TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT SUMMIT - Unido

Part one. Technology Foresight Panels 57
new incentives and measures for further investments. EU support for expanding
cooperation in industry-specific research and development will upgrade
the competiveness. EU directives enforcing environmental protection will
have a beneficial “by-product”: promoting the rejuvenation of car fleets.
Particular remarks:
Automotive industry is global, controlled by large multinational companies;
Government policies have a unique role in attracting foreign direct
investments;
The long-term success of the automotive industry in the region depends
on how quickly companies (and governments) can adapt to the global
supply chains;
Competitiveness based on low level wages is dangerous;
Participation in the automotive R&D and integration in the upper tier
of the supply chain is the prudent long-term strategy for SMEs in
accession countries;
A competitive automotive industry in CEE will contribute to competitiveness
of EU;
A regional TF exercise is recommended to map future trends and
enhance competitiveness of the automotive industry in CEE;
The task of the government is not only to focus on getting new Foreign
Direct Investment, but also systematically provide the economic background
to increase the value added especially in the lower tier of the
supplier chain:
— Technical parks (with the necessary infrastructure for production,
logistic, ICT, R&D, including well equipped laboratories and temporally
R&D personal for leasing);
— Automotive clusters and competence centres based on/connected
to the internationally acknowledged universities and research centres
with effective schemes for spin-off;
— EU conform subsidies for the total innovation chain.