Lazar Ana Maria

Seria A – Anul I-IFR

Europe’s mission in the 21st century

Europe’s mission in the 21st century is to: provide peace, prosperity and stability for its
peoples; overcome the divisions on the continent; ensure that its people can live in safety;
promote balanced economic and social development; meet the challenges of globalisation and
preserve the diversity of the peoples of Europe; uphold the values that Europeans share, such as
sustainable development and a sound environment, respect for human rights and the social
market economy.

Europe has always been a world-leading inventoriii. We retain the core skills and deep
science culture that have made this possible. In this century too, Europe can contribute a great
share of the world's new tools, in genomics and biotech, in data and materials, in energy and
nutrition, in propulsion and cognition, in health and well-being, both physical and mental.

It is not to be taken for granted that Europe will continue to fulfil its innovation mission.
The future of innovation in Europe is less a theoretical or empirical question and more one of
intent and principle. Do we choose politically to be innovators?

If Europe failed in its 21st century mission to innovate, the blame would lie not with the
world but with ourselves. But if we choose to hold to the innovator's path, we can succeed: and
in doing so, we shall innovate our way to social inclusion and sustainability as well as to
productivity, growth and jobs.

Innovation is anything new that changes the society adopting it. Innovation and creativity
have always been intrinsic to being humaniv. Certainly innovation is essential to the ascent of
man: wondering what would happen if we did things a bit differently, seeking easier solutions to
life's challenges. In the last two years, humanity has embraced innovation more fully than ever
before. Innovation is acknowledged as intrinsic to the achievement of the UN Global Goals, just
as it is essential to the ten priorities of the current European Commission mandate.

Innovation is often thought of as the adoption by everyone else of the inventions of

scientists and technologists, whether in a disruptive 'entrepreneurial' contextv, by firm-led
incremental improvement or in an integrated technocratic effort of the 'Entrepreneurial State'vi.
None of these models are outdated, and the State-led model has particular relevance in a century
of long-term and massive challenges.