Industry, a Knowledge-Based Economy and the Common European Industrial Policy

Industrial production is transferred from Europe to the so-called factories of the world (China, India, Vietnam, etc.). In Europe a knowledge-based economy has been created, but it does not create workplaces fast enough. In the European power elites and in the public opinion, Popularity of defending jobs in industry is growing, which is supported by patriotic argumentation. Continuation of this trend threatens to spark off conflicts within Europe. This menace should be stopped by the establishment of a new common European industrial policy. Its mission should be the (European institutions) leadership and the control of the restructuring process, i.e., the EU's transition from an industrial economy to a knowledge-based economy. As a result, the plane of potential conflicts will be the plane of cooperation.