Transforming our society through great innovations, “Made in Europe” - Main contents
I say "Hi" to the DOMEO service robot
Yesterday I was at the European Parliament - opening an exhibition to showcase the great projects the EU has been funding in the area of mobility, health and sustainability.
Looking at those projects fills me with hope about the difference tech can make to our futures.
Investing in research is a great way to boost growth; and ICT investment is among the most productive there is. But these new technologies would not just boost our economy: they would build a better society, and help governments offer better services at less taxpayer cost.
For example the innovations I saw last night could mean:
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-Better online services that help public administrations modernise for the 21st century;
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-the technology to slash CO2 emissions from the cloud by 90%;
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-Better healthcare: like helping heart attack victims make a faster, safer recovery; or robot surgery that doesn’t leave a scar
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-Or mobile apps to help you skip the rush-hour traffic and cut emissions.
All in all, the 9 projects I saw were impressive. But they were just a small fraction of thousands we fund and promote.
If we continue to invest in this way; if we target top-quality research and innovation; if we focus on every stage of the chain, both having and daring to use the technology: then I’m convinced we can make Europe an innovation powerhouse.
Then we’ll attract the best talents and investment the world has to offer - and really help our economy, our society, and our people.
The projects on display show we’ve begun this good work. But we need to scale up, and actually use the solutions we’ve developed. The Connecting Europe Facility is a big part of this - by promoting high-quality digital services like for cross-border public services.
Plus, ICT will also play a big role in Horizon 2020, the future of EU research funding - constituting around one fifth of the €80 billion proposed. If we continue to invest, it’s clear that this investment can transform our world, tackle the challenges our society faces, and help us deliver for European citizens.