Ensuring European science and technology system competitiveness

Tuesday 11th April: 15.00-16.00
Chair: Mark van Harmelen

 

Conference participants are invited to discuss, in general or subject-specific terms, threats that they may see to future European competitiveness in science and technology, and countermeasures that might mitigate or negate these threats.

One example of a threat is in information and communication technology: The increase of computer skills in certain developing countries, and increased ‘off shoring' of work to those countries, will no doubt be accompanied by a rise in high-quality research in the same countries. Increased exploitable research coupled with globalization will lead to existing multinationals to exploit that research locally in research-active countries, and may also lead to new developing country based players in global computer markets.

The forum participants will be encouraged to think broadly about potential S&T system threats and countermeasures, and to formulate a ‘grass roots' view of the problems and potential solutions.

Keywords: science and technology systems, threats, responses, competitiveness, globalization, policy, strategy