Abstract
Innovation is a priority of most countries in the world. Many of the national policies and strategies are aimed at innovation via support schemes, technology platforms, techno parks, incubators, financial initiatives and RD. Turkey must innovate to be more competitive in a global economy with a view to continually improve the quality of life of its citizens. Lack of innovation has been and remains a significant and serious obstacle with an impact on the competitiveness and growth of companies in many sectors of the Turkish economy. The ‘First Action Plan for Innovation in Europe’, the document developed by the European Commission in 1996, provided a common systematic approach for innovation policy in EU. The political leaders in Europe are responding to these challenges mainly along the objectives of the renewed Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs in light of which the key policies and programs have been reviewed since 2005. (EID, 2007) The foundation of “Technology Platforms” denotes the importance of Europe’s innovativeness by stressing that ‘Europe’s future depends on innovation reference to renewed Lisbon’s strategy. Also they are provide to be important constitutions in the development of European research policy to better accordance for the needs of industry. Technology Platforms are becoming mandatory tools for proposing new research ideas under the Seventh Framework Programme. Working through technology platforms is new way of collaboration and they are expected to be flexible action forums. They make various interested parties, especially industry, more closely committed to planning and to the resulting research work. Turkey must define priority actions to achieve a broad-based innovation strategy. Technology Platforms are such an action that enables innovation and competitiveness environment not to missed that is parallel to “national innovation policy documents”2 Main aim of this article is to assess national/European technology platforms with an integrated approach to national technology, RD and innovation policies. Turkey participation to European Technology Platforms requires a paradigm shift more than the narrow domain of research, innovation, science and technology policy. (1) First Action Plan for Innovation in Europe,1996 http: //cordis.europa.eu/documents/documentlibrary/4INL960517EN.pdf (2) National Innovation Policy Documents published since 2000 in Turkey by different government organizations.
