asignatura master 2025

The digital economy is developing rapidly worldwide. It is the single most important driver of innovation, competitiveness and growth, and it holds huge potential for European entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Unfortunately, only two percent of European enterprises are currently taking full advantage of new digital opportunities. How European businesses adopt digital technologies will be a key determinant of their future growth.

These trends enable more than just technological innovation. They spur innovation in business models, business networking and the transfer of knowledge and access to international markets.

To acquire knowledge of the challenges of the new digital economy in the EU context is fundamental within the framework of the Official Master's Degree in European Union Studies. It is a basic premise to understanding how EU economy will evolve and how Member States, EU Institutions, EU enterprises and EU citizens take part in that process.

Two billion people are currently connected to the internet and by 2016, this number will exceed 3 billion – almost half of the world’s population.

Businesses that fail to get digitally connected will become excluded from the global market.

The huge potential of the digital economy is underexploited in Europe, with 41% of enterprises being non-digital, and only two percent taking full advantage of digital opportunities. New digital opportunities create new business opportunities. Now that youth unemployment has risen to over 20% in the EU (and to over 55% in Spain and Greece), the growth prospects offered by the digital economy in Europe are promising.

Other regions of the world are already ahead of the game. The digital economy now contributes up to eight percent of the GDP of the G-20 major economies, powering growth and creating jobs. Over the last five years, the development of mobile applications alone has created nearly 500 000 new jobs in the US, implying strong employment growth prospects. That type of growth is not seen across the EU. It is estimated that 1.5 million additional jobs could be created in the EU digital economy if it mirrors the performance of the US or Sweden. 

Although many EU entrepreneurs are already leveraging digital technologies to create successful businesses and significant economic impact, that number could be increased. This is especially true given that European small businesses grow two to three times faster, and create new jobs when they embrace digital technologies. With the aid of technology, small businesses can also go global from day one, reaching overseas markets and talented potential employees.

Just engaging with customers online seems to create growth: figures have shown that SMEs from many countries that have actively engaged with consumers on the internet have experienced sales growth rates that are up to 22 percentage points higher over three years than those companies in countries with low or no internet presence. By not taking full advantage of digital technologies, EU businesses miss out on the chance to expand and create jobs. It is estimated that if all EU countries mirrored the performance of the USA or the best-performing EU countries, 400,000 to 1.5 million new jobs could be created in the EU internet economy.

New technologies also hold potential for the manufacturing industries. The digitization of manufacturing can transform the entire industry, offering prospects for the re-location of industry in Europe. The digital economy will reach EUR 3.2 trillion in the G-20 economies and already contributes up to eight per cent of GDP, powering growth and creating jobs. In addition, over 75% of the value added created by the Internet is in traditional industries, due to higher productivity gains.

The course will have a theoretical and a practical dimension. The study of the framework, actions and perspectives of the EU in the digital economy will be supplemented with a view of the concrete and practical enterprise actions and how to be, as company or citizen, been involved in the digital economy explosion. Specific approaches to each business area/sector will be followed by a study of their own dynamics.

This subject is targeted to actual or future professionals with a diversity of profiles: EU business professionals, entrepreneurs, law experts, EU civil servants, National or Regional civil servants dealing with EU issues, etc. It can also be useful to managers and decision-makers working for all kind of enterprises, political organizations and private or public companies.

Finally, special regard will be paid to students interested in conducting research on EU business, digital economy and innovation.

It is assumed that the natural background of the students will be a Business degree, Economics degree, Law Degree, a Political Science Degree or an Engineering degree if interested in the digital economy. Other Graduates are by no means excluded: any graduate truly interested in EU issues will fit into the course.

Previous knowledge of EU institutions, along with familiarity with EU affairs is an excellent starting point for the student to make the most of this subject.

Although communication between students and the teaching staff will take place preferably on-line, guidance will be provided by the traditional system of academic service practiced by UNED.

In this regard, Dr. Julio Navío will be on duty on Wednesdays from 15 p.m. to 19 p.m. (Telephone. +34 91 398 6383). Students can send their e-mail to jnavio@cee.uned.es at any time.

COMPETENCIAS BÁSICAS Y GENERALES:

CG04 - Gestión de los procesos de comunicación e información. Expresión y comunicación eficaces a través de distintos medios y con distinto tipo de interlocutores a través de un uso eficaz de las herramientas y recursos de la Sociedad del Conocimiento (competencia en el uso de las TIC; en la búsqueda de información relevante; en la gestión y organización de la información; en la recolección de datos, el manejo de bases de datos y su presentación).

CG05 - Trabajo en equipo desarrollando distinto tipo de funciones o roles como Habilidad para coordinarse con el trabajo de otros; habilidad para negociar de forma Eficaz; habilidad para la mediación y resolución de conflictos; habilidad para coordinar grupos de trabajo o liderazgo (en el marco del aprendizaje)

CB6 - Poseer y comprender conocimientos que aporten una base u oportunidad de ser originales en el desarrollo y/o aplicación de ideas, a menudo en un contexto de investigación

CB7 - Que los estudiantes sepan aplicar los conocimientos adquiridos y su capacidad de resolución de problemas en entornos nuevos o poco conocidos dentro de contextos más amplios (o multidisciplinares) relacionados con su área de estudio

CB8 - Que los estudiantes sean capaces de integrar conocimientos y enfrentarse a la complejidad de formular juicios a partir de una información que, siendo incompleta o limitada, incluya reflexiones sobre las responsabilidades sociales y éticas vinculadas a la aplicación de sus conocimientos y juicios

CB9 - Que los estudiantes sepan comunicar sus conclusiones y los conocimientos y razones últimas que las sustentan a públicos especializados y no especializados de un modo claro y sin ambigüedades

CB10 - Que los estudiantes posean las habilidades de aprendizaje que les permitan continuar estudiando de un modo que habrá de ser en gran medida autodirigido o autónomo.

COMPETENCIAS ESPECÍFICAS:

CE01 - Trabajar en contextos multidisciplinares que son los propios del ámbito de la Unión Europea y resolver problemas en dicho ámbito.

CE02 - Dominar los instrumentos de regulación y ordenación de la Unión Europea en contextos profesionales y académicos.

CE03 - Identificar normas y documentos dentro del sistema jurídico-político resultante de la integración de los ordenamientos jurídicos de los Estados Miembros y de la Unión Europea 

CE04 - Encontrar, analizar y aplicar la legislación emanada de las diferentes instituciones y órganos de la Unión Europea, así como la de los Estados Miembros que se refiera o esté implicada en el sistema europeo.

CE14 - Analizar la economía de la Unión Europea interrelacionando todos sus aspectos

Knowledge: Students are expected to acquire extensive and advanced knowledge of the EU digital economy. Familiarity with the EU policies and actions in this area, and specific understanding of the different business and sectors, specially  the digital SME and its dynamics, digital entrepreneurship and the digitising the European industry. The Research and Innovation in the EU digital economy will be studied in depth, and also different aspect of the digital society.

Skills: Students are expected to develop their ability to find their way through the complex EU digital economy and build a personal framework to potencially participate in european digital business A crucial skills to be honed by students is the selection, usage and management of documentary sources and EC materials. Writing about EU business issues in a clear and concise manner is another skill this course is intended to reinforce.

Attitudes: Students are encouraged to have a positive attitude towards the inter-relation of the various aspects of the EU new businesses. An intellectual attitude that is both open and critical will be required to examine the institutional dimension of the problems currently faced by the EU economy. A good disposition towards autonomous work is essential to maximize the results of the course.

This combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes will prepare students for the task of understanding the complexities of the EU digital economy, providing them with the tools required to understand the challenges it faces and its possible evolution and development.

Teaching and learning are to take place through well-tested methods of distance education as understood in open universities. Learning materials will be referred to or provided by the teaching staff through on-line channels. Acquisition of knowledge will take place through: 1) Reading the basic learning materials; 2) Research, guided by the teaching staff through on-line tutorials and 3) Use of information in situations and cases presented by the teaching staff.

PROGRAMME OF WORK:

Reading texts and documents: 25 hours

Search and study of other basic and supplementary material : 25 hours

Intervention in the virtual course : 25 hours

Development of an essay: 50 hours

ACTIVITIES

It is recommended to fulfill the activities´ deadlines included in the work schedule

Exercice I will allow to practice the contents from first half of the subjets
Exercice II will allow to practice the contents from the seconf half of the subject
The essay will research on a topic that will be suggested at the end of module IV

The objective of these activities is to check if the concepts and methods of each unit have been properly understood

The practical  information will be updated in the virtual classroom as soon as the course starts

All the material will be available for free. The material is prepared by the teaching team and completed with public documentation.

In addition to the material prepared by the teaching team, EC documents, EC publications and EC and enterprises´ reports will the basic material to review.

All the material will be available through the virtual campus platform

Academic Journals are important tools for the students of this course. They will be necessary to enhance views and deepen knowledge. Familiarity with this type of academic, specialized literature is required if students are to move beyond handbooks and official documents towards high-quality sources.  Selected articles will be provided as samples

On-line course: The course will be conducted on-line. On-line tutorials will be the basic form of interaction between students and the teaching staff. Access to learning materials, submission of essays and other documents, and communication between course participants will take place through the specific on-line channel designed and maintained for the course.