A conference focusing on ways to improve European competitiveness bringing together 200 opinion leaders in Helsinki

Networked Business and Government - Something Real for the Lisbon Strategy - a two-day conference started on Monday 23 October in Helsinki. The main aim of the conference, which is part of the official programme of Finland's EU Presidency, is to find concrete means to achieve the objectives set by the Lisbon Strategy. A total of about 200 specialists from the public sector, research institutes and businesses of various EU countries participate in the conference.

The conference focuses on cooperation between public and private sectors, digitalisation of business, enhancing productivity, reform of the innovation system, and information society development in public administration. The speakers of the conference will also shed some light also concrete measures to boost European competitiveness.

Among the Finnish key speakers are Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, President of the Finnish National Fund of Research and Development, Sitra, Esko Aho and Governor of the Bank of Finland Erkki Liikanen. During the first day, Mr Esko Aho will speak about European competitiveness and challenges of innovation policy from the perspective of the Hampton Court report. Practical examples will introduce some public administration reforms in Europe.

In his second day opening speech Prime Minister Vanhanen will emphasise that the strengthening of European competitiveness is our common challenge. Responding to this challenge requires investment in research and development, efficient utilisation of ICT, and broad-based cooperation in many areas.

Attendants of the conference have an opportunity to affect the proceedings interactively through three online votes that utilise the Response system - a wireless audience response and voting system. The audience can choose their own favourites among the concrete measures to boost European competitiveness proposed by the speakers. The vote also contributes to the aim of the conference: finding concrete means and measures to achieve the Lisbon Strategy objectives.

A panel discussion will be organised at the end of the conference to sum up the results of the conference and the vote. The discussion is central to the preparation of the conclusions of the conference which will form a Helsinki Manifest to be submitted to the forthcoming EU Presidencies, Germany and Portugal, and to the European Commission.

The conference has been organised in cooperation with the Finnish Government Information Society Programme, the Center for Knowledge and Innovation Research (CKIR) of the Helsinki School of Economics, the European Commission and several businesses.

Further information:
Ms Katrina Harjuhahto-Madetoja, Programme Director, tel. +358 9 1602 2363 and
Ms Susanna Hyvärinen, Programme Coordinator, tel. +358 9 1602 3405 (practical arrangements), Office of the Government Information Society Programme, and
Ms Päivi Paasikoski (media arrangements), Government Communications Unit, tel. +358 9 1602 2082