Projev Petera Drölla (EK) na INCOM
Celý projev je k dispozici pouze v anglickém jazyce.
I
Simply said, innovation is fresh thinking that creates value. It builds on creativity, on the hard search and research for new knowledge and on the vision and determination to actually turn this into something new for our companies and people.
As such, innovation is the pepper of our knowledge economy. Its importance for economic welfare is now widely recognised. Research and innovation is one of the four top priorities in the EU growth and jobs strategy as redesigned by the Barroso Commission in 2005.
In the current economic crisis, innovation is even more important than before. Because of its potential as problem solver. There will be new opportunities for innovation: Times of crises are about taking a new look at what was long established and taken for granted. This is a good climate for innovation.
So, how strong is the EU in innovation? How well are we using the potential throughout the EU?
And what approach to take for the future?
II
This morning, the European Commission has published the 2008 innovation scoreboard.
This report shows that the EU as such still has a considerable gap compared to its main competitors, but that we have made progress more than generally assumed: 5 years ago the US was 41% ahead of the EU across the set of indicators, but this gap has fallen to 28%. Similarly there has been some improvement against Japan. Progress has been strongest in broadband access (14% growth per year), venture capital (10% growth per year) and numbers of graduates and doctorates (7% annual growth).
We analysed in detail how EU Member States have improved their performance in the last 5 years. Virtually all Member States have improved their performance. Denmark has not improved but is already performing at a high level (Nr 5). Also: the gap within the EU is narrowing because the fastest improving countries are those at the lower end of the scoreboard. This is only natural – but it is not automatic. While Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Portugal are rapidly improving, others combine below average performance with a below average rate of improvement, notably Italy and Spain and, at the lower end of the scoreboard Lithuania.
This wealth of data needs careful analysis and then policy follow-up. My hope is that all Member States use this benchmarking - as a stimulus to set priorities and to perform better – for the sake of economic and social welfare.
We should not jump to conclusions what this means for new Member States. However, at this stage I see two preliminary messages:
The first is identical to the EU in general: more business investment in research and innovation – the innovation leaders among EU Member States are all very successful in this domain and their policies are focused on it. In sharp contrast, the figures for the catching-up countries are particularly weak here. In other words, there is no short-cut to innovation.
Secondly, the new Member States are relatively strong in the indicators with which we measure economic effects, such as employment and exports in knowledge intensive services or new to market sales. This seems to confirm our assessment that there are "hidden innovators", not based on research, but notably based on services, design, organisational and marketing innovation. This potential should be fully exploited.
III
Let me start the look ahead with a look back. EU innovation policy has developed in different phases: the “first generation” in the 1990s viewed innovation as a linear process starting with scientific research and therefore supported technology transfer and linking public research to business. More recently there has been recognition of the interactive and systemic nature of the innovation process leading to a "second generation" of policies aiming to foster networks, collaborations and clusters. In the last few years a "third generation" of innovation policy has developed that recognises that innovation objectives are embedded across many policy areas (e.g. cohesion policy, environment, education etc.).
The EU’s current policy based on the 2006 Broad Based Innovation Strategy marks a combination of these concepts, with a package of measures and a new emphasis of demand side factors. Most of these measures have now been put in place with ongoing efforts to ensure implementation, in particular lead markets, venture capital, clusters, public procurement, standards and services.
We will build on what we have achieved so far. Streamline and simplify the measures which exist. Ensure continuity.
And we will place innovation policy in the new context. This context is marked by basically four factors:
Innovation is more diverse and global with interactions between many players increasing. A striking example: In the seventies, 80% of the award winning US innovations came from corporations acting on their one. Today, approximately two-thirds come from partnerships involving business, governments and universities.
Secondly, the role of the public sector has changed. Demand-side measures such as regulation, standards and public procurement have gained importance. At EU level, we have launched the Lead Market Initiative to this purpose.
Thirdly, many of the challenges facing our societies are now global, be it demography and migration, environment and energy, security.
Fourthly, the current economic crisis which will force all of us, but notably public authorities to provide better services with less resources.
Our intention therefore is to further increase the scope of innovation policy to put society at its heart and orientate it along grand societal challenges. This would recognise that innovation depends crucially on societal acceptance. That innovation is not just for high tech, successful companies but for all sectors, all companies and all individuals with the ambition to transform and grow.
IV
When the Heads of States of the European Union discussed the recovery package in December, they called for a European Plan for Innovation. A clear message that we should not sacrifice the long term for the short term. This plan will be part of the next growth and jobs strategy to be prepared for the end of this year. I have given you some ideas for the basis on which this plan could be developed. What is clear already today is:
Innovation is a problem solver and we need more of it.
We need a broad understanding of innovation, based on societal challenges, reaching out to everybody and every policy.
Innovation takes place at local, regional and national level. But our challenges are global. The EU's role is to improve the framework conditions in the internal market, to promote the fifth freedom. But more than that: bringing together and enabling innovators throughout the EU, North and South, East and West, so that we use our full potential and perform better, economically and socially.
Datum aktualizace: 16.8.2011 15:50
