Comment Neelie (Kroes)

[...] The European semiconductor industry is not just a large sector – though it is worth more than 30 billion euros. Nor is it just a highly innovative sector – though it is that too. Most importantly, it's a sector that supports innovation and boosts productivity almost everywhere else you look, from transport to healthcare. Estimates are that innovation in the semiconductor industry grew close to 9% per year over the past fifty years. This is twenty-five times the growth rate for the economy as a whole; and accounts for close to 30% of total innovation.