago has demonstrated its success. It is based on a mix of academic excellence (in economics, law, engineering, political science and communication), independence, timeliness and relevance of our reports and events, a sector and cross-sector focus, and, last but not least, a membership base including corporations, regulatory authorities, and academic centres.

At CERRE, we continued a dense research programme. In addition to its work on telecom infrastructure, our academic team contributed to the ongoing development of a competitive, safe, and fair online environment for the digital ecosystems that also safeguards users’ fundamental rights. Our work in energy and climate addressed many topical issues such as what Emissions Trading Systems would look like post-COVID as well as ‘fairness’ in the transition to becoming a carbon-neutral continent. Finally, we contributed to explain how Mobility as a Service (MaaS) would play a key part in future smart and sustainable mobility.

We welcomed new academic collaborations as well as new members. We also adapted to a new way of working. For the first time CERRE dipped its toe into the world of online events and scaled its digital communication efforts to new heights. It was an honour and a pleasure to host so many distinguished guests during our many online debates, including among others European Commissioners Thierry Breton, Vĕra Jourová, Didier Reynders, Kadri Simson, and Margrethe Vestager, MEPs Stéphanie Yon-Courtin and Alex Agius Saliba, and CEOs Marco Alverà, Brad Smith, and Mark Zuckerberg. This allowed us to attract up to 30,000 viewers for a single event, an all-time record in Brussels for an academic think tank.

Finally, I would like to thank very warmly all the engaged individuals who make the CERRE family and made this success possible. Whether they are part of the secretariat, the academic team, or member organisations their commitment and trust over the course of the year has been invaluable. 

Now, on the way to 2030…