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Press release5 November 2019Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs1 min read

Industrial policy: recommendations to support Europe’s leadership in 6 strategic business areas

The recommendations, by the Strategic Forum for Important Projects of Common European Interest, relate to

  • connected, clean and autonomous vehicles
  • hydrogen technologies and systems
  • smart health
  • industrial internet of things
  • low-carbon industry
  • cybersecurity

Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska, responsible for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, said: “Our single market, one of the largest markets in the world, is a unique springboard for our industry to compete globally. To make the most of it, we need to collectively invest in being at the forefront of technological development. We have made a good start in areas such as batteries, plastic recycling and high-performance computing. And we can do more. In that vein, I welcome today’s expert group recommendations for 6 additional strategic value chains that the EU’s industrial policy should focus on.”

Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) are innovative research projects that often entail significant risks and require joint, well-coordinated efforts and transnational investments by public authorities and industries from several EU countries. By investing jointly in Europe’s industrial strengths and assets, the EU can generate jobs and growth across sectors and regions and strengthen the EU’s role on the global stage.

The strategic forum's report also identifies horizontal enabling actions

  • Pooling public and private resources at EU, national and regional levels. The EU should coordinate these joint investments, targeting first industrial deployment and the commercialisation of new technologies.
  • Deepening and integrating the single market through regulations and new standards.
  • Mapping and developing the skills needed across the value chains.
  • Making innovation systems in Europe more dynamic, with a focus on regional strengths and public-private partnerships.
  • Setting a governance process to monitor technological and industrial changes, identify emerging strategic value chains and evaluate the progress of work on these value chains.

The report is part of the Juncker Commission’s efforts to strengthen Europe’s industrial base. It will also contribute to the next Commission’s work on a new long-term strategy for Europe’s industrial future.

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