Universities and Innovation

For many decades innovation plays an important role in the business sector. In recent years, the connection between universities and innovation triggered more interest. Applying a search engine1 on the web for the exact phrase universities and innovation yielded some 1,5 million hits. The keywords university and product innovation , however, yielded only 24 hits, showing that the subject indeed still is a matter of academic contemplation, more than a day to day practice.The economic impact of innovation is apparent. Studying new patterns of growth, the OECD points at the many signs at micro and industrial level of the increasing importance of new technologies, and associated structural and organisational change. In the decade 1990-1999 the trade in high tech products increased more than 100%, compared to 40 to 55% for low tech and medium tech products. The rapid decline of the share of low tech products in trade illustrates the changing structure of our economies. Already in the 1995 Green Paper, the European Commission started a union wide discussion on the importance of innovation to competitiveness. That discussion culminated in the ambition to become the most innovative economy in 2010, adopted at the Council Meeting in March 2000 here in Lisbon.The Commissions Communication Innovation in a knowledge driven economy adopted in September 20004, translated the Lisbon summits goals into priorities and practical steps for Member States in the area of innovation policy. The main action lines according to this document are. Coherence of innovation policies. A regulatory framework conducive to innovation. Encourage the creation and growth of innovative enterprises. Improve key interfaces in the innovation system. A society open to innovation. As usual, measures are to be taken by the EU on communal level and by the national governments. The item Universities and Innovation is touched marginally in this policy document. Recently the Commission presented a Green Paper on the role of universities in the knowledge driven economy. my contribution today, I will elaborate on the present trends in innovation and the consequences they have on the educational mission of universities and on the relation of universities with the business world. As many of you are involved in Science Parks, you know from experience that science can be difficult, but connecting science and technology with business, is really a challenge.