Central European Initiative 2005

CEI Working Group Human Resources Development and Training

Conference on Competitiveness in Prague, April 2005

General information:
The conference "Competitiveness - Innovation - Human Resource: CEI Countries in Global Perspective" was organised by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with National Training Fund, Institute for Social and Economic Analyses and the Czech Technical University in Prague. It is organised under the auspices of the Committee for Science, Education, Training and Culture of the Czech Parliament.

The main theme of the conference was the position of Central Europe and the entire EU region within the context of global competitiveness. The major focus of the conference was on the emerging differences in the level of competitiveness of European countries (and specifically selected CEI countries) in comparison to the U.S. and other advanced countries. The conference did try not only to identify the reasons for Europe´s lacking behind in the ability to compete effectively, but also outlined the approaches and necessary steps to be taken to change positively the entire region towards a greater competitiveness growth. Specific problems which were addressed: the institutional status and financing of R&D; the systems of development and diffusion of innovation; and the dynamics of HRD. The discussion also focused on the potential risks of continuing to increase the gap between Europe and the U.S. and the risks of possible identical developments in comparison to Asian economies in the future.

Outcomes:
The goal of the conference was to share the most up-to-date knowledge on Europe's competitiveness and the relationship of innovation potential and HRD to it. The presentations that have been provided by excellent European and American speakers have stimulated the active discussion and creation of ideas on how to make European countries to be more competitive in global world. These discussions took place in workshops focused on different aspects of key factors of competitiveness. The outcomes of workshops were presented at the final panel.

Leaflet

Programme and presentations

Speakers

Photos