Brussels, 07/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - “We are still not closing the gap with the others”. This assertion by Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn (research, innovation and science), on Tuesday 7 February, reflects the main conclusion of the last Union scoreboard for innovation in 2011, a tool used to measure progress made in the context of the EUROPE 2020 strategy. The “others” are the EU's main rivals when it comes to innovation. Thus, despite the fact that more significant investment has been made within the EU compared to previous years, the United States, Japan and South Korea, which are in the lead in this field, are still a considerable distance ahead, the European Commission states. Also, although EU member states maintain an advance ahead of the emerging countries, like Russia, Brazil, India and South Africa, China is gradually catching up.
The scoreboard, presented by Geoghegan-Quinn and Commissioner Vice-President Antonio Tajani (industry and entrepreneurship) on Tuesday 7 February, places member states into four categories, grouping the states according to their results with regards innovation. The group of “leaders” is made up of Denmark, Finland, Germany and Sweden. Their common point is the strong presence of private sector activity in national research and innovation systems, as well as the existence of cooperation between private and public sectors - cooperation that is institutionalised and well anchored in the structure of the economy.
On the other hand, the following groups are described as “innovation followers” (Belgium, United Kingdom, Netherland, Austria, Luxembourg, Ireland, France, Slovenia, Cyprus and Estonia), “moderate innovators” (Italy, Portugal, Czech Republic, Spain, Hungary, Greece, Malta, Slovakia and Poland), and “modest innovators” (Romania, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Latvia). They are characterised by research and innovation systems that are not sufficiently balanced. Balance becomes weaker and the gap grows between the different indicators the more one descends in the classification. The weak activity of SMEs when it comes to innovation and investment in research is one of the most reliable indicators. Nonetheless, the scoreboard is more contrasted than the gross figures for 2011 might suggest. States whose innovation is “modest” or “moderate” are nonetheless among the states that are making the fastest headway. The examples of Bulgaria, Romania and Estonia suggest that a process of convergence between member states is taking place.
Although there is no miracle solution that can be applied to all member states, the different indicators of the scoreboard show above all that promoting innovation means applying a multi-dimensional strategy. There are many ingredients and they must all be promoted at the same time. Public investment must be used in conjunction with private investment, through “clusters” and close cooperation between businesses, while at the same time ensuring, through education policy, that an intellectual base will hatch out bringing innovative ideas with it. This interesting mix must then be transposed into a final product and, in the best of cases, be exported or sold under licensing. According to the Commission survey, the best examples - such as Germany - manage to strike a balance between all these ingredients. The final recipe does not only allow a country to mount in the ranks of the overall classification, but also means that the potential benefits to be had from this will generate jobs and become a motor for growth.
Although the results of the survey provide a shapshot of the situation of European policies on research and development (R&D), they also indicate certain underlying trends. The picture, however, is partially distorted by the use of data dating back to 2007, i.e. to a time before the economic and financial crisis had an impact. Furthermore, the fact that the EU as a whole is being compared to the United States or to South Korea means that the EU is being considered as a single player. This point was underlined by Tajani when he presented the scoreboard. The Commission vice-president took the view that such an inventory of innovation is a fundamental test for the convergence of EU member states. It shows the progress made, while highlighting the need to carry out reform, at the same time as increasing investment in research and development. The need to facilitate credit, i.e. to ensure that banks take on a greater part of the risk by injecting liquidity into innovative projects, is an example among others showing the plurality of approaches needed to promote innovation within the EU, so that the gap between the EU and the global leaders may be closed. (JK/transl.jl)