Welcome to the Official page of the Presidency of the Portuguese Republic

I am very pleased to greet His Majesty King Dom Juan Carlos and our dear host, President of the Italian Republic, the Honourable Giorgio Napolitano, with my feelings of deepest friendship.

The decision to hold this meeting in one of the most powerful economic and industrial centres of Europe was extremely opportune: the beautiful city of Genoa, known as “La Superba”, notable for its History, for its architectural heritage, for its gastronomy, for its influential Mediterranean harbour and for its prestigious university.

The Genovese have been attributed, for many centuries, with the ambition to use knowledge and technological development as tools to create economic prosperity, globally exploiting such resources. It is also said that they are enterprising and audacious, that they are prone to take their fate in their own hands. These are precious qualities, adequate to times of change and of great challenges.

A year ago, in the Porto Meeting, I stated that the greater than ever approach of research to the market was the path to lessen the well known European weakness in effectively transforming the results of technological research and knowledge into innovation and competitive advantages.

If it is commonly accepted that Europe has kept at the front of production of knowledge and scientific excellence, it is also undeniable that its commercial performance has been at the rear of the performance of the competing economies, which have gained advantages in the registration of new patents, in the creation of highly qualified employment, and even in the launching of technologically superior products. The type of issue that we must place ourselves is if it may be possible that the next Google emerges from European innovatory systems.

We must recognize that, in spite of all the progress that has been achieved in the last few years, the capacity for innovation has not yet reached the level of consolidation required for it to become the desired central stimulant of competitiveness in our economies and for the creation of novel qualified employment. This trend for the lack of efficiency in many of the European innovation systems, recognized by the Commission itself in its recent Report on Innovation and Competitiveness, although not a novelty, continues as an existing feature.

The resolution of these deficiencies may not derive just from intensifying the levels of expenditure directed for the production of knowledge, still far off the mythical value of 3% of GNP. It is of course an attractive ambition for the political decision makers and comfortable for the usual beneficiaries of public investment but, on its own, it will be impractical as a solution for our difficulties in competing on a global level, which is, above all, linked to our capacity to transfer, on a wide basis, knowledge and technology to the productive fabric.

The experience obtained from our national programmes shows that, to improve innovation capability and to increase companies’ participation, greater agility and greater simplification is equally required and, above all, the replacement of the primacy of administrative bureaucracy with technical substance in the management of innovatory projects financed by public funds. The intelligent reform of the national innovation institutions is thus obligatory, favouring greater operational efficiency and an improved interconnection with the European institutions.

With justifiable expectancy we welcomed the European Commission’s innovation strategy, whose operational stage is already in motion. The measures comprised in the Innovation Union are an important test to the capability of guiding the activity of the whole chain of innovation towards market requirements.

The progress recorded by our countries in the key dimensions of the innovation chain cannot satisfy us. We want to stride further than just being “moderate innovators”. We must intensify the efforts of our scientific and entrepreneurial organizations to participate in the several tools made available by the European Union, in order to encourage and enlarge the dynamics of networks already set up.

We are certain that good ideas exist in Europe and, particularly, in our countries. The priority is to find a more favourable cooperation framework to exploit them, for the benefit of economic recovery and for the living standards that we wish for.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are facing the perspective of a period of economic stagnation, the persistence of high unemployment levels and the risk of the deterioration of the living standards and the levels of prosperity of our countrymen.

Our countries are carrying out ambitious programmes for the correction of budgetary imbalances. Simultaneously deep economic reforms are taking place which now, due to the existing circumstances, are commonly accepted as unavoidable and necessary.

The changes being carried out are absolutely necessary to strengthen financial sustainability and for the economic recovery of our countries. However, these represent heavy sacrifices that will be imposed on our countrymen for several years. Society’s support shall only be kept up if the sacrifices are not in vain and if the conviction exists that the reforms will allow retrieving a path of sustained growth.

Continuing to invest in the creation of scientific knowledge and technological development must be, for this reason, a priority. But, in the current environment of budgetary strictness, we must also underline the role of entrepreneurs as a fundamental component for the reliable operation of the innovation system.

To achieve a stronger and healthier economic growth and, at the same time, to create qualified employment are our targets. These are intentions that demand new technological solutions and enterprising will, but equally a strong leadership and a strengthening of a culture of realism and responsibility.

Technology and knowledge are transforming forces that generate progress in the economies and in societies. This is the founding ideal of our Cotec Institutions. An ideal that has inspired an agenda for change in our economies and in our entrepreneurs and managers.

Since its very beginning, the Cotec Europa project has been based upon the idea of conciliation and cooperation, upon the sharing of a common concept at European level, in which technological development is the power behind competitiveness and productivity of the economies and the major force in the creation of employment. This is one of the reasons why we have gathered together today, here in Genoa.

The participation of entrepreneurs is the proof that, in spite of the crises that obstinately persevere, the strength of entrepreneurial innovation is very much alive.

I am certain that this Seventh Meeting will contribute, such as those that were previously held, towards a productive and inspiring reflection on the targets established by our countries. By assuming our responsibilities we will be more confident and more determined in achieving them.

Thank you very much.