An inquiry among European industrial researchers and developers on Europe’s industrial R&D.

Europe weakness in industrial R&D is often highlighted to explain the gap between Europe and the United States in term of innovation and competitiveness. The Barcelona target to reach 3% of national spending in R&D within the European Union is thus largely aimed at increasing private investments in science and technology. However, such goal is unlikely to be attained without important actions.
The aim of this new workgroup is to determine the key issues which prevent industrial companies to invest in science and technology in Europe and propose original solutions to the various stakeholders. For instance, what are the expectations and needs of the industrial community in term of science and technology education, tax incentives, intellectual property right systems, public research infrastructures, academic or defense contracts etc… Obviously, the needs of SMEs may be different from that of larger companies, and the formation of entrepreneurs or the demand for venture capital are also important factors. One has also to examine the career prospects offered by industry in R&D, its organization and reactivity compared to its competitors etc…
If you are interested in joining this workgroup, and/or have valuable contribution to make, please contact us.