Michel Lebrun, Member of Belgium's Walloon Parliament, represented the Committee of the Regions (CoR) at the Competitiveness Council/Industry informal session on 12 May in Athens and argued that, "Innovative power lies primarily at the local or regional level". Referring to the ongoing development of the 2014-2020 structural funds programmes, as well as to the mid-term Europe 2020 review, he further insisted that, "Concerted efforts are needed to close the innovation gap between EU regions and to boost industrial competitiveness".
The Committee of the Regions participated at the informal meeting of the Industry Council organised by the EU Greek Presidency on 12 May in Athens. The meeting offered an opportunity to review the key challenges for European Industry such as "Innovation and Key Enabling Technologies" and "Competitiveness of Energy Intensive Industries".
Mr Lebrun contributed to the panel on innovation focusing on how local and regional decision-makers should seize the opportunities that have been created by digitisation, "by promoting the reform of service processes, the dissemination of digital services in the public sector and the development of the digital agenda to all citizens". According to Mr Lebrun, "It is essential that governmental administrative systems open- up to allow more scope for promoting creativity on the part of decision-makers and that innovation is integrated not just in business activity, but also in the public sector".
Besides enforcing the innovation capacity of local administrations, Mr Lebrun called for new efforts to facilitate SMEs through new investments in start-ups, venture capital as well as through a simplified regulation.
The Committee is fully committed in boosting innovation at grassroots level, in particular by promoting a co-learning programme which involves several European regions to pool specific initiatives and networking 'smart cities'. The aim is to support pioneering cities, as well as effective partnership programmes to promote innovativeness, which will guarantee the development of all regions regardless of their current economic situation.
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