BRUSSELS -(Dow Jones)- The European Commission said Tuesday it will spend EUR9 billion on information technology and telecom research through 2013.
The money will come from the European Union's research budget, which totals more than EUR50 billion over the period.
EU Commissioner for the Information Society and Media Viviane Reding said the money will provide a "shot in the arm" to European information and communications technology research and help to make Europe more competitive.
"Europe is starting to catch up in ICT research," she said. "With EUR9 billion we're challenging Member States, industry and academia to join us in the fight for a more competitive Europe."
The funding underlines the EU's determination to close the research gap with its competitors. A 2006 survey of the top 1,250 research-active companies found that the gap was narrowing substantially. Some 39 U.S. firms were in the survey's top 100 companies compared with 36 European firms.
-By Carolyn Henson, Dow Jones Newswires; +32 2 741 1484; carolyn.henson@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires "
Posted to the site on 21st November 2006
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