PR & Media Centre

Act Now on Innovation Before Its Too Late

A new report urges Europe's leaders to take radical action on research and innovation "before it is too late" and calls for a "Pact for Research and Innovation" to be signed by political, business and social leaders to show their commitment to creating an Innovative Europe.

A group of experts, led by former Prime Minister of Finland, Esko Aho, was asked by the European Commission to assess the current situation and make proposals to boost Europe's research and innovation performance in line with the revised Lisbon agenda: i2010.

The publication of this independant report on the need for action to promote innovation and research, has been welcomed by Minister for Science and Innovation, Lord Sainsbury.

The "Creating an Innovative Europe" report states that "there is a large gap between the rhetoric of a political system that preaches the knowledge society, and the reality of budgetary and other priorities that have shown little shift in preparing to engage with it ."

The report proposes a four way strategy focusing on the creation of innovation friendly markets, strengthening R&D resources, increasing structural mobility and a culture which celebrates innovation.

"Intellect has long been campaigning to raise knowledge economy issues up the agenda, so we can adopt, adapt and absorb the benefits of ICT, services and applications in order to achieve significant benefits in terms of productivity, innovation, growth and quality of life." said Beatrice Rogers, Intellect Senior Programme Manager: Knowledge Economy. 

"Supporting Intellect's key findings from our Innovation Nation? campaign, the report acknowledes Europe's cultural aversion to risk and the effect this has on entrepreneurship, and builds on many of the issues raised in Intellect's i2010 paper on the importance of R&D and innovation to our future prosperity. This is an excellent report carrying clear, strong messages to European polictical, business and social leaders on the need to act now, and act together, if we are to create an innovative Europe."

Copies of the report can be downloaded by clicking the link below.

http://europa.eu.int

This story was featured in the 25 January 2006 edition of The Bulletin.