The continent that laid the foundations of scientific rationality and the innovative spirit in technology is almost nonexistent on the map of global entrepreneurship in the technology sector, as evidenced by the numbers, according to research cited in a Financial Times article.
Specifically, an article by the FT's European entrepreneurship editor, Sarah Gordon, based on data from research conducted by the consulting firm AT Kearney, documents Europe's tragic shortcomings in the high-tech sector, both in terms of financing, education and research, as well as development and strategic planning.
As the publication states, the full text of which can be read translated into Greek on the website euro2day.gr:
"Only 9 of the world's top 100 high-tech companies are based in Europe, generating just one-tenth of the industry's global revenue. The research highlights the long-term risks that a weak tech sector will pose to the European economy.".
[…] One of the nine European business groups in the world’s top 100 technology companies (based on sales data by industry) will disappear when Microsoft completes its acquisition of Nokia’s devices and services arm in the spring. Europe will also lose its only handset business in the global Top 10 in the sector.
[…] According to the European Commission, Europe spends almost one percentage point of its GDP less on research and development than the US and 1.5 points less than Japan.
The Commission is attempting to address some of these problems through the Horizon 2020 innovation and research strategy, established in 2013 and aiming to provide €70 billion to European technology industries over the next 7 years….”.
