vrijdag 3 januari 2014
donderdag 24 maart 2011
References
Crawford, M.B. (2009) Shop class as soulcraft, an inquiry into the value of work, Penguin, London.
Drewe, P. (2010a) Innovations - a way out of the economic crisis for cities and regions?, in A. Kuklinski, E. Malak-Petlicka & P. Zuber (eds) Southern Italy - Eastern Germany - Eastern Poland. The Triple Mezzogiorno?, Ministry of Regional Development, Warsaw: 87-104.
Drewe, P. (2010b) Innovation: theory and practice:
Drewe, P. (2010c) 'Europe 2020' between "sustainable recovery" and "lost decade", in A. Kuklinski, J, Muszynski, G. Roman & J. Waszkiewicz (eds) Europa Quo Vadis? Marshal's Office of Lower Silesia & Lower Silesia Foundation for Regional Deveopment, Wroclaw: 187-192.
Drewe, P. (2010d) Long waves of innovation as turning points? (unpublished).
Drewe, P, (2011) Europe: innovate or perish! (unpublished).
European Commission (2010) Europe 2020, a strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, Brussels.
Francois, J. & Woerz, J. (2007) Producer services, manufacturing linkages, and trade, Tinbergen Institute Discussion Paper, TI 2007=045/2, Amsterdam & Rotterdam.
Johnson, S. (2010) Where good ideas come from, the natural history of innovation, Riverhead, New York.
Le Monde (2011) L'Europe et le retour en grace de l'industrie, Editorial, January 6.
Notre Europe (2010) Contribution a la consultation de la Commission sur la future strategie "EU 2020":
Office of Technology Assessment (1990) Making things better, competing in manufacturing, Washington, D.C.
Schwennicke, C. (2011) Comeback des Superstars, Deutschland und Europa koennen politischen Moden souveraen trotzen, Der Spiegel, Nr. 2: 26-27.
Skidelsky, R, (2009) The return of the master, Allen Lane, London.
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Crawford, M.B. (2009) Shop class as soulcraft, an inquiry into the value of work, Penguin, London.
Drewe, P. (2010a) Innovations - a way out of the economic crisis for cities and regions?, in A. Kuklinski, E. Malak-Petlicka & P. Zuber (eds) Southern Italy - Eastern Germany - Eastern Poland. The Triple Mezzogiorno?, Ministry of Regional Development, Warsaw: 87-104.
Drewe, P. (2010b) Innovation: theory and practice:
Drewe, P. (2010c) 'Europe 2020' between "sustainable recovery" and "lost decade", in A. Kuklinski, J, Muszynski, G. Roman & J. Waszkiewicz (eds) Europa Quo Vadis? Marshal's Office of Lower Silesia & Lower Silesia Foundation for Regional Deveopment, Wroclaw: 187-192.
Drewe, P. (2010d) Long waves of innovation as turning points? (unpublished).
Drewe, P, (2011) Europe: innovate or perish! (unpublished).
European Commission (2010) Europe 2020, a strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, Brussels.
Francois, J. & Woerz, J. (2007) Producer services, manufacturing linkages, and trade, Tinbergen Institute Discussion Paper, TI 2007=045/2, Amsterdam & Rotterdam.
Johnson, S. (2010) Where good ideas come from, the natural history of innovation, Riverhead, New York.
Le Monde (2011) L'Europe et le retour en grace de l'industrie, Editorial, January 6.
Notre Europe (2010) Contribution a la consultation de la Commission sur la future strategie "EU 2020":
Office of Technology Assessment (1990) Making things better, competing in manufacturing, Washington, D.C.
Schwennicke, C. (2011) Comeback des Superstars, Deutschland und Europa koennen politischen Moden souveraen trotzen, Der Spiegel, Nr. 2: 26-27.
Skidelsky, R, (2009) The return of the master, Allen Lane, London.
