This requires a strengthening of the public and private research efforts in the Union, and also of the coordination of Member States' research efforts, both among themselves and with those of the Union. One of the objectives of the initiative on the European research area aims at improving the performance of European research, in particular by the networking and coordinated implementation of national programmes. The characteristics of the ECSC steel programme make it a good example of this. Knowledge forms the basis for the competitiveness of any industry and particularly of heavy industry. It contributes to developing new products with higher added value and thus to generating new jobs.
Research is called to play a more central role in the economy and in European society.