The landscape of technological innovation across the world is changing, and doing so rapidly. The extent of competitive challenge faced by European enterprises in the knowledge economy from the emergence of Asian technology powerhouses, and in particular by the likes of China and India, is a genuine reflection of the changes now taking place in the international economy.

European politicians and business leaders need to become more aware of the current and future innovative capacity that these countries are creating for themselves. To be sure, Europe continues to enjoy singular competitive advantages in the sophistication of its knowledge industries, but this is most certainly no time for complacency. Instead, an outward facing strategy is required in order to grasp opportunities for partnership with Asia, whilst also recognising and responding to potential threats to Europe’s current advantage in innovation from Asia. Read the rest of this entry »

Eurothinkers is the blog of the Centre for European Studies, the official think-tank of the EPP.

Currently citizens are engaging in alternate methods of participation in politics. Protest votes, citizen abstention and the increase of voter distrust towards politics mark this phenomenon.

The Centre for European Studies aspires to be a vital tool in connecting citizens with the policy makers, this blog being a perfect example.

These trends proliferate from the disaffection which citizens feel towards the traditional forms of political participation. Social mobilization has thus become a day-to-day phenomenon in the media and politics. Do these changes translate into a growing disinterest of the citizens towards politics? Rather do they not reveal a certain disenchantment with the current organisation of representative democracy? In this campaign, Europeans must be informed through numerous modes of communication, of the policy issues being tackled on European level particularly in terms of the concrete solutions and concrete achievements Europe can offer. Read the rest of this entry »