Brussels, 14/07/2010 (Agence Europe) -Commissioner Antonio Tajani (Industry) and his colleagues Neelie Kroes (Digital Agenda) and Máire Geoghegan-Quinn (Research) on Tuesday 13 July launched a high-level expert group on key digital technologies, including nanotechnologies, micro- and nano-electronics, including semi-conductors, advanced materials, biotechnology and photonics, all of which are vital to the industrial future of the EU. The work of this group will eventually feed into the creation of a European strategy for the industrial deployment of these technologies.
The key generic technologies are of systemic importance to the world's economy and have enormous commercial potential. The volume of the global market for nanotechnologies, micro- and nano-electronics, industrial biotechnology, photonics, advanced materials and high-tech production systems has been put at between €500 billion and €570 billion a year; the annual growth rates are estimated at between 5% and 46%. In comparison, each of the industries already established, such as electronics, automotives, the chemical industry or the pharmaceutical industry, generate a turnover estimated at between €1,000 billion and €1,800 billion a year globally.
“The EU needs to work on policy measures to ensure that key enabling technologies are commercialised effectively and the results of its own R&D are successfully capitalised”, the Commission explains in a press release. The expert group set in place is tasked with drafting a common long-term strategy on the best way to improve the deployment of key generic technologies at European level. The Commission will report back on the work to the Council and the European Parliament in 2011. (E.H./transl.fl)