As Commissioner Liikanen said, “This is an area of high capital investment where all public money invested (research, state aids, tax breaks, etc.) is fully recovered through increased tax revenues and social security contributions within 10 years. This strategic initiative is vital if Europe’s industry to remain at the forefront of global developments.” And commissioner Busquin underlined, “Europe cannot afford to miss the next generation of electronic applications. We need to pool our resources and investments in the most coherent way. The overall value of the microelectronics industry is around €140bn, with electronics at €800bn. Europe needs to concentrate resources on its main strengths: advanced research and high-value manufacturing”.
The dimensions of the components on an integrated circuit are now so small that they are no longer measured in micrometers (10–6) but in nanometers (10–9). Further scaling and applications of this upcoming technology will for instance affect telecom, automotive, medical systems, multimedia and consumer goods, etc. But for this a technology platform is necessary intended to define a common research agenda and mobilise a critical mass of resources. It requires an interdisciplinary approach, excellent research and production facilities as well as greater co-ordination. The report recommends that Europe develops competitive supply chain, infrastructure for visionary and industrially relevant research, strategic public-private partnerships to mobilise a critical mass of resources, favorable legal and financial environment, and highly skilled research, design and production workforce resulting from its educational system.
http://www.cordis.lu/ist/eniac
EPP EUROPE 402
