At January 7, in the Czech Republic, the country holding the Presidency of the European Union launched the European Year of Creativity and Innovation - 2009, with the slogan “Imagine. Create. Innovate”. The ceremony took place in Prague, being present Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, European Commission President , Mirek Topolanek, Czech Prime Minister and other high guests. It was preceded by a conference at which was presented a report on creativity and innovation in the European Union.
The European Year starts on the background of economic crisis, many reporters noting that stimulating creativity and innovation is a solutions of the problem. Jan Figel, European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, said it is unknown how long the crisis will last and what proportions will have. But when it will finish, those who invested in creativity and innovation will get evident priorities. Participants were unanimous in the idea that the first priority of the EU institutions and governments must be investment in education and creative skills. In the current crisis, reducing spending on research, development and education would be a huge mistake. They estimated that creativity and innovation are also essential for solving challenges, including demographic changes, globalization, climate change and the transition to a society based on knowledge.
It was underlined the importance of creativity and innovation in personal, social and economic development, being needed to promote human talent, encouraging innovative approaches in different areas of science and economy, such as: education, culture, business and technological research, development of technical scientific progress, environmental improvement, economic advancement, continue building the information society, etc.
In this year there will be developed campaigns on promoting creativity results both at European level and in national, regional and local one. The events will fit in the context of the Lisbon Strategy, which aims to transform the economy aimed at European Union countries, based on knowledge, in one of the most competitive in the world.
Details about the launch of the European Year 2009 at: http://www.create2009.europa.eu/
Press release: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1893&type=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
On 29 January this year, in the symposium “Dimensions of implementing library concept ULIM Educational”, organized by Department of Information ULIM, Peter Racu, AGEPI CID chief, the speech “in 2009 - European Year of Creativity and Innovation: trajectories library”. It was emphasized the role of information, and special libraries in stimulating creative process were outlined directions and ways to disseminate information in the field of intellectual property in support of passionate users of research and innovation.