INTERVIEW JEAN-LUC DI PAOLA-GALLONI (ARTEMIS)
SAVING EUROPE FROM DIGITAL COLONIZATION Embedded and cyber-physical systems are at the core of Europe’s future competitiveness. Value is shifting from components to systems and solutions. Artemis president Jean-Luc di Paola-Galloni explains how this upcoming market is both an opportunity and a threat to our continent. Europe needs to understand how the market is changing and gear up its investments to avoid getting digitally colonized. Jessica Vermeer
W
e’re on the verge of another industrial revolution. Embedded and cyber-physical systems will act as a bridge between the real and digital worlds. According to Jean-Luc di Paola-Galloni, president of the European industry association Artemis, the only way to achieve success in this upcoming industrial revolution is to create the best value chain we can on our continent. We need to make sure Europe is self-sustaining throughout the entire chain going to application software, while simultaneously being a global force to be reckoned with. “This Europe-inside concept is
what we need to protect more, also within our funding schemes. We need to build, enforce and protect our innovation.” Di Paola-Galloni knows how to deliver his concerns. “Do we want to get digitally colonized in this continent or what? Or do we want to grab the opportunity to resist?” The EU is being outspent by the US, Japan and China. The Chinese are investing heavily in key policies focused on the transition from being the world’s factory to becoming a self-sufficient leader in innovation. The US is also putting its weight behind R&D investments in software applications.
European private-sector R&D in embedded and cyber-physical systems seems to be falling behind, in both hardware and software technologies. “We need to resist. Private-sector research and investments are lagging.”
A splash of fresh water
Artemis is Europe’s association for actors in embedded intelligent systems. It aims to secure the whole value chain, from hardware to software. Last year, it presented the report “Embedded intelligence: trends and challenges”. Di Paola-Galloni launched the study two years ago, when he joined Artemis as president, 2 51
