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ERT’s Vision for a competitive Europe in 2025
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“Today, members of the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT), a forum of 50 leaders of major industrial and technological companies of European parentage, launched their vision for a competitive Europe in 2025, listing more than 50 recommendations for policy action in the next five years. ERT has also developed a set of ‘Quick Wins’ outlining short-term policy actions that could bring Europe onto a new, post-crisis path for economic development from as early as 2010. “Global megatrends are rapidly changing today’s world. Europe will only stay at the forefront of global economic activity if it responds to the competitive challenges and unleashes its power. The EU’s unique diversity should be turned into its competitive advantage. It can help Europe evolve into a leading global innovator. Action is urgent now,” stated Gerard Kleisterlee, the Chairman of the ERT Competitiveness Working Group. A bold vision is needed to ensure the consistency of the changes that are necessary to achieve transformation. ERT’s Vision is intended to provide guidance. At the launch event Leif Johansson, the ERT Chairman, said “The ERT Vision is that Europe should remain an attractive place to live and work in 2025. This is not a self-fulfilling prophecy. Europe must transform itself to be able to stand for a high quality of life for its citizens, offering prosperity and societal well-being in the future.” ERT’s Vision draws on expert input from within ERT companies and stakeholders in the policy-making sphere and proposes recommendations for policy action during the next five years. It is a contribution to the debate on the future Europe 2020 Strategy, but not specifically focused only on that policy initiative. To turn this Vision into reality, Europe must achieve five major goals: becoming a global champion of sustainable growth; be well-embedded and respected in global markets; unleash its innovative power; enable people, education and culture to drive productivity and equip itself with decisive, reliable and transparent governance. Gerard Kleisterlee expanded on specific elements of the Vision: “Europe can only be an attractive place to live and work if the achievements that benefit its society can be sustained over time. Sustainability must therefore be understood as a multi-faceted concept, embracing the environmental dimension, as well as sound economic, financial, education, social security and pension systems, optimised use of raw materials, water and food, and a secure energy supply.” Leif Johansson added that “The success of Europe’s Single Market demonstrates that competition and free markets can act in the service of society. But the Single Market is far from complete. It should be further extended to cover all goods, services, capital, people and knowledge.” Report’s references to Venture Capital: “Facilitate access to venture capital funding in the EU for companies in areas with a high growth potential, including new Information and Communications Technologies, nanotechnologies, biotechnologies, and environmentally beneficial technologies“. “Strong collaboration between entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, and a regulatory framework that makes technological breakthroughs more easily marketable, would further improve the conditions for innovation and implementation“. “A continually-strengthened international reputation of European universities would encourage business to invest in ambitious research and innovation programmes and help attract venture capital“. ERT media contact About ERT |
