Brussels, 03/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - The commissioner responsible for the digital agenda, Neelie Kroes, has welcomed the initiative taken by the partners of the Leaders Club to encourage the European Union and the business world to develop an environment that is conducive to the development of innovative technology. The Leaders Club is comprised of several young business people whose success may serve as an example for young people wishing to found their own start-up and seeking advice. They have just published a manifesto setting out 22 measures that should be adopted in order to make Europe more attractive to entrepreneurs. In a speech delivered in London on 2 September at the Start-up Europe Leaders' Club, the commissioner underlined the need for better recognition of the value of entrepreneurship in Europe and for the necessary resources to be given to young entrepreneurs so that they may carry out their ideas. “We need to shake up Europe! (…) We need a voice for the tech start-ups in Europe. (…) And launch a movement to say that the future is digital and that we need the right policies to support it”, said Kroes.
The manifesto explains to what extent the digital economy brings growth and future potential for Europe. It sets out 22 actions. Taken together, those actions may overcome the obstacles that are still preventing the digital sector from developing and give European businesses a better chance of success. “We must ensure we have the policies, modes of operation and the ambition to succeed. We need to address the fact that continental Europe currently doesn't create new businesses destined for growth as well as other parts of the world”, the authors of the manifesto say. They call on all players concerned to sign the document accessible on line (http//startupmanifesto.eu/) in order to give greater clout to their initiative. Among the ideas developed, there is the need for better business training for the young, the development of a pan-European start-up visa (allowing non-Europeans to develop a start-up on European territory more easily), the creation on the stock markets of categories for internet and mobile business, better training for those who will be qualified in the future and who must evolve on markets that are changing all the time, incentives to address the problem of the brain-drain to outside Europe, and the creation of a new kind of “e-Corp” company that respects identical criteria in all European countries and which allows a business to be set up in just 24 hours. Several of these recommendations (such as the protection of data or the opening up of public data) come under the remit of the European Union but others must come under national governments, local authorities and companies in particular, commented Commissioner Kroes, who calls upon all stakeholders to collaborate in the scheme.
The Leaders Club initiative comes within the “Start-Up Europe” six-part plan developed by the European Commission early this year and intended to encourage young Europeans that are keen to put their innovative ideas in practice and to found a start-up (see EUROPE 10815). (IL/transl.jl)