Vol. 571 No. 4
134 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the extent to which he has taken steps to ensure that the telecommunications industry remains innovative and competitive and has access to requirements in terms of research and development for the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22147/03]
At the meeting of the interdepartmental committee on science and technology in January 2003, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment requested that a European research area (ERA) steering group be established. My Department is participating in this steering group the role of which is to assess the implications of key emerging ERA policy initiatives and prepare action plans for progressing priority areas. Through the ERA initiative and other associated initiatives, the EU intends to become the world's leading knowledge economy by 2010 and is seeking to achieve average gross expenditure on research and development of 3% of GDP across the union by 2010 with two thirds of the increased investment coming from industry. This reflects concern that a key area of weakness in the EU innovation system is the absorptive capacity of industry. However, research capacity is also acknowledged to be a problem.
Investment in research and development is increasingly recognised as an entrée to innovation, and as such, a key driver in the development of the knowledge economy. Through its participation in this group, my Department is contributing to the development of an action plan to ensure that the telecommunications industry remains innovative and competitive and has access to requirements in terms of research and development for the future. The Department will further ensure that this takes place in the context of the ERA initiative.
