Willy Van Puymbroeck, Head of Unit G1 "Nanoelectronics" Information Society and Media, European Commission
Abstract
This past year we saw the introduction of the Europe 2020 strategy and key supporting initiatives such as the Digital Agenda and the Innovation Union. At the heart of Europe 2020 is the idea of achieving smart, inclusive and sustainable growth; open innovation will likely be central to the envisioned transformation of Europe. Indeed, we are seeing the emergence of what might be called HORIZON 2020 where innovation includes all the actors in an ecosystem, leveraging the creative commons and where we will often see simultaneous technical and social innovation to enable rapid assimilation of the benefits of open innovation. We will have to focus also on the ICT industrial and technological leadership challenges: a new generation of components and systems.
By acting together, we can make the difference, not only in innovation quality, but also in the speed of innovation.
Curriculum Vitae
Willy holds a Ph.D in Physics from the Universitaire Instelling Antwerpen. He has joined the European Commission in the late 80’s and throughout his twenty-five year career he has been responsible for research initiatives under different European Framework Programmes and author of several articles in the domain of physics, information technology and integrated manufacturing. Only recently appointed Head of Unit in DG INFSO Nanoelectronics and in charge of the follow-up of the ENIAC Joint Undertaking, he will be responsible to:
- Promote the transfer of R&D results into a digital single European market, while supporting innovation in advanced ICT products and systems of a high societal and economic relevance.
- Promote nanoelectronics as a key enabling technology (KET) and enhance the competitiveness of the European landscape globally while maintaining and attracting new investments in nanoelectronics on the European territory.
- Advocate the implementation of the Digital Agenda and of Horizon 2020, the new Research and Innovation EU Framework Programme.
