This research area focuses on assessing the technological capability of the EU in the global economy. To this end patent data are used as proxies of the EU capacity to develop new technologies and as a metric for assessing the efficiency of innovation systems in general. We analyse the technical knowledge-base in order to anticipate the development of Emerging Technologies with a particular focus on their link to Key Enabling Technologies. Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) and Advanced Manufacturing Technologies (AMTs), which are considered one of the core KETs, are expected to have a major impact on productivity, efficiency, profitability and employment in major industrial sectors. Our main aim is to better understand and model how new technical solutions emerge and spread across different technologies. We complement our patent based analysis with publications, trademark and design data in order to capture different phases of knowledge development and other forms of innovative activities.