Innovation Action Plan - Final version
The European Commission has published a final version of the First Action Plan for Innovation in Europe, adopted in November 1996. The Action Plan is the result of widespread consultations in Europe throughout 1996, and aims to respond to Europe's weaknesses in transferring research and knowledge into new products and services, and therefore creating new jobs. Measures to strengthen innovation in Europe are outlined in the Action Plan. These are a mixture of existing and planned initiatives and new measures. Broadly, these initiatives can be grouped into three categories, with the aim of: - Fostering a genuine innovation culture and enterprise spirit; - Establishing a legal, regulatory and financial framework conducive to innovation; - Gearing research more closely to innovation at both national and Community level. The Action Plan represents only a first step. The measures contained in it will be reviewed regularly and may be adapted or supplemented depending on progress.