Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

EU should keep out of innovation's way, Wikipedia founder says
EU Observer ^ | 08.05.12 @ 19:57 (May 8) | Philip Ebels

Posted on 05/12/2012 10:37:20 PM PDT by Olog-hai

To encourage innovation in Europe, policymakers should just keep out of the way, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has said.

"I agree with the idea of streamlining and simplification. The only thing is that I would be much more extreme," he told EUobserver on Tuesday (8 May) on the sidelines of a conference in Brussels on EU innovation policy organized by global accounting firm Ernst & Young.

"The most important thing that Europe needs to do to spur innovation is to eliminate barriers," he added. "To make it easier for investors and entrepreneurs to start businesses and to make it easier to fail."

Compared to his native US, founding a company in Europe is famously burdensome—even though big differences exist between the north and the south of the continent.

In the US, the whole process does not have to take longer than five minutes. In Greece, it can take up to ten months.

Wales, who recently started work as an (unpaid) advisor to the UK government in London, is a strong believer in the free market. …

(Excerpt) Read more at euobserver.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Miscellaneous; Science; Society
KEYWORDS: europeanunion; eussr; innovation; redtape

1 posted on 05/12/2012 10:37:29 PM PDT by Olog-hai
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Comment #2 Removed by Moderator

To: Olog-hai
In the US if you have the wrong kind of doorknobs on your restroom you can be fined and then shutdown.
Is it worse than that?
3 posted on 05/13/2012 2:05:04 AM PDT by this_ol_patriot (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Olog-hai
Entrepreneurship Helps Make America Great

John Stossel wrote this story which told how he took a week to open a business in Delaware (picked because of its being easier than most other places in the US). It would have taken a month in the UK or India, but only a day in Hong Kong.

4 posted on 05/13/2012 5:46:27 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (You only have three billion heartbeats in a lifetime.How many does the government claim as its own?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson