Microelectronics into the 90's

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1986
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 65 KB
• Volume: 17
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0026-2692
• DOI: 10.1016/s0026-2692(86)80107-0

✦ Synopsis

We are including a new section into the Journal looking at Plans and Developments that could functionally effect the microelectronics industry in the 1990's. Each issue will present a review of a Government Programme, on International Strategy or a similar service, starting in this issue will be the Esprit programme.

ESPRIT

Information technology is the catalyst of the third industrial revolution which will change our society and determine Europe's performance with the rest of the world.

European industry in this sector is, however, under threat. Faced with American technological capacity and scale, with Japanese innovation and efficiency and with the productivity of South-East Asia, Europe has so far failed to act in a consistent manner, partly because of the compatmentalised nature of the national programmes partly as a result of alliances formed with non-European competitors.

Nevertheless, Europe holds two trump cards: on the one hand, its scientific potential is comparable with that of the USA and Japan and, on the other, its market is the biggest in the world.

ESPRIT is the first stage in this attempt by European industry to cut a path through the ranks of its competitiors and regain its place in the world market.