The State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Labour of the Free State of Saxony, Mr. Hartmut Fiedler and Dr. Enrico Villa, Vice President of the European Semiconductor Industry Association (ESIA) invited Maria da Graça Carvalho to participate in the ESIA/Saxony KETs Panel Discussion: "Innovation Solutions for Europe through Key Enabling Technologies - The Way Forward" , that was held at the Saxony Liason Office Brussels.
During her key note speech Maria da Graça Carvalho gave an overview of the future of the different EU research and innovation programmes, gave the major guidelines for Horizon 2020; and emphasised the need for increased funding in the future budgets for EU research and innovation programmes. Lastly MEP Carvalho outlined the simplification process in broad terms.
Europe is facing both global innovation opportunities as well as challenges. It is also confronted by acute obstacles in crossing "the valley of death" from ideas to market. This is especially true for innovation centred industries such as Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) which the European Commission sees as essential drivers for innovation and competitiveness.
Among the speakers there were the State Secretary Hartmut Fiedler, Martin Spät, ESIA Director-General; Michel Catinat, European Commission, Head of Unit ICT for Competitiveness and Industrial Innovation; Dr. Ulrich Schäfer, Robert Bosch GmbH; Hendrik Kafsack, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung; MEP Hermann Winkler, Committee on Industry, Research and Energy; Herbert von Bose, Director Industrial Technologies, DG Research, European Commission; and Dr. Enrico Villa, Senior Adviser to the CEO & COO STMicroelectronics.