The European Union’s new industrial policy and the future European research and innovation plan are two of the topics on the agenda of the informal Competitiveness Council to be held in Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium), on 14-16 July. The ‘industry’ session will be presided by the Belgian Industry Minister, Jean-Claude Marcourt, and the ‘research’ session by Minister of Research Benoît Cerexhe.

Behind these two initiatives is the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy for employment and growth

The first day, which will be opened by the CEO of Arcelor Mittal, Lakshmi Mittal, will include two sessions: the first will focus on the tools for a new modernised industrial policy, whereas the second will look at identifying new forms of governance in an integrated industrial policy. A reflection paper, drawn up by Ecorys on behalf of the Belgian EU Presidency, will serve as a starting point for the debate. It raises a series of questions about the industrial policy, which it attempts to answer in a creative manner. Starting from the premise that the link between sustainable development and industrial competitiveness will necessarily be part of the fundamental themes of the future industrial policy, the reflection paper talks of a sustainable competitive industrial policy to describe a new industrial policy geared towards the future.

INNOVATION IN SMES

The second day will focus on promoting the development of a European innovation policy aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). “The Presidency would like to initiate a wide, open and constructive debate on all possible solutions imaginable by the European Union and players that will facilitate the transfer of the European economy, and particular in the industry sector, towards a more sustainable and competitive development,” reads the conceptual framework of the meeting. “These solutions are supported particularly by research and development (R&D) and innovation whence the idea to organise a joint session of industry and research ministers on the afternoon of 15 July.” The aim of this working session will be to decide on conclusions and recommendations for the future European research and innovation plan. Ministers will also be given a presentation of a study carried out by the Bruegel think tank suggesting that the accent should be placed more on basic research and on supporting high risk innovation (see Europolitics4018).

The Belgian Presidency plans to study the different obstacles with which they are faced, notably the limited access to funding for innovation, the difficulty in obtaining the benefits from R&D and innovation, administrative regulations and red tape. This session could also take inspiration from the reflection paper (see above), which concludes that an increasing number of young and innovative enterprises to develop new activities and an increasing number of innovative SMEs capable of absorbing the innovations and new technologies are “sine qua non” conditions for an efficient sustainable competitive industrial policy.

According to this report, the innovation dimension in the application of the Small Business Act (SBA) should also be reinforced or a new SBA specifically targeting innovation should be created. It calls for greater attention to be paid to the links between the SBA (and its implementation) and the future European plan for research and innovation, which must be adopted in autumn 2010.

Research ministers will meet again, on 16 July, to discuss innovation and simplifying the access to European research programmes at universities, research centres and businesses. n

The reflection paper is available at www.europolitics.info > Search = 276669