Brussels, 09/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - On 12 and 13 May, an informal meeting of the Competitiveness Council will discuss how the European Union can boost industrial policy in the EU, and research and innovation in the EuroMed area.
Industry. Chaired by the Greek development and competitiveness minister, Kostas Hatzidakis, EU28 industry ministers will examine recent developments in the EU's industrial policy and consider what should go into a roadmap on industrial policy following the decisions made by the spring European summit on 20-21 March (see EUROPE 11042).
To guide the discussions, the Greek Presidency has identified two areas that present major challenges for European industry - (1) innovation and key generic technologies (KET) and how to fill the innovation gap by combining the smart specialising strategy with industrial competitiveness, and by analysing the role of KET; and (2) the competitiveness of energy-guzzling industries, focusing on future prospects and reducing the amount of energy consumed.
Three work sessions are planned for the morning of Monday 12 May. The first will examine the March European summit's conclusions document on industrial competitiveness and will be addressed by the director general of DG Enterprise and Industry at the European Commission, Daniel Calleja, the director of BusinessEurope, Markus Beyrer, and Dimitris Daskalopoulos, the chairman of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises.
The second session will be chaired by Irish small business minister John Perry and will examine the drivers of European industry in the future. The Greek Presidency will invite the delegations to exchange opinions on how to fill the innovation gap, how smart specialisation can make industry more competitive, and the industrial role of big, European-interest projects like KET. Adrian Harris, director of the Orgalime engineering association, has been invited to address the meeting.
The third session will be chaired by the deputy Greek minister for competitiveness, Athanasios Skordas, and will discuss the challenges facing energy-guzzling industries. The talks will focus on current problems and future prospects, how their energy consumption can be reduced and measures to prevent carbon leakage. Skordas will be accompanied by two speakers, Mechthild Wörsdörfer, the director of energy policy at the European Commission, and Hubert Mandery, the director of CEFIC, the European industrial chemicals association.
Over lunch, the ministers will consider how to incorporate competitiveness in other European policies. The Greek Presidency has invited the Italian economic development minister, Federica Guidi, as a keynote speaker.
Research. Chaired by the Greek education minister, Constantinos Arvanitopoulos, the EU28 research ministers will discuss three topics.
A debate on cooperation for research and innovation in the EuroMed area will be introduced by the secretary general at the Greek education ministry, Christos Vasilakos, the rector of Sienna University in Italy, Angelo Riccaboni, the president of the Hellenic Marine Research Centre, Vassilios Lykousis, and Abdel Hamid El-Zoheiry of the Egyptian scientific research ministry.
The second talk will see Maritime Affairs Commissioner Maria Damanaki describe aspects of the European Commission report on innovation in the marine economy that was published on 8 May (see EUROPE 11075).
The final talk will be introduced by the chair of the European expert group on assessment of innovation partnerships on the theme: “Outriders for European competitiveness - European innovation partnerships as a tool for systemic change”. The group has made a number of recommendations on how to improve innovative European partnership, covering the criteria for the launch of new innovative European partnerships and how the partnerships are organised. (EH/JK)