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dinsdag 22 maart 2011
Notre Europe has advocated five points:
- a more precise diagnosis
- to limit the strategy to a few objectives, clearly defined and leading to actions
- to distinguish between interventions on the European level and those on the national level, reinforcing the former
- to reinforce the Open Method of Coordination, including new ways of sanctioning the bad performance of member states or regions
- to adopt a realistic time schedule
We would like to add another point:
- the top-down approach of European innovation policy should be combined with a bottom-up approach (see Drewe, 2011)
What is at stake here is a Sustainable recovery as against a Sluggish recovery or a Lost decade. The three scenarios for Europe by 2020 reveal an important truth: uncertainty rules even beyond innovation and industrial policy (Drewe, 2010c).
One only has to (re)read Keynes to grasp the importance of uncertainty (Skidelsky, 2009 refers) also with regard to long waves of innovation (Drewe, 2010d).
[1] Note that Schumpeter's definition of innovation also included new forms of organization, new markets and new sources of raw materials or semi-manufactured products.
- a more precise diagnosis
- to limit the strategy to a few objectives, clearly defined and leading to actions
- to distinguish between interventions on the European level and those on the national level, reinforcing the former
- to reinforce the Open Method of Coordination, including new ways of sanctioning the bad performance of member states or regions
- to adopt a realistic time schedule
We would like to add another point:
- the top-down approach of European innovation policy should be combined with a bottom-up approach (see Drewe, 2011)
What is at stake here is a Sustainable recovery as against a Sluggish recovery or a Lost decade. The three scenarios for Europe by 2020 reveal an important truth: uncertainty rules even beyond innovation and industrial policy (Drewe, 2010c).
One only has to (re)read Keynes to grasp the importance of uncertainty (Skidelsky, 2009 refers) also with regard to long waves of innovation (Drewe, 2010d).
[1] Note that Schumpeter's definition of innovation also included new forms of organization, new markets and new sources of raw materials or semi-manufactured products.
maandag 21 maart 2011
How important is the European Union for making things better?
The European Commission (2010) in 'Europe 2020' has launched the Innovation Union 'to improve framework conditions and access to finance for research and innovation so as to insure that innovative ideas can be turned into products and services that create jobs'. There is a second so-called flagship initiative relevant to industry called An industrial policy for the globalisation era: to improve the business environment notably for SMSEs, and to support the development of a strong and sustainable industrial base able to compete globally'. The EU has invented a Common Agricultural Policy catering to some 6% of the total labor force (it is also the most important budget item of the EU). A 'Common Industrial Policy' catering to some 26% of the labor force (not counting producer services) could also make sense.
The Lisbon Strategy, the predecessor of 'Europe 2020' has been grosso modo a failure. Even the Commission staff in its 'pro domo' evaluation had hinted at this: 'Whilst much has been achieved, the overall pace of implementing the reforms was both slow and uneven...' Notre Europe (2010) has pointed out thatb the political failures affecting the functioning of the Lisbon Strategy have not been analyzed by the Commission hence the risk of repeating the same mistakes.
The European Commission (2010) in 'Europe 2020' has launched the Innovation Union 'to improve framework conditions and access to finance for research and innovation so as to insure that innovative ideas can be turned into products and services that create jobs'. There is a second so-called flagship initiative relevant to industry called An industrial policy for the globalisation era: to improve the business environment notably for SMSEs, and to support the development of a strong and sustainable industrial base able to compete globally'. The EU has invented a Common Agricultural Policy catering to some 6% of the total labor force (it is also the most important budget item of the EU). A 'Common Industrial Policy' catering to some 26% of the labor force (not counting producer services) could also make sense.
The Lisbon Strategy, the predecessor of 'Europe 2020' has been grosso modo a failure. Even the Commission staff in its 'pro domo' evaluation had hinted at this: 'Whilst much has been achieved, the overall pace of implementing the reforms was both slow and uneven...' Notre Europe (2010) has pointed out thatb the political failures affecting the functioning of the Lisbon Strategy have not been analyzed by the Commission hence the risk of repeating the same mistakes.
zondag 20 februari 2011
Making things better requires technological innovations: new or improved products, services and processes or methods of production.
