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 Research
& Development
The European Council concluded in its Lisbon-strategy
in 2000 that Europe is lagging behind in R&D and innovation compared
to the USA and Japan. Closing this gap is therefore a top priority. This
will not be achieved without involving the SMEs of Europe, as they make
up more than 99 % of all enterprises in Europe.
The heads of governments have recognised this vital importance of SME's
by selecting R&D as one of the ten action points of the European Charter
of Small Businesses.
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Overview
