The idea of a Europe 2.0

The 5th E-Government Ministerial Conference  held in Malmo, integrated in the Swedish Presidency, reinforced the strategic importance that the new tools of a more transparent, capable and flexible Government have in the consolidation of the trust of citizens in the role of the State. As Dan Tapscott clearly said, “there is no more time for the lack of capability in a society where the State must be the central enabler of Trust and Ambition for Society”. That ´s it. In Sweden, a contract was established towards the construction of an effective Europe 2.0.

       Europe will face in 2010 with the full implementation of the  Treaty of Lisbon  new challenges for the future and  will have to decide about the most suitable strategies for a new Development Agenda. In a time of uncertainty and uncontrolled global finantial crisis, Europe must focus more and more its attention on launching the basis for an Agenda of New Ideas centered in the drivers of high growth rate and civil society capacity of creating and developing added value for the international market. This is the really basis for a Europe 2.0

       The idea of a Europe 2.0, essential for a new future, demands  an effective Partnership Contract between all the actors (States, Universities, Companies, Civil Society), in order to build a real Strategy of Confidence in the implementation of the different policies. The focus on Innovation and Knowledge as the drivers of creating added value with international dissemination is a unique challenge that may be the answer to a new way of interaction between those who have the responsibility of thinking and those that have the responsibility of producing goods and services.

      The Europe 2.0 must be an Idea of Change. In Europe 2.0 there is a  strategic challenge focused in the capacity of attracting New Investments, New Talents and a New Ambition for an Agenda for the future. The design of a Europe 2.0 with a new agenda  cannot be made by law but must be built through a “broad and consistent partnership” that is the platform  for a collaborative network of the different operational actors of the continent. In Europe 2.0, the key word must be  Ambition. The State, the Municipalities, the Companies, the Universities, in a word, Civil Society must give the example. They must promote a new adventure in a complex world and there is a real sense of urgency in our capacity of being able to do it.

     It´ s time to believe in a new cycle for Europe. Reinventing the European Dream and giving the European Actors (States, Universities, Enterprises, Civil Society) the opportunity of developing new challenges focused on innovation and creativity is in a large sense giving a central contribution to the reinvention of Europe. The Reinvention of Europe is the reinvention of its people and institutions. More than everything, it is a public demonstration of a positive answer to the future.

      This is the idea of a Europe 2.0 This is a challenge for the future that is the basis for our present. We must be able to win a new ambition for our land. For our people. For our citizenship. We must be able to effective construct an Innovation Society mostly based in our individual attitude in an Open Society. It ´s a challenge we must be able to answer with success.

 Francisco Jaime Quesado is the General Manager of the Innovation and Knowledge Society in Portugal, a public agency with the mission of coordinating the policies for Information Society and mobilizing it through dissemination, qualification and research activities. It operates within the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education