Innovation can provide a way out of the present crisis for cities and regions (Drewe, 2010a). One may question that the environment of big cities makes the residents more innovative than residents of smaller towns (Johnson, 2010), Medium-sized towns like L. can also cope and by joining a regional network can increase their critical mass. The question is really whether cities and regions qualify as innovative environments. In practice one should reconstruct empirically the innovation process at the nitty-gritty of innovative firms: for example at the firm in L. that represents a success story in the field of innovative lighting. Innovation policies at higher national or European levels more often than not rely too much on framework conditions, financial and others, based on theoretical or hypothetical relationships between presumed enabling factors and innovation.
The crucial question is how to promote innovation.But how to define and explain innovation are questions which need to be answered properly before one can hope to manage innovations successfully (Drewe, 2010b).
Innovation can provide a way out of the present crisis for cities and regions (Drewe, 2010a). One may question that the environment of big cities makes the residents more innovative than residents of smaller towns (Johnson, 2010), Medium-sized towns like L. can also cope and by joining a regional network can increase their critical mass. The question is really whether cities and regions qualify as innovative environments. In practice one should reconstruct empirically the innovation process at the nitty-gritty of innovative firms: for example at the firm in L. that represents a success story in the field of innovative lighting. Innovation policies at higher national or European levels more often than not rely too much on framework conditions, financial and others, based on theoretical or hypothetical relationships between presumed enabling factors and innovation.
The crucial question is how to promote innovation.But how to define and explain innovation are questions which need to be answered properly before one can hope to manage innovations successfully (Drewe, 2010b).
vrijdag 11 februari 2011
Let us take a closer look at the German town of L. It is a medium-sized industrial town where a little more than half of the employment is in industry (not counting producer services), L. is endowed with a rich mix of industrial activities: aluminium processing, automobile industry, electrical and lighting, mechanical engineering, and tool manufacturing. Industry is dominated by small and medium-sized companies which, thanks to their innovativeness, jave proved to be competitive internationally. There is, for example, the success story of a family business founded in the crisis years of the thirties. It has moved from the production of lamps to the 'concept of light', applied in museums, galleries, trade fairs and exhibitions around the world.
Over the years the local economy has not been hit by any major crisis. Moreover, the employment situation has fostered the integration of foreign workers even in the absence of an active integration policy.
Recently, a network of five regions has been created, including the region of L. The partners engage in diversified projects. One of them - labeled innovation region - delas with the expansion of the economic structure. As part of this, L. has started a so-called thinking factory.
Over the years the local economy has not been hit by any major crisis. Moreover, the employment situation has fostered the integration of foreign workers even in the absence of an active integration policy.
Recently, a network of five regions has been created, including the region of L. The partners engage in diversified projects. One of them - labeled innovation region - delas with the expansion of the economic structure. As part of this, L. has started a so-called thinking factory.
woensdag 9 februari 2011
How sustainable is the 'German model'? Isn't an export-oriented economy alsways to some extent 'other-directed'? The French Coface analyzes regularly the risk per country (see: ). If we look at the strengths and weaknesses of Germany, the industrial base is indeed one of the strong points. But the dominant part of the automobile industry - both as far as production and export are concerned - is seen as a weakness. Will the strengths or the weaknesses prevail in future?
Economists cannot predict (as we have learned the hard way) which does not deter them however from eagerly extrapolating the 'recovery' curve glossing over the losses incurred during the height of the crisis.
Making things (better) German style is at best a temporary route map to be further developed in two directions:
- to sustainit, one needs to stimulate innovation
- and Europe must leave the slow lane of becoming the greater Switzerland of the 21st century (Stevens)
The German model portrays the macroeconomic landscape of the country which is in a certain sense only an abstraction: the real economy rather happens in cities and regions and, above all, in individual companies. Hence for a better understanding it is necessary to zoom in on those lower levels.
Economists cannot predict (as we have learned the hard way) which does not deter them however from eagerly extrapolating the 'recovery' curve glossing over the losses incurred during the height of the crisis.
Making things (better) German style is at best a temporary route map to be further developed in two directions:
- to sustainit, one needs to stimulate innovation
- and Europe must leave the slow lane of becoming the greater Switzerland of the 21st century (Stevens)
The German model portrays the macroeconomic landscape of the country which is in a certain sense only an abstraction: the real economy rather happens in cities and regions and, above all, in individual companies. Hence for a better understanding it is necessary to zoom in on those lower levels.
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