European technology research must adapt says EU report

European research into manufacturing technologies needs to adapt to the fast-changing global economy, according to an EU strategy group.

The latest report from the Manufacture Technology Platform (MTP) — the EU’s strategy group for manufacturing industry — proposes setting up a European Manufacturing Innovation and Research Area (EMIRA) to boost research into new engineering techniques.

The ultimate aim of EMIRA would be to encourage the design, manufacture and distribution of new products. The report calls for ‘the implementation of supportive fiscal and legislative frameworks’ to ensure that Europe does not lag behind its competitors in manufacturing research.

The MTP, which includes representatives from industry and finance, aims to predict the priorities for manufacturing research in the EU and define a strategy for meeting those priorities.

Its strategic research agenda, launched at a conference last week at Rolls-Royce’s Derby headquarters, claims that there need to be ‘step-changes in manufacturing engineering capabilities and the engineering tools that are applied’, while ‘skills in innovation and entrepreneurship must be enhanced’.