De Europese commissie heeft de High-level groep rond Key Enabling Technologies voor het eerst samen geroepen. Gebaseerd op dit advies zal de commissie rapporteren aan de Raad en het EP. Er kan dus verwacht worden dat deze high-level groep (met CEO's van technologie bedrijven, hoge officialsvan onderzoeks instituten en nationale en EU autoriteiten) heel wat impact zullen hebben op de toekomst van het EU innovatie beleid.
These technologies enable the development of new goods and services and the restructuring of industrial processes needed to modernise EU industry and make the transition to a knowledge-based and low carbon resource-efficient economy. Whilst the EU has very good research and development capacities in some key enabling technology areas, it has not been as successful at translating research results into commercialised manufactured goods and services. Key Enabling Technologies are of systemic relevance as they enable the development of new goods and services and the restructuring of industrial processes needed to modernise EU industry and secure the research, development and innovation base in Europe.
The Commission in its Communication "Preparing for our future: Developing a common strategy for key enabling technologies in the EU" COM(2009)512 [58 KB] tries to identify the KETs that strengthen the EU’s industrial and innovation capacity to address the societal challenges ahead and proposes a set of measures to improve the related framework conditions. As such, it forms part of the development of EU industrial policy and of the preparation for the new European plan for innovation.
The Communication is complemented by the Staff Working Document "Current situation of key enabling technologies in Europe" SEC(2009)1257 [49 KB] that explains why advanced materials, nanotechnology, micro- and nano-electronics, biotechnology and photonics have been identified as priority areas for improving European industrial competitiveness.
The Communication foresees setting up a high-level expert group tasked with developing a shared longer term strategy and action plan on the identified KETs. This group was launched by Vice-Presidents Antonio Tajani, Neelie Kroes and Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn on 13 July 2010 and will have a mandate for one year.
The Communication outlines ten policy areas which need to be addressed, including focusing innovation policy more on KETs, promoting more EU-wide technology transfer, as well as more joint strategic programming and demonstration projects, not to mention greater international co-operation. The European Commission also recommends the harnessing of targeted and fair state aid policy, lead markets, public procurement and venture capital financing as ways of stimulating key enabling technologies.
Furthermore, the Commission suggests that KETs should be linked closely to climate change policies and be placed at the top of the EU’s international trade agenda to promote KETs and avoid trade distortions. Skills, higher education and training are also crucial priorities in the rapidly changing world of cutting-edge technology.
