Making innovation happen: The role of standards and openness in an innovation-friendly ecosystem

Standards can play a key role in facilitating innovation. This is being taken into consideration by companies in their business strategies as well as by governments regarding their innovation strategies. Within Europe, detailed analysis has been taken regarding the complexities of the relationship between standardisation and innovation and legal changes to adapt the European standardisation system to global realities have been made in order to increase the potential in Europe for driving innovation via the powerful tool of standardisation. What is important is that the different roles which standards play in this context are well analysed and understood. Building on the boost of innovation which the internet and the World Wide Web produced, there is a huge potential for innovative technologies in the integration of technologies. Like with the internet and the web, standards are a critical element in this context. And flexibility and differentiated action will be required for maximising the desired effects of innovation strategies and policies.