Krakow, 06/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - Many member states are calling for a common industrial policy to tackle new challenges. Vice-President of the European Commission Antonio Tajani, however, prefers to speak about an “industrial strategy”. The European commissioner explained that “I do not want to impose a European industrial policy on member states. However, co-ordinated governance is needed, as well as a commitment to the real economy”.
The third industrial revolution, according to Tajani, will be through innovation. He explained: “I am not against finance and services but we should try to put finance and services at the service of the real economy. We need a new strategy, in addition to the one for 1990.”
According to the commissioner, innovation will also be promoted through training. Certain sectors need to be developed in Europe - at the head of them, information technology, the space industry and chemicals: “we are having to find engineers outside Europe and this needs to change”. He also said that there were so-called “sexy” sectors on which emphasis should be placed to push forward the “third industrial revolution”. He concluded that “all industrial sectors should be defended by trying to win the quality challenge. Innovation, quality and access to finance - these are the keywords.” (VW/transl.fl)