IDATE Foundation seminar- Montpellier, Wednesday November 20th, 2002

"Research & innovation in ICT: a cross-section perspective"

Apart from the exceptional success of GSM and, to a lesser extent, DVB, Europe has had to leave leadership in ICT to the USA over the last eventful decade and we are now seeing evidence of a fresh wave of innovation in Asia. The bursting of the stock market bubble, followed by recession in the telecoms equipment market, the financial crisis experienced by operators and stagnation in the IT market justifies an overall look at the conditions for an economic recovery that could make Europe not only a large market for ICT in the long-term, but also a privileged area for innovation in line with the political objective set by the European Union in the framework of the “Initiative of the Council of Lisbon".

 

The IDATE Foundation seminar will, as usual, provide contrasting views from academics, industry experts and representatives of public authorities, with a particular focus on the international aspect of the debate this year.


Discussion will centre on the following questions:

-          To what extent can differences in R&D financing on both sides of the Atlantic be made up for? What steps could be taken by regulators in this respect? What about public authorities on a national and Community level?

-          What are the lessons to be learnt from the profound changes seen in telecommunications R&D in recent years with regard to both its strategies and organisation and the direction taken by research? What are the real implications of the “open-source” phenomenon? What should be made of the challenges created by emerging industries such as the video games sector and the new role played by innovation in “traditional industries” such as financial services?

 

IDATE Foundation members will be asked to introduce certain topics and give their responses to presentations.

 

 

Programme 


09:00 – 09:15    Opening: Francis Lorentz, President, IDATE

09:15 – 10:45    The USA-Europe-Asia triad: what is Europe’s position? – a geopolitical approach

-          General overview of R&D initiatives in ICT in Europe: Didier Pouillot, IDATE

-          The "New American challenge”: Frédérique Sachwald, IFRI

Discussants: Hansuk Kim, KT (Korea) - François Bar, BRIE, Stanford University (USA)

10:45 – 11:15    Coffee break

11:15 – 12:45    Research & innovation: Is there a "new paradigm"? – an approach based on economic theory

-          Introduction to the problem: Edmond Baranes, University of Montpellier -IDATE

-          Innovation dynamic: economic theory approach, Claude Crampes, IDEI, Toulouse University (FR)

-          Financing innovation: the venture capital point of view, Pascal LAGARDE*, CDC (FR)

Discussants: Jos LEYTEN, Head of Research for Information Technology, TNO (NL)

12:45 – 13:30    Buffet lunch

13:30 – 15:00    The case of the telecoms industry: new strategies, new risks and opportunities – a strategic approach

-          The changing nature of R&D activities in telecommunications: Mario Calderini, Politecnico di Torino (IT)

-          The new priorities of incumbent telecoms operators: Alain Puissochet, IDATE

-          RNRT’s experience in France Jean Jerphagnon*, President, RNRT (FR)

Discussants: Emmanuel Caquot, Digitip (FR) – representative of an equipment manufacturer

15:00 16:30    Impetus, regulations, standardisation: what is the role of public policies and international co-operation? – A policy-based approach

-          Regulation and innovation: Michel Feneyrol, College member, ART (FR)

-          Incentives to innovate with generation networks : Erik Bohlin, Chalmers University of Technology (SE)

-          “eEurope 2005”: speaker from the European Commission

Discussants: a representative from the Ministry for Research– an academic

16:30 –16:45     Coffee break

16:45 –18:00     R&D and ICT: new horizons… Case studies

-          The economics of Open-Source Networks : Federico Iannacci, LSE (UK)

-          Innovation in financial services : Charles Goldfinger, international consultant, Brussels

-          IBM, Grid Computing*

Discussants: Alain Le Diberder*, CLVE, expert in the field of video games.                            

* to be confirmed