Different expansion options can be used in order to embrace countries that lay beyond EU borders. The use of infrastructure is a strategy that I advocate. The focus is on ICT infrastructure and virtual infrastructure. The ICT infrastructure can make countries become more interconnected and the virtual infrastructure could help EU prosper by offering other countries services that makes these more included into the EU-zone. Especially, trade and social exchange benefit by these infrastructures. It would be beneficial if there was a working group in EU that discuss how infrastructure can be used as a way to embrace other countries into the EU sphere.

1. Jan Softa @ Somerco Date : 2014-05-29
Enhance the EU member states competitiveness
Part 16 – Expansion options
Abstract
Different expansion options can be used in order to embrace countries that lay beyond EU borders. The use of
infrastructure is a strategy that I advocate. The focus is on ICT infrastructure and virtual infrastructure. The ICT
infrastructure can make countries become more interconnected and the virtual infrastructure could help EU prosper by
offering other countries services that makes these more included into the EU-zone. Especially, trade and social
exchange benefit by these infrastructures. It would be beneficial if there was a working group in EU that discuss how
infrastructure can be used as a way to embrace other countries into the EU sphere.
Background
Helping geniuses! Our slogan sums up whom Somerco aims to help. Somerco are a company that
target to help researchers and innovators so that these geniuses can create prosperity and jobs in
society. In this paper, I will discuss how different expansion options can be used in order to embrace
countries that lay beyond EU borders. I focus the discussion on how ICT infrastructure can make
countries become more interconnected and how the virtual infrastructure could help EU prosper by
offering other countries to services that include them into the EU-zone.
Introduction
It has proven for many countries there are many benefits with being a member in EU. It has created
economic, political and social stability. Companies have more easily been able to enter new
markets. All these are reasons for countries to apply for EU membership. However, it is not the only
options for our neighbouring countries and for those far away to be embraced into the EU-zone.
Interconnectivity and integration is an efficient way to embrace countries into the EU family. For
instance, EU has decided to build a truly European network of roads and train connections that is
expected to help business and inhabitants in EU. Other EU instruments that helps us integrate with
those outside EU is large funding programs and acceptance of our monetary union. In the Digital
Agenda you find information about the necessity of building information highways throughout
Europe that aims to help Europe become a highly interconnected information society. I focus the
discussion on how communication technology and its infrastructure can be used as a mean for EU
to expand into new territories. A statement: Infrastructure is a strategy that could be used by Europe
to embrace other countries into EU in order to ease trade and social exchange.
Definitions
ICT infrastructure is an information highway that often constitute of fibre optic cables for the core
network of Internet, for mobile traffic 4G and 5G networks is built in order to speed up the traffic
for information technology.
The virtual infrastructure constitutes of computer programming languages and cloud services. It
enables us carry out a lot of task in society as communicating by email, social media, but also
uploading, downloading and streaming of movies, online editing of texts and pictures.
ICT infrastructure
For Europe’s future it would be beneficial with three - four information highways that stretch
beyond our borders and increase our connections with these countries. It is an option that should be
examined in order to expand into new countries and make them and us more prosperous.
These information highways could go from Spain into Morocco and continue further, from Greece
into Turkey and onwards, from our Eastern borders in Poland or Romania and eastwards and from
Finland into Russia.

