Technology unites with ICTLuxembourg

(JB) ICT experts are pooling their resources and know-how to create Luxembourg's first IT federation under the moniker ICTLuxembourg.

The platform, which was formed in January this year by Fedil-ICT and APSI, aims to protect the interests of businesses involved in the ICT sector, sharing best practices, promoting the country's ICT assets abroad and speaking with a single voice.

During the last 10 months it has attracted some key players including ABBL, Association de PSF de Support, Amcham and Eurocloud Luxembourg, which will work together in the coming years.

APSI president Jean Diederich said at the launch of ICTLuxembourg on Wednesday: “Luxembourg isn't doing badly in the ICT sector. Even if on a national scale our ICT sector isn't well known. But, what we needed was a synergy between the different actors and that's the goal of ICTLuxembourg, to define the interests of this sector to the economy. ICT is a key sector today and, in future, it will be even more important for the Luxembourg landscape.”

While the Grand Duchy lagged behind its neighbours in the ICT sector some 16 years ago, in 2008 its Share of ICT value added in the business sector rose to 6.95%, compared with the EU15 average of 7.75%. In 2008, the ICT sector accounted for 5% of Luxembourg's working population.

Among the niche areas for the financial community which the platform plans to address in the coming years will be electronic banking, secret banking, cloud computing and electronic archiving.

ABBL head of Organisation, Technology and Payment Systems Marc Hemmerling said: “Almost all sectors are dependent on ICT systems. The financial sector only exists through IT. Given the uncertainty that the financial sector is going through, it's an incentive for the ICT sector to go towards new markets abroad and also to help banks and the financial sector by defining its place.”

The federation welcomes new members and will launch a new website shortly. To find out more, email secretariat@ictluxembourg.lu