Most often, people are either unaware of it or underestimate it. But it means that we must step up our research efforts, coordinate them better, and promote technological development and innovation, in order to foster one of the essential ingredients of growth. By doing this we will strengthen competitiveness, safeguard and develop jobs. While technological progress creates tomorrow's jobs, it is research which will create the jobs the day after tomorrow. If current trends in research were to be maintained, they would risk having a negative impact on the employment situation in Europe in the years to come.
Technical progress engenders a net increase in jobs in companies.
In fact, a number of the figures I have been quoting are drawn from studies which he has directed. These studies show the importance of technical progress in creating jobs. High-tech companies pay the highest salaries, offer greater job security and create jobs more rapidly than others. So it is up to Europe to make the most of its strong points. It is at the forefront of areas such as medical research or chemistry.