Press Release: Weakening growth in investment and increasing brain drain: two major threats to the European knowledge-based economy

Philippe Busquin, European Commissioner for Research, presented two new publications on 25 November 2003 on Europe's position in research and innovation.
The 'Key figures 2003-2004 for science, technology and innovation', and the 'Brain drain study - Emigration flows for qualified scientists' display a bleak picture. The March 2000 Lisbon European Council's call to turn Europe into a world-class economic powerhouse, and the subsequent March 2002 Barcelona Council's objective of boosting EU spending on R&D from 1,9 to 3% by 2010, are far from being met. Progress is slow and in some areas we are even losing ground. The growth rate of investment in the knowledge-based economy is declining; the R&D investment gap between the EU and the US is increasing in favour of the US and 'brain drain' is on the rise. The two new publications highlight an overall deterioration of Europe's scientific and technological performance.

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/research/era/pdf/indicators/ind_kf0304.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/comm/research/era/pdf/indicators/ind_kf0304.pdf

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/research/era/pdf/indicators/merit_exsum.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/comm/research/era/pdf/indicators/merit_exsum.pdf

http://www.cordis.lu/indicators/ http://www.cordis.lu/indicators/

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/research/era/3pct/index_en.html http://ec.europa.eu/comm/research/era/3pct/index_en.html

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/research/fp6/mariecurie-actions/home_en.html http://ec.europa.eu/comm/research/fp6/mariecurie-actions/home_en.html

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