The importance of innovation in the European Union’s 2020

strategyLambert van Nistelrooij

Member of the European Parliament, EPP- Group/CDA8 September 2011

Lambert van Nistelrooij, MEP (EPP Group)

• EU Strategy for 2010-2020 • Launched in March 2010 by European Commission President José Manuel

Barroso• Aims for:

- smart growth (fostering knowledge, innovation, education and digital society);- sustainable growth (making our production more resource efficient while boosting our competitiveness) - inclusive growth (raising participation in the labour market, the acquisition of skills and the fight against poverty).

• And:- societal challenges (climate change, scarce energy, demographic

change and security)- greater coordination of national and European policy

EU 2020 strategy

Lambert van Nistelrooij, MEP (EPP Group)

Europe needs to get ‘back on track’ → get out of the financial crisis and prepare for next decade

Europe is not on track yet → Europe's target for 2010 for spending 3% of EU GDP to research and development (Lisbon Strategy) has not been realised yet. (EU-27 1.9% in 2008.)

Europe is lacking behind countries like the US and Japan

This needs to change → Europe needs to be more competitive

Why EU 2020?

Lambert van Nistelrooij, MEP (EPP Group)

1. Innovation Union2. Youth on the move 3. A digital agenda for Europe4. Resource-efficient Europe 5. An industrial policy for green growth 6. An agenda for new skills and jobs7. European platform against poverty

How? Flagship initiatives in EU 2020 Strategy:

Lambert van Nistelrooij, MEP (EPP Group)

• What will be the basis for Europe's future

competitiveness? • How will we create new growth and jobs? • How will we get Europe's economy back on track? • How will we tackle growing societal challenges like

climate change, energy supply, the scarcity of resources and the impact of demographic changes?

• How will we improve health and security and sustainably provide water and high-quality, affordable food?

The only answer is INNOVATION

Innovation Union

Lambert van Nistelrooij, MEP (EPP Group)

Lambert van Nistelrooij, MEP (EPP Group)

EU Competition-index

• Innovation leaders: Denmark, Finland, Germany, Sweden and the UK

• Innovation followers: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Ireland, Luxembourg,

the Netherlands and Slovenia.

• Moderate innovators: Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Poland,

Portugal, Slovakia and Spain.

• Catching-up countries: Bulgaria, Latvia and Romania, with innovation performance

significantly below the EU27 average.

Lambert van Nistelrooij, MEP (EPP Group)

EU 27 country groups

• Under-investment in our knowledge foundation

• Unsatisfactory framework conditions

• Too much fragmentation and costly duplication.

Lambert van Nistelrooij, MEP (EPP Group)

European weaknessesin innovation

• Launched 6 October 2010 by the European Commission • Aim: to improve the conditions and access to finance

for research and innovation and assures that innovative ideas turn into products and services that create growth and jobs.

• 4 concrete proposals:– Create a European Patent– Speed up standardisation– Make more use of public procurement– Enhance access to finance

Lambert van Nistelrooij, MEP (EPP Group)

Innovation Union

Lambert van Nistelrooij, MEP (EPP Group)

Report Van Nistelrooij:Synergy cohesion and R&D&I

85 billion euro allocated for innovation in structural funds

SYNERGY

54 bln R&D + INNOVATION(F.P.’s)

85 billionINNOVATION(S.F.)

• Simplification

• More participation needed SMEs and industry

• Creating ‘stairway to excellence’

• Smart specialisation

Lambert van Nistelrooij, MEP (EPP Group)

Focus points in the European Parliament

• Excellent initiative collaboration NL- Hungary• Always been actively involved with Tilburg and

its innovation-initiatives (SHARE-ERIC)• Participation WIRE conference Debrecen,

Hungary

(Regional Dimension of the Innovation Union)

Lambert van Nistelrooij, MEP (EPP Group)

INNOHELIX