3/7 – Smart change – EU Elections

Smart change is about embracing innovation and technology while ensuring a just transition for