May 2010
Report outlining the vision shared by Atomium – European Institute for Science, Media and Democracy and leading institutions of civil society engaged in the field of research and innovation – universities, newspapers and businesses. It was presented by V. Giscard d’Estaing and M. Baracchi Bonvicini, Honorary President and President of Atomium – European Institute for Science, Media and Democracy, to the President of the European Parliament J. Buzek and the Commissioner for Research Innovation and Science M. Geoghegan-Quinn on May 18th 2010 at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Introduction
The Lisbon Agenda launched in 2000 aimed to make the EU “the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010”. In a time where Europe is facing the problems of an economic crisis and is aware of the future challenges caused by growing global population, changing demographics, climate change and the need to create a more sustainable energy model, the importance of research and innovation is even more accentuated. Unfortunately, although many important steps were made in the past ten years, the ambitions of the Lisbon Agenda are far from reached.
This report addresses the issue of research and innovation in Europe and outlines the results of the abovementioned discussions to present what Atomium – European Institute for Science, Media and Democracy can do to support the success of the upcoming Europe 2020 Strategy; to ensure the development of a European Research Area; and to make Europe ready for the future!