ICT for Europe:
Challenges for EU competitiveness
ITU Workshop
Geneva, 15 January 2007
Tapani Mikkeli
European Commission,
Directorate-General Enterprise and Industry
Unit D4: Technology for Innovation, ICT industries and e-Business
The Renewed Lisbon Strategy to
increase Competitiveness
INNOVATION
BARRIERS
ICT UPTAKE
Industrial Policy
Better
Regulation
Innovation
Competitiveness
Lisbon Strategy
• Review of Lisbon Strategy 2005;
Growth & Jobs
• Industrial Policy Communication 2005
• Broad-based Innovation Strategy and
Action Plan
• Lahti & European Summit:
Innovation-friendly, modern Europe
European Challenges /
Paradoxes
• Inventions not converted into products, jobs,
patents, growth
• Small innovative start-ups not growing into
global scale
• Uneven ICT uptake across sectors
• Result: Europe not consistently able to bridge
the innovation gap
ICT as driver and enabler
• Development of new (online) business models
• EU ICT sector: Responsible for
–
–
4 % of value added to GDP,
40 % of productivity growth
• EU strengths:
–
–
–
Sophisticated and high-quality products
Chip design, software and services
Human capital
• EU challenges:
–
–
–
Danger for an outflow (off-shoring) of R&D
Manufacturing trade deficit
Lower investment growth compared to emerging
economies
ICT Task Force
Identify key obstacles to competitiveness and ICT uptake.
Recommend policy responses.
Final Report 27 November 2006
Six Working Groups
•ICT uptake
Selected headings from the final report
•Innovation in R&D,
manufacturing and services
•ICT Markets
•ICT Services, Production
and Manufacturing
•ICT Uptake
•Innovation
•SMEs and entrepreneurship
•Investment and finance
•Skills and employability
•Legislation
•Achieving a single market
•Standards
•IPR for competitiveness and
innovation
Digital Convergence /
Relevance of Voice
• IT, telecommunications
and media
• Global market for digital
content
• Growth of network
infrastructure and access
platforms
• Technological
development leading to
new devices and
functionalities
Role of emerging technologies
such as NGN, Triple Play, Convergence?
Increasing demand for
high bandwidth
Pricing shift from
minute based to flat
rates
Technology shift from
small- to broadband
Substitution of PSTNVoice through IP-Voice
Fixed Mobile
Substitution
Incentives for innovation
New markets are characterised by
 innovation,
 rapid market growth and
 volatile market shares.
Market dynamics to bring up
new service opportunities for end-users
 new business models.
Lead markets?

Pre-commercial procurement?
The principles of Better Regulation

A detailed impact assessment of the proposed
measures remains essential

Explore self-regulatory options in order to reduce

disproportionate and

restrictive regulation

Create a level playing field

No extensive application of rules to innovative
services.
For more information
• e-mail:
entr-innov-ict-ebiz@ec.europa.eu
Tapani.Mikkeli@ec.europa.eu
Hasan.Alkas@ec.europa.eu
•
http://europa.eu.int/comment/enterprise/ict/index.htm
•
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/ict/policy/legal/bxl2006/index.htm
•
http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/ict/policy/e-bus-snfsme.htm
•
http://www.ebusiness-watch.org
•
http://www.emarketservice.com