The EU and innovation [What Think Tanks are thinking]

Written by Marcin Grajewski,

The European Union has long sought ways to foster innovation, starting with support for research and industrial policies in the 1970s, through action plans in the 1990s and the Lisbon Strategy of 2000, to the Europe 2020 strategy of 2010, now updated by the 10 priorities of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

According to a recent study, innovation policy has evolved to be understood as an umbrella notion, which encompasses research, industrial and education policies, as well as policies key for the innovation process, such as funding, taxation, regulation, standards and intellectual property rights. Efforts to boost innovation are also part of many EU programmes, such as the Digital Single Market.

This note offers links to recent studies and reports from major international think tanks and research institutes on problems faced by Europe in supporting innovation.

From distraction to action: Towards a bold Energy Union innovation strategy
Institut Jacques Delors, June 2016

How mobile is tech talent? A case study of IT professionals based on data from LinkedIn
Centre for European Policy Studies, June 2016

Rewriting Europe: Five priorities for lasting digital economy
Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, June 2016

New estimate of the size of Dutch ‘Gig Economy’
Fondation Européenne d’Etudes Progressistes, June 2016

From startup to scale-up: Growing Europe’s digital economy
Lisbon Council for Economic Competitiveness and Social Renewal, June 2016

A deepened Single Market for labour and digital innovation: Proposals for higher factor mobility in the Single Market
Jacques Delors Institute, May 2016

The European Union’s Digital Single Market Strategy: A conflict between government’s desire for certainty and rapid marketplace innovation?
Brookings Institution, May 2016

Policies for innovation in times of digitalization: A comparative report on innovation policies in Finland, Sweden and Germany
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, May 2016

E-commerce in Europe: Parcel delivery prices in a Digital Single Market
Bruegel, May 2016

Text and data mining for research and innovation
Lisbon Council for Economic Competitiveness and Social Renewal, May 2016

Competition, growth and regulatory heterogeneity in Europe’s digital economy
European Centre for International Political Economy, April 2016

The European Union’s growing innovation divide
Bruegel, April 2016

Mapping the regional embeddedness of the NMP programme
Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung, April 2016

EU transition towards green and smart mobility: Action toolbox to unleash innovation potentials
Clingendael, March 2016

Competition challenges in the consumer Internet industry: How to ensure fair competition in the EU
Centrum für Europäische Politik, February 2016

Getting the most from public R&D spending in times of budgetary austerity
Bruegel, February 2016

The Israeli lobby for research and innovation in the European Union: An example of efficient cooperation in the European neighbourhood?
College of Europe, February 2016

Europe’s digital future: Focus on key priorities
Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung, February 2016

Innovation in green energy technologies and the economic performance of firms
Energiewirtschaftliches Institut an der Universität zu Köln, February 2016

Can mass migration boost innovation and productivity?
Bruegel, February 2016

Seeing the forest for the trees: Why the Digital Single Market matters for transatlantic relations
German Marshall Fund, January 2016

Digital media and society. Implications in a hyperconnected era
World Economic Forum, January 2016

Mixing and matching research and innovation policies in EU countries
Bruegel, December 2015

Digital skills for the future
Friends of Europe, December 2015

Innovation capabilities and financing constraints of family firms
Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, December 2015

The importance of complementary policy for ICT in the EU
European Centre for International Political Economy, December 2015

Die EU auf dem Weg zu einer Datenschutz-Union. Bleibt die Innovation auf der Strecke?
Jacques Delors Institute, December 2015

Government of the future: How digital technology will change the way we live, work and govern
Lisbon Council for Economic Competitiveness and Social Renewal, November 2015

Integration of products and services: Taking the Single Market into the 21st century
European Political Strategy Centre, October 2015

Environmental policies, innovation and productivity in EU
LUISS Lab of European Economics, September 2015

Why is Europe lagging on next generation access networks?
Bruegel, September 2015

R&D networks and regional knowledge production in Europe: Evidence from a space-time model
Europainstitut, Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, September 2015