What Europe Does Best

That is such a good idea. Progress has not been as fast as expected. 29,000 died on Europe's roads last year, according to a report from US analysts iSuppli, so the programme will have to motor to cut that back to 20,000 by the end of next year. But a 27 per cent cut in 7 years isn't at all bad.

What's also good is that the EU is heavily mandating electronic technology as the route to save lives.

Collectively the technology is known as ADAS Advanced Driver Assist Systems including things like ultrasonic and camera park-assist, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and blind-spot detection systems.

The trouble with getting this stuff used in cars is that it has to be made illegal to make cars without them if these technologies are to be incorporated in cars by manufacturers.

And the only ADAS safety technology currently required by law is Electronic Stability Control (ESC).

So Europe has to look to its political leadership if it is to seed its electronic markets of the future.

This is not such a bad thing. The IC industry in the USA would have taken a lot longer to get going than it did if it hadn't been for Minuteman missile production and President Kennedy's Moon programme.

Big systems used in industry, in medical applications, luggage screening, people screening, green energy generation (like solar systems) - these are the future 'societal' electronic markets for Europe according to a report called World Electronics Industry 2008-13 from DECISION the French analyst company.

This is a bit boring. But it's apparently what Europe does best.

TOMORROW MORNING: Ten Best Honours Received By Alexander Graham Bell.