Friend's of Europe Lunch Debate on "Technology, Globalization, and Inclusion. Is innovation a development tool? "

Theme

• Nobody doubts that in today’s Electronic Age technology is driving the rapid pace of change around the world. The Asian tigers and the dramatic economic rise of China and India owe much of their development to the global revolution in data processing and communications. But critics point to the digital divide and the widening North-South gap and question whether industrial innovation has been a development tool. Even within Europe, have the benefits of new technologies favoured some regions more than others? What policy measures could the EU and others use, to encourage the more even and widespread take-up of new technologies to reconcile competitiveness and inclusion?

Location

Bibliothèque Solvay, Leopold Park, 137 rue Belliard, 1040 Brussels

Schedule

• 12.30 - 13.00: Welcome of Participants

• 13.00 - 14.00: Debate & Sandwich Lunch

• 14.00 - 14.20: Coffee & Networking

Speakers

• John Monks, Secretary General, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
• Andrew Rashbass, Publisher and Managing Director, The Economist
• Brad Smith, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Microsoft

Moderators

• Pat Cox, Trustee Friends of Europe and former President of the European Parliament
• Giles Merritt, Secretary General, Friends of Europe

Attendees

• Benjamin Henrion (FFII-BE) and Jan Husar (FFII-SK) have registered to attend the event.

Questions to speakers

• Questions about software patents and China (like Alcatel "we need to have software patents to protect our DSL modems from chineese competitors on the European market")