Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-05-10-Speech-4-045"
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"en.20070510.5.4-045"2
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"Mr President, I wish to commend the rapporteur on his forward-looking approach to the future of European Union funding. Innovation is clearly one of the key ingredients of economic progress, and unless the European Union embraces it fully we will find ourselves unable to compete at world level.
In particular I welcome any initiative that recognises the role that small- and medium-sized enterprises have to play in economic progress. Often we associate innovation with large multinational companies with enormous research facilities. However, the backbone of the European economy has always been our small, often family-orientated, businesses. I welcome proposals that enable the SMEs to work with large-scale industry and with universities. With the current programming period for the Structural Funds coinciding with the seventh Framework Programme, it is logical to look at means by which one can complement the other.
As regards my own constituency of Northern Ireland, I have often pushed in the past for heavy emphasis on economic regeneration to be applied to our Structural Fund spending. I would very much welcome any opportunity to permit our now vibrant economy to tap into innovation-focused structural funding. Queen’s University in Northern Ireland is recognised for its excellence in research and I am keen to ensure that such universities can take full advantage of EU funding, while also receiving proper national government support.
While it is sensible to promote the development of regional, academic and scientific research centres, it is most important to note that we all have centres of excellence within our own countries which should be the first to receive support. Building a reputation for research and development takes time and I would like to feel assured that what we are aiming at is supporting our well-established universities first and foremost.
It is important that in an area such as this, where the opportunities for cross-border cooperation are endless, we do not make the mistake of being over-prescriptive. The worst thing Brussels could do for innovation in the European Union is to tell national and regional governments how, when and where they are to promote innovation. It is our function to provide the means, not the method."@en1
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