US and Europe should collaborate more on technology, says commissioner

Co-operation seen as key to ending economic woes and tackling increased competition from emerging nations

Europe and the US should collaborate more on R&D, the Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn told an audience of policy wonks in Washington DC yesterday, because both see technological innovation as a route out of their current economic woes.

The commissioner said both the EU and US face “a daunting economic environment,” and both are “fighting to retain our competitiveness”, a reference to increased technological competition from emerging nations, such as China, India and Brazil.

Speaking at the European Institute, Geoghegan-Quinn invoked the Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the US, which was renewed last year until 2013.

Last month, senior officials from the European Commission and US government departments and agencies took stock of annual progress under the agreement.

Geoghegan-Quinn said that EU-US collaboration could be deeper and richer, while still keeping a balance with healthy competition.

“I discussed today with [Commerce] Secretary [Gary] Locke how we can establish a transatlantic Innovation Partnership. We should pool more of our efforts in research and innovation to bring solutions to global problems,” she said.

Geoghegan-Quinn encouraged her US audience to work with the EU on international regulations, especially reform of both continents' respective patent regimes.

“We need to pursue regulatory and policy co-operation for closer integration of our economies. The result will be to boost growth and job creation, while supporting strategic societal goals,” she said.

Patent reform is seen as a vital tool for liberating innovation on both sides of the Atlantic, but neither continents' administrations have achieved any significant impact as yet.