Universities should develop their relationships with
industry to ensure that innovative R&D work in IT can be used
in commercial applications, the head of an EU think tank has
said.
Mario Campolargo, unit head at the
Directorate-General
Information Society and Media of the European Commission, said
EU states had to improve how they fostered and captured IT
innovation to remain competitive in the knowledge economy.
The warning comes as nations such as China and India build their
own R&D skills.
"Europe has to become better at producing IT knowledge through
research, diffusing it through education and applying it to
innovation and in industry," Campolargo said.
By collaborating with unversities, businesses could put new
technologies to work and gain a competitive advantage. In return,
universities would be able to refine their research work and
develop avenues of funding.
Governments also have a role to play and should invest in
building dedicated research networks between academic institutions
to support virtual communities and the exchange of information.
Professor Richard Scase, author of the book
Global Remix, which examines globalisation, said that
India and China were producing more highly skilled IT
professionals as a result of government-backed initiatives.
"The government should encourage businesses to work closer with
universities through tax breaks, so that IT students gain a
practical understanding of the skills employers are looking for, as
many traditional IT skills are being offshored," Campolargo
said.
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