Based on the experience of Cotec España fostering the use of technological innovation in companies and throughout society in our country for over a decade, Italian and Portuguese entrepreneurs, academicians and politicians decided to create similar institutions – the Fondazione Cotec in Italy in 2002 and Cotec Portugal-Associaçao Empresarial in 2003 – with the firm support of their respective Heads of State who today are now their Honorary Presidents.
Shared objectives include awareness-raising as to the use of technology, simplification of interaction between companies, universities and public administrations to boost the transfer of technology, to encourage of R&D projects, the drawing up of scientific-technological roadmaps, awareness-raising throughout the financial world regarding innovation, analysis of the demand for technology on the part of companies and of the effects of innovation, the fostering of observatories to detect technological opportunities and contribution to enhancing the efficiency of innovation policy.
Similarities in needs and progress objectives in the area of innovation in the three countries led their respective Heads of State and Honorary Presidents of each Cotec organisation to launch the Cotec Europa initiative designed to contribute to better adaptation of the innovation policies of the three countries and of the European Union to the needs of their productive fabric.
Consensus on joint proposals among southern countries
At the time when the concept of a "European area of science" started to take hold and there was a clamour for a "European area of innovation", we felt it was important to inform Brussels of the needs and peculiarities of the southern European countries. The Cotec institutions in Italy, Portugal and Spain commenced work along these lines in light of the fact that, as mentioned above, these three countries have very similar innovation structures and share common problems and interests.
This work has given rise to agreed proposals among the three Cotec organisations which have been approved at the different Cotec Europa meetings under the chaimanship of the Heads of State of the three countries and with the participation of different members of the respective governments. Since 2005 these meetings have been organised annually and are held in the three countries on a rotational basis.