2. Jan Softa @ Somerco Date : 2014-05-29
It is a fairly costly investments. Europe cannot take the entire financial burden so it is important to
find those countries interested in connecting to Europe. Therefore, it would be ideal to find the key
states outside Europe on the destinations for the information highways. These can contribute with
funding and workers.
The first information highway stretches from Spain into Morocco and onwards. How much distance
of the information highways that should be funded by EU is a decision that should be discussed
among its member states and the Commission and the Parliament. However, I do not believe this
should be considered as the limits of how far these information highways can stretch. A scenario
could be that Nigeria whom has a large national economy wants to contribute and build an
information highway from their direction and connect together.
For the information highway that stretch from Greece into Turkey and beyond it has to be examined
where there is an interest among the other countries to contribute to an extension of an information
highway. Is the interest in Israel large or are the countries in Central Asia interested? Are other
important countries in the region also interested in contributing and build ICT infrastructure from
their direction.
For the information highway that stretches into Ukraine and perhaps all the way through into Russia
is an expansion that enable its companies to trade more easily and have more of social exchange
between societies.
When it concern the northern information highway there is already a planned information highway
from continental Europe until Helsinki in Finland. The costs for extending this into St Petersburg in
Russia will benefit trade and is probably also the least expensive expansion.
It is important for the future of EU to discuss different expansion options by building infrastructure
beyond its borders. Issues to consider: (a) are there interests among neighbouring countries, (b) how
far should EU contribute with building these information highways, (c) who can contribute with
what as funding, workers and so on. With an evaluation it is easier to find out what information
highways that can be built before others. EU commissioners Antonio Tajani and Neelie Kroes could
start with a working group that discuss the possibilities that comes with these information highways
and what obstacles that needs to be addressed. Such a working group should constitute of a few
members from EU officials, industry leaders and national trade organizations in order to keep it
manageable.
Virtual infrastructure
EU has produced policy papers that discuss the need for companies that offer cloud solutions. Cloud
solutions are part of the virtual infrastructure. But so far, there is not a common strategy in EU for
how virtual infrastructure can be used as a tool to embrace countries outside EU. The Digital
Agenda has its targets for the development of information society, but these are focused inwards.
These are important steps to achieve.
Already, it is time to discuss the next targets for a Digital Agenda in EU. This time a strategy for
achieving both new targets inwards EU and abroad needs to be mapped out. I focus on contributing
by discussing the targets for abroad.
(A) How should virtual infrastructure with its technology offers be used to embrace other countries
into the EU sphere? (B) Can it be measured if EU are successful when it concern controlling or
have access to its own virtual infrastructure? It is important to measure the share of customers
outside EU for the companies active in this sector and that stem from EU. (C) Should this be carried
out by measuring market share or by its financial growth?

3. Jan Softa @ Somerco Date : 2014-05-29
The virtual infrastructure is an important battlefield where EU need to be in the forefront in order to
remain or gain welfare for its inhabitants. The main reason is because it is the fastest growing
infrastructure on the planet. And yet we have only seen the beginning of this development. To be in
the forefront means Europe needs to have a strong presence and many successful companies in this
sphere.
It is here a bridge between the digital and the physical world cross-over and enables more trade and
social exchange. For EU to have companies who are able to offer this bridge makes EU attractive.
The virtual infrastructure is ideal for EU to use as an expansion option since its interconnectivity is
very rapid.
Currently, in some areas Europe is not forerunners. Europe has companies who come from the
mobile world that has great potential but Europe is less well off when it concerns those who come
from a software background. Changes are therefore necessary. More companies in software and
mobile needs to cooperate with others in science and business. Even so, there is no need for EU to
wait for this development to establish itself before lifting up this option for expansion onto the
agenda of EU.
Here the European Commission’s Enterprise & Industry and the parliaments ITRE committee and
representatives from this industry sector need to establish its current status, common interests
between companies and EU, how progress can be made at these companies, what type of products
and services EU companies can offer in order to be able to embrace more countries into EU.
Final comments
I want to start with the statement made in the introduction: To use infrastructure is a strategy that
could be used by EU to embrace other countries into EU in order to ease trade and social
exchange.
It is clear that these infrastructures are not used in order to embrace other countries into the EU
zone. I believe it is an option that should be considered as effective. In history it has proven that
integration and interconnectivity between countries are keys for societies to create stability and
prosperity. The Coal and Steel union which is the foundation of today’s EU is such an example. ICT
infrastructure and virtual infrastructure is a contemporary method that could be used. A huge
advantage these infrastructures have is it becomes easier to trade and social exchange becomes
smoother.

4. Jan Softa @ Somerco Date : 2014-05-29
Draft proposals
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 1 - Designated tax to science
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 2 – Strategy to support the software industry
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 3 – Actions to support women in ICT
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 4 – Going abroad–Competitive assets
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 5 – Business incubators, financial recycling and incentives into
reward
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 6 – Standardization as a tool to increase competitiveness
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 7 – Different types of innovations
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 8 – Open source from science to society
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 9 – Crowd sourcing and crowd funding
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 10 – Green VAT for business
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 11 - Keep talents in Europe
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 12 - Research leftovers
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 13 - Science Parks-Specializations
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 14 - Patent trolls
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 15 – Science e- Parks
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 16 – Expansion options
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 17 – The locally developed infrastructure
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 18 – Treaty (Knowledge transfer)
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 19 – Different types of infrastructure
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 20 – Build infrastructure
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 21 – Your small energy infrastructure (elsewhere) (In progress)
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Part 22 – Quick market entry (Medical)
Enhance the competitiveness of EU member states Overview – Old and new key areas in order to increase the
competitiveness of the industry (In progress)