Gérald Santucci

30 years ago, spearheaded by the two former commissioners Bangemann (Information Society) and Cresson (Research and Development), the European Commission had taken a series of initiatives in the area of research through the creation of 5 “Research-Industry Task Forces” in different domains of industrial interest, including the educational multimedia software.

The objective of the Task Force was clear: to help improve the quality and effectiveness of education and training systems and provide access to the ‘information society’ for teachers, students and apprentices by giving them an insight into the use of new digital tools and into training in the subject.

Today, research, development and applications of multimedia and hypermedia in education has become mainstream, with the theory and practice of learning and teaching using most advanced digital technology, including artificial intelligence, to enable the integration of images, sound, text, and data. The global Digital Education Market size is likely to grow from about EUR20 billion in 2023 to EUR 70 billion by 2028. Large companies provide platforms that allow personalized learning experiences for students, data-driven insights to educators, affordable and easy access to education to all potential learners, including in peripheral regions.

For the so-called Z and Alpha generations, the history of the introduction and use of digital technology in the field of education and training is largely unknown. But I would like to highlight the importance of the pioneering work that took place in the European Commission during the second half of the 1990s. Back in 1995, the Educational Multimedia Task Force began its work by carrying out a comparative study and follow-up of the most advanced pilot experiments in the use of educational multimedia products and services in Europe and worldwide, then consulted many experts from the supply and demand sides to discuss challenges and opportunities, and finally made recommendations for mobilizing resources for research and development at EU level. This was deemed very successful. But what was unique at that time was the deep and steady collaboration between different services of the European Commission – DG XIII for telecommunications, DG XXII for education, DG XII for research – under the piloting of the regretted Michel Richonnier, Director of the Telematics Applications Programme.

This experience demonstrated that the right mix of vision, leadership, commitment and dedication to a good cause can move mountains and change the world. I would like today to pay tributes to all those who led the Educational Multimedia Task Force and to the many stakeholders who, by their engagement and energy, made it a success. 30 years after, this remains for ENSA a role model to follow.