Making Europe a globally recognized force in software

We’re on the verge of another industrial revolution. Embedded and cyber-physical systems will act as a bridge between the real and digital worlds. According to Jean-Luc di Paola-Galloni, president of the European industry association Artemis, the only way to achieve success in this upcoming industrial revolution is to create the best possible value chain on our continent. We need to make sure Europe is self-sustaining throughout the entire chain, all the way to application software, while simultaneously being a global force to be reckoned with. “This Europe-inside concept is what we need to protect more, also within our funding schemes. We need to build, enforce and protect our innovation.”

Di Paola-Galloni knows how to deliver his concerns. “Do we want to get digitally colonized in this continent? Or, do we want to grab on to the opportunity to resist?” The EU is being outspent by the US, Japan and China. The Chinese are investing heavily in key policies focused on the transition from being the world’s factory to becoming a self-sufficient leader in innovation. The US is also putting its weight behind R&D investments in software applications. European private-sector R&D in embedded and cyber-physical systems seems to be falling behind, in both hardware and software technologies. “We need to resist. Private-sector research and investments are lagging.”