Website: Lead Market Initiative for Europe

The Lead Market Initiative for Europe will foster the emergence of lead markets high economic and societal value. On the basis of intense stakeholder consultations, six markets have been identified against a set of objective criteria; eHealth, protective textiles, sustainable construction, recycling, bio-based products and renewable energies. These markets are highly innovative, respond to customers’ needs, have a strong technological and industrial base in Europe and depend more than other markets on the creation of favourable framework conditions through public policy measures. For each market, a plan of actions for the next 3-5 years has been formulated. The European citizens will benefit both from the positive impact on growth and employment (the identified areas could represent three million jobs and 300 billion EUR by 2020) and from the access to enhanced goods and services of high societal value.