The problem

Improving industrial productivity and economic competitiveness are goals for every country in Europe. In fact, when EU leaders met in Lisbon in 2000 they laid down a bold vision – to make the European Union the most competitive and dynamic economy in the world. That aspiration was supported at the 2002 Barcelona summit which laid down goals to increase Europe’s skills base and labour mobility, and to raise investment in scientific research and technological change. But how does Europe measure progress towards these targets?

Overview:

The EUKLEMS project will produce a database on industrial productivity. It will cover the EU Member States, with data from 1970 onwards relating to: economic growth; productivity, employment; capital formation; and technological change.

The database will make it possible to compare the competitiveness of the existing 15 Member States (i.e. the members before May 2004), and between the EU and its main economic rivals: north America and Japan.

Statistics will be gathered from the USA, Canada and Japan. The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia will initially represent the new EU Member States in the database.

Contribution to policy development:

• EUKLEMS will provide a way to evaluate economic policies, and to monitor the effect of these policies on economic growth and competitiveness
• It will be a tool to monitor progress towards the Lisbon and Barcelona targets
• The project will help policy-makers identify opportunities to improve investment in different parts of their economies
• It will help to assess the competitive position of individual industries in countries covered by the database

Project deliverables

• Statistical roadmap describing sources and methods – draft January 2005, final June 2005
• Produce preliminary version of EU KLEMS database – December 2005
• First public release of the database – September 2006
• Second release, after analysis and improvements – August 2007

Dissemination

• The website, eventually to include the database – November 2004
• Publication of working papers (as required) and the EU KLEMS Productivity Report – final version September 2007
• Two major conferences – September 2006/7
• Presenting project to relevant associations and writing in journals – as required

Technical information

Project acronym: EUKLEMS
Project’s official full title: Productivity in the European Union: A comparative approach
Research priority: 3.1. Underpinning European integration, sustainable development, competitiveness and trade policies
Specific webpage: http://www.euklems.net
Proposal/contract no: 502049
Start date: 01/09/2004
Kick off meeting: 26-27/10/2004
Completion date: 31/08/2007
European Commission scientific officer: Ian Perry (ian.perry@ec.europa.eu)

Coordinator:
Name: University of Groningen
Abbreviated name: RUG
Address: Post Bus 72
9700 AB Groningen
Country: The Netherlands
Tel: +31 050 363 9111
Website: www.rug.nl

Partners

Name: National Institute of Economic and Social Research
Abbreviated name: NIESR
Country: United Kingdom         

Name: Centre d’études prospectives et d’informations internationales
Abbreviated name: CEPII
Country: France

Name: Centre for Economic and Business Research
Abbreviated name: CEBR
Country: Denmark

Name: Netherlands Institute for Economic Policy Analysis
Abbreviated name: CPB
Country: The Netherlands

Name: German Institute for Economic Research
Abbreviated name: DIW
Country: Germany

Name: Federaal Planbureau
Abbreviated name: FPB
Country: Belgium

Name: Istituto di Studi e Analisi
Abbreviated name: ISAE
Country: Italy

Name: Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas
Abbreviated name: IVIE
Country: Spain

Name: Helsinki School of Economics
Abbreviated name: HSE
Country: Finland

Name: Austrian Institute for Economic Research
Abbreviated name: WIFO
Country: Austria

Name: Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies
Abbreviated name: WIIW
Country: Austria

Name: Economic and Social Institute, Free University Amsterdam
Abbreviated name: ESI
Country: The Netherlands

Name: The Conference Board of Europe
Abbreviated name: TCBE
Country: Belgium