Warning for Europe's leaders as Dublin takes up baton for 2012

EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS have been warned they must make determined efforts to sustain investment in research in order to help Europe regain its leadership role in science.

Failure to act would see it losing out to the US and emerging economies in Asia and South America.

“Decision-makers must realise that time is running out fast,” according to a declaration released yesterday on the last day of the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) meeting in Turin. The next meeting in 2012 takes place in Dublin.

The declaration offered the only discordant note as the ESOF meeting drew to a close. It could not have been held in a more dramatic location, atop Turin’s impressive convention centre which occupies the old Fiat autoworks. Built in the 1920s the roof has its own banked race track reached by an enclosed spiral ramp, both used in the past to test cars coming off the production lines on floors below.

The organisers put together a sometimes boisterous hand-over ceremony during which the city of Turin passed responsibility for the next meeting to hosts Dublin.

Dublin’s new lord mayor Gerry Breen was on hand wearing his official chain of office to respond to Turin’s deputy mayor Tom De Alessandri.

Mr Breen said Ireland remained committed to the goal of developing a smart economy despite its current economic difficulties. The Celtic Tiger years had left the country with a strong research and development capacity.

Important infrastructural developments include the new conference centre on the Liffey where ESOF 2012 will take place, a second terminal at Dublin airport and also the new Grand Canal Theatre, Mr Breen said. He hoped many attending ESOF 2010 would also travel to Dublin, mirroring the influx of Italian tourists who came to Dublin having met Irish football supporters during Italia ’90.

The president of ESOF Prof Enric Banda declared the meeting a success and the head of the 2010 meeting Prof Enrico Predazzi thanked those who had worked so hard and also referred to the ESOF declaration and the need for action by Europe’s governments.

Ireland’s Prof Patrick Cunningham who now heads the 2012 organising group, congratulated Turin and said that Dublin was ready “to take on the challenge”.