Europe Must Increase R&D, IP Protections, Conference Told

by Ulrika Lomas, for LawAndTax-News.com, Brussels

18 November 2005

Delegates attending the recent World Electronics Forum in London were warned that Europe is likely to fall behind other regions in terms of research and development and intellectual property protection unless governmental and industry-wide action is taken.

According to Electronics Weekly, which reported on the conference, director general of the European Information, Communications and Consumer Trade Association (EICTA), Mark MacGann observed that:

"The wind has gone out of the sails of the European project. Despite all the rhetoric and grand plans we are falling far behind our major trading partners."

He went on to add that:

"The failure to innovate poses a long term threat to the EU, but we have just fought a bruising battle in Europe not to increase IP protection. It's insane when China and India are innovating strongly."

Speaking with regard to research and development within the electronics industry, he continued:

"In terms of R&D spending as a proportion of GDP the 15 core members of the EU have fallen so far behind in R&D that we don't know how we're going to make up the gap."

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