EU launches Year of Innovation and Creativity in Prague

The EU yesterday officially launched a year of activities marking innovation and creativity during a ceremony in Prague presided over by Commission President José Manuel Barroso and Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek.

At the accompanying launch conference, the Ambassadors for the Year, who include Maltese lateral thinking Prof. Edward de Bono, presented a report on creativity and innovation in the EU, whose message is that investment in education and in the skills and creative capacity of Europe should be the top priority of EU institutions and governments.

Starting against the backdrop of the current economic crisis, many speakers at the conference stressed that boosting creativity and innovation was part of the solution to the current crisis.

The European Year of Innovation and Creativity aims to raise awareness of the importance of creativity and innovation as key competences for personal, social and economic development.

The Year is conceived as a horizontal, cross-cutting exercise involving many areas. Apart from education and culture, it involves enterprise, regional and research policies, energy, transport, environment and the information society.

The EU will offer a framework for raising awareness of the issues concerned and promoting a policy debate on how to increase Europe's creative and innovative potential. As was the case in previous European Years, the activities will include promotional campaigns, events and initiatives at European, national, regional and local levels.

Malta will be organising a number of events and its National Coordinator is the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport.