Euroabstracts highlights Germany's innovation

Although Germany is well placed to make breakthroughs in advanced technologies, such as microelectronics and biotechnology, it should push forward in the enabling technologies it needs to turn them into products, as these are where most of the new jobs will be. That is the st...

Although Germany is well placed to make breakthroughs in advanced technologies, such as microelectronics and biotechnology, it should push forward in the enabling technologies it needs to turn them into products, as these are where most of the new jobs will be.

That is the starting premise for the main feature of the latest issue of Euroabstracts, the free-of-charge European Commission, DG XIII, publication of the "Innovation and Participation of SMEs' programme.

The main feature comprises three articles:

- Putting selling before science, an interview with Johann Löhn, Chairman of Steinbeis-Stiftung and Commissioner for Technology Transfer to the Government of Baden-Württemberg;
- The understated strength of an economic colossus, based on the OECD economic survey of Germany for 1998;
- Hard work to gain soft skills, which relates that East German subsidiaries of West German or foreign companies prove more innovative than purely home-grown ones.

Other articles in this April 1999 issue of Euroabstracts include:

- It's productivity, stupid - a review of Michael Porter's book "The competitive advantage of nations";
- putting Europe back in the running - based on "Europe competing in the global economy: reports of the Competitiveness Advisory group";
- The technology virus - a review of the book, "La technique contre la démocratie", by Michel Claessens, a scientific journalist, who works for DG XII.