BELGIUM: Microsoft chairman Bill Gates Tours innovation show in Belgium to promote R and D strategies in Europe

Record ID: 700071

  • Title: BELGIUM: Microsoft chairman Bill Gates Tours innovation show in Belgium to promote R and D strategies in Europe
  • Date: 10th November 2006
  • Summary: (BN12) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (NOVEMBER 9, 2006) (REUTERS) PANEL AT INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY SHOW MICROSOFT FOUNDATION CHAIRMAN BILL GATES AT THE SHOW GATES AND FINNISH PRIME MINISTER MATTI VAN HANEN LOOKING AT INTERACTIVE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY KNOWN AS SMART SURFACE CONCEPT IMAGES ON THE TABLE BEING MANIPULATED VIRTUALLY BY THE NEW TECHNOLOGY GATES AND VAN HANEN LOOKING AT A DEMONSTRATION OF THE VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGY VAN HANEN MOVING VIRTUALLY A MAP PROJECTED VISUALLY ON THE TABLE THEN GATES DOES IT MAN DEMONSTRATING A WINDOWS BASED PHONE VAN HANEN ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) FINNISH PRIME MINISTER - REPRESENTING THE EU PRESIDENCY - MATTI VAN HANEN, SAYING: "I would say we need to make Europe more innovation friendly and encourage the private sector to innovate by making structural reforms. Ladies and gentlemen as I said at the beginning innovation is high on the Finnish government's agenda. Innovation and R&D in Europe needs to be more business driven and geared more towards the private sector" PEOPLE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) FINNISH PRIME MINISTER - REPRESENTING THE EU PRESIDENCY - MATTI VAN HANEN, SAYING: "Regulation is the core business of government. Issues like competition rules are very important and I believe that this is an issue that Microsoft knows well. Demanding regulation can also spur companies into becoming more reticent as we have witnessed in Finland with the telecommunications sector" PEOPLE LISTENING AND CAMERAS FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (English) FINNISH PRIME MINISTER - REPRESENTING THE EU PRESIDENCY - MATTI VAN HANEN, SAYING: "The EU has set the target that all member states should devote at least 3 per cent of their GDP to research and development. If we were to reach this target this would mean an increase of about 1 billion euros a year" VARIOUS OF INNOVATION SHOW (SOUNDBITE) (English) MICROSOFT CHAIRMAN, BILL GATES, SAYING: "The interest in innovation here and getting the policies right about that is really fantastic. The Lisbon agenda was very ambitious, the goal of getting R&D to 3 percent, looking at how the top universities can get the right R&D funding, the increase in funding that's in the 7th framework that has a broad set of research activities; we are very excited to see that. We think that is pushing things in the right direction so that Europe can get its share of these great advances and participate in a very very strong way" SHADOW OF BILL GATES ON SIGN READING "EMPOWERING EUROPE THROUGH INNOVATION" (SOUNDBITE) (English) MICROSOFT CHAIRMAN, BILL GATES, SAYING: "So basically wherever there is a billion people we are putting in a research centre. People ask me when are you going to put the next one in my country and I say 'when you have a billion people, give me a call. Obviously I am doing that a little bit, cos we can't put one in every country and we will probably will do some additional ones, but I think that what we've got today worked very well for us. We try and be an example, a real evangelist for companies investing in the research. We think that that has been our very best investment, the reason we've got a strong future is because we did that research but not just isolated research, we've created this eco-system of research" PEOPLE IN THE BRIEFING ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) MICROSOFT CHAIRMAN, BILL GATES, SAYING: "When we think about Asia coming into the mix overwhelmingly that is a good thing. Its means that there's more smart people every day thinking about how to make reliable products, medicines, you know, taking this dream of the device in your pocket that will be your wallet and your camera and your mapping device and your data device, your schedule, letting you communicate in new ways. You know, people all over the globe are going to contribute to that idea" PEOPLE AT THE INNOVATION DAY SHOW COMPUTERS AND PEOPLE WORKING IN INNOVATIVE KITCHEN AREA MAN USING LIQUID NITROGEN TO PREPARE FOOD WITH AND THEN EATING IT
  • Embargoed: 25th November 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: Industry,Lifestyle
  • Reuters ID: LVA5A69NZPQ1P8GS4T9CSR6OMLD7
  • Story Text: Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates made a rare visit to the EU capital Brussels on Thursday (November 9) to promote funding in Research and Development (R&D) in Europe, present innovative technology and hold talks with the European Commission which did not include discussions over the EU's anti-trust case against Microsoft.
    He was joined at an Innovation Day show by Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen representing the European Union presidency and both tested out new technologies still under development including a virtual interactive computer programme called the smart surface concept.
    None of these products are in day to day use and could take several years of further development before they enter into the market.
    Innovation Day divided Microsoft's products on show into three categories: banking, retail and manufacturing.
    The smart surface concept is based on the idea that objects can be virtually moved and manipulated thanks to images on a surface which respond human interaction.
    These images can also be shared live with other users via phones and blue tooth technology. It remains to be seen how industry could use such applications.
    The Commission and Microsoft have long clashed over the crushing market power of the company's existing Windows operating system and the regulators fined the U.S. giant a record 497 million euros (631 million dollars) in March 2004.
    The European Commission said its antitrust case against Microsoft Corp. was not on the agenda for President Jose Manuel Barroso's talks this morning with Gates.
    Vanhanen said Europe was fairing very badly in R&D compared to other regions such as Asia and the U.S. and needed to seriously address the issue of funding especially private money.
    "I would say we need to make Europe more innovation friendly and encourage the private sector to innovate by making structural reforms. ladies and gentlemen as I said at the beginning innovation is high on the Finnish government's agenda. Innovation and R&D in Europe need to be more business driven and geared more towards the private sector," Vanhanen said.
    However he reminded the audience and Bill Gates in particular of the importance of keeping a strong regulatory framework in the area of innovation and the introduction of new technology on the market.
    However he softened his blow by acknowledging it must be properly balanced so as not to hamper innovation.
    "Regulation is the core business of government. Issues like competition rules are very important and I believe that this is an issue that Microsoft knows well. Demanding regulation can also spur companies into becoming more reticent as we have witnessed in finland with the telecommunications sector" Vanhanen said.
    The EU has set a target of dedicating 3 percent of the EU countries' GDP to innovation. Currently it stands at around 1.9 percent whilst China invests 2.8 percent.
    "The EU has set the target that all member states should devote at least 3 per cent of their GDP to research and development. If we were to reach this target this would mean an increase of about 1 billion euros a year," Vanhanen said.
    Bill Gates said he was encouraged by the EU's innovation target.
    Speaking on the sidelines of the show the Microsoft chairman said antitrust regulation hasn't fundamentally altered the key features of the company's upcoming Vista operating system.
    Gates said Microsoft has discussed Vista, the next generation of its ubiquitous Windows software, with antitrust regulators "every step of the way."
    He accused the company's rivals of trying to get antitrust authorities to "castrate" Vista, but insisted the product's main innovations, including heftier security features and improved performance, are still included in the software.
    His remarks come on the same day the company finished tinkering with Vista and started producing copies that will be shipped to business users at the end of the month
    "The interest in innovation here and getting the policies right about that is really fantastic. The Lisbon agenda was very ambitious, the goal of getting R&D to 3 percent, looking at how the top universities can get the right R&D funding, the increase in funding that's in the 7th framework that has a broad set of research activities; we are very excited to see that. We think that is pushing things in the right direction so that Europe can get its share of these great advances and participate in a very very strong way," Gates said.
    He presented Microsoft as the 'evangelist' for companies investing in research and said his company would not stop investing in it throughout the world.
    "So basically wherever there is a billion people we are putting in a research centre. People ask me when are you going to put the next one in my country and I say 'when you have a billion people, give me a call. Obviously I am doing that a little bit, cos we can't put one in every country and we will probably will do some additional ones but I think that what we've got today worked very well for us. We try and be an example, a real evangelist for companies investing in the research. We think that that has been our very best investment, the reason we've got a strong future is because we did that research but not just isolated research, we've created this eco-system of research," Gates said.
    Recognising the challenge coming from Asia and emerging economies he said national economies and multinationals should look at it in a positive way and learn from other countries.
    Gates sees the serious investment in technology in Asia, and China in particular, as a way of advancing global technological progress and innovation.
    "When we think about Asia coming into the mix overwhelmingly that is a good thing. Its means that there's more smart people every day thinking about how to make reliable products, medicines, you know, taking this dream of the device in your pocket that will be your wallet and your camera and your mapping device and your data device, your schedule, letting you communicate in new ways. You know, people all over the globe are going to contribute to that idea," Gates said.
    Gates began Microsoft's R&D programme 15 years ago.
    Whilst critics believe his aggressive marketing strategy is the reason for his success Gates said it was thanks to his long-standing commitment and investment in R&D a lot of which is done through universities.

    COMPUTERS COMPUTER INDUSTRY
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