Publications
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PDF Background Note CONCORDi 2021
This background note describes five core global disruptions affecting the world economy in the context of industrial innovation for competitive… Show more sustainability. It discusses how scientific evidence presented at the 8 th CONCORDi conference proposes to tackle some of these disruptions, and concludes by highlighting the policy-relevant issues. This resonates with CONCORDi’s science-to-policy objective - from the four conference organisers JRC, EARTO, OECD and UNIDO. The note is addressed to the participants of CONCORDi 2021 as well as to a wider audience interested in the main themes of this conference. Show less
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PDF World corporate top R&D investors: Paving the way for climate neutrality
The current fourth edition of this biennial report on the innovative activity of the world’s top corporate R&D investors is… Show more the result of a long-standing and fruitful collaboration between the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (EC-JRC) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It focuses on the role that these companies can play in reaching climate neutrality by developing, owning and commercialising low-carbon technologies. It does so by presenting and analysing data on their patent and trademark portfolios, with particular emphasis on intellectual property rights related to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Show less
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PDF HOW INNOVATIVE EU FIRMS FACED THE COVID-19 DOWNTURN
-The Covid-19 pandemic has triggered many challenges, but also opportunities, for businesses across Europe. -We examine how the innovation and growth… Show more of firms in the EU have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and how as “European Innovation Champions”, SMEs reacted to the resultant shock. -We find that compared to non-innovative firms, the economic performance of innovative firms in the EU has been considerably less affected by the pandemic. 1. Pandemic effects for business innovators… an exceptional context with little evidence in the literature -We also identify five different paradoxical behaviours of ‘European Innovation Champions” during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. -Industrial policies targeting SMEs should be flexible and allow companies to adapt their investment plans in line with the evolving conditions to preserve and succeed through the crisis. -EU instruments, such as the Recovery and Resilience Facility and Horizon Europe, offer wide opportunities for firms to exit from the Covid-19 crisis and boost their future competitiveness. Show less
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PDF Techno-Economic study on the potential of European Industrial Companies regarding Europe's Green Deal
The study provides theoretical as well as case-study based evidence for the potential of European industries to become carbon neutral… Show more and provide job security and growth in the EU. The study identifies, maps, and analyses Global Innovation Networks, i.e. networks between industry and other actors that facilitate innovation, and their role in making the European Green Deal a success. The study also presents the main current policy context in place in the EU, China and the U.S., e.g. regulatory and financial frameworks, and identifies the main drivers and barriers for investing in technologies relevant for Europe's Green Deal. In addition, a concise policy toolbox for Research & Development & Innovation (R&D&I) policies supporting technologies relevant for Europe's Green Deal is discussed. It moves beyond the current European, national, regional and sectoral policy instruments and mixes of policies based on the insights obtained throughout the whole study. The findings offer an important knowledge base for devising new and additional policy instruments. Show less
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PDF Policy Brief: GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS AND INNOVATION NETWORKS IN THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL ERA
This policy brief provides insights into several issues from a policy perspective that are closely related to the implementation of… Show more I4.0 in the European context of digitalisation. The successful implementation of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) within the European Union (EU) should build upon existing global innovation networks (GINs) and global value chains (GVCs) and the ecosystem of EU firms, especially in the manufacturing industry where I4.0 could play an important role. Due to the large share of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that define the EUs competitiveness, it is vital to integrate I4.0 by ensuring these companies can benefit from their efforts in implementing it and create and offer value. It is important to address training, requalification and workers’ concerns about I4.0 in order to support its implementation while maintaining the EU social model. Harnessing the EU’s strength in industrial application, while bearing in mind its lag in traditional ICT industries, could make I4.0 a viable policy option ensuring future leadership of the European economy, if certain factors discussed in this policy brief are included in future industrial policies. Show less
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PDF Technological and innovation challenges for industry: Science for policy insights
This JRC Science for Policy report addresses the technological and innovation challenges that the EU industry has to face during… Show more the next decade. The report focuses on the following themes: Technology diffusion and industrial dynamics; Innovation and company value chains; Financing innovation; Industrial innovation for transitions and transformation; Employment and skills for industrial transformations; Integration of global to local industrial innovation perspectives; and new data, standards and methods. Show less
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Deriving new anticipation-based policy instruments for attracting research and development and innovation in global value chains to Europe
In this paper, we discuss new anticipation-based policy instruments to improve the attractiveness of Europe for innovative activities in a… Show more world of accelerating innovation. The case studies and interviews with company representatives which we collected in relation to developments in Global Value Chains Journal Pre-proof (GVC) show a high level of interest in these new anticipatory policy instruments. Since the companies analysed are active in different sectors and Research and Development and Innovation (R&D&I) Global Value Chains, we suggest that the policy instruments and options discussed be linked with current and future sectoral initiatives organised within the framework of the Smart Specialisation Strategy. This gives numerous established and new stakeholders from business, politics, science and society across Member States, regions and cities, and from outside the EU, the chance to develop bright ideas for new products, services, processes and employment, and to work in a well-structured and open-minded environment. In addition, this participatory, foresight-based approach helps regions to approach their development systematically in new fields of innovation and industry which are appropriate for the region's innovation ecosystem and for their stakeholders. This approach fits very well with the new innovation and foresight labs which are currently extremely popular in companies highly active in R&D&I. These labs have a highly experimental character and lots potential for gamechanging innovations. The same approach might be necessary for an ambitious policy to upgrade European industry and R&D&I capabilities in order to tap into transnational corporations' GVCs by creating a process for engaging, anticipating, assessing and responding on an ongoing basis. Show less
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PDF The 2020 EU Survey on Industrial R&D Investment Trends
This fifteenth Survey on Industrial R&D investment trends has been separated into two dedicated questionnaires, one related to the impact… Show more of the COVID-19 pandemic (45 responses) and one regular R&D Survey (61 responses). The participating EU firms expect R&D investment to rebound by 7% in 2021 after a small decrease in 2020. While the impact on employment (both R&D and non-R&D) for the financial year of 2020 is expected to be small, the impact on Capital expenditures and Net Sales show more negative expectations, with foreseen decreases of 4.5% and 5.9%. Show less
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How the “EU Innovation Champions” successfully absorbed and reacted to the shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
• The COVID-19 pandemic presented great challenges, but also opportunities, to SMEs across Europe. • We examine how the “European Innovation… Show more Champions” successfully absorbed and reacted to the shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. • Five different paradoxical behaviors (i.e., planning, liquidity, time and velocity, partnership, resources and technology) characterized the European Innovation Champions during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. • We distill 10 management principles representing key actions and decisions that allowed the European Innovation Champions to manage each paradox. • This report provides policymakers and business leaders both within and outside the European Union with insights to enhance the capability of SMEs to succeed through a crisis. Show less