In Europe this is extremely difficult to achieve. There are exceptions but on the whole we don't give an early start to our best young scientists. The foremost challenge is to build a policy environment that fosters research and innovation and is constantly renewed. The crucial point to understand is that constant renewal of these capabilities is necessary. European-based corporations must run faster to produce and quickly exploit technologies that they develop or buy.
Tariff protection is a thing of the past.
Non-tariff trade barriers are becoming much more difficult to hide and to maintain and Europe's population, both young and old, has access to education that can equip it for a new era of global competition between individuals. The foremost challenge is to build a policy environment that fosters research and innovation and is constantly renewed. This takes a sophisticated combination of political responsibility and technical competence. Leadership should come from the scientific and engineering communities at least as much as it does from the financial and business sectors. The role of technology in the new economy paradigm provides a receptive climate in government and industry for greater leadership from you and your colleagues in science and engineering.