As a first step the Commission presented possible short term actions in response to the economic crisis and an assessment of achievements made under the Broad Based Innovation Strategy, accompanied by reviews of the Lead markets Initiative, innovation in services, financing innovation in SMEs and the effectiveness of innovation support measures. The report shall provide a basis for discussions that are intended to result in specific policy measures, to be laid out in a Commission communication on industrial policy by the end of the year.

The DG Enterprise and Industry report highlights new technologies that are expected to be of broad significance across a number of sectors, driving the delivery of new goods and services that will reach the market by 2020. Within Information and Communication Technology these will include micro- and nanoelectronics and photonics. Elsewhere, the list highlights advanced materials, to enable major improvements in aerospace, transport, building and healthcare, and biotechnology which will allow non-renewable materials to gradually be replaced with ones from sustainable sources.

Sources: http://bulletin.sciencebusiness.net/ebulletins/showissue.php3?page=/548/5326/17783&rec_id=5738 and http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/innovation/future-policy/index_en.htm, as accessed on April 29, 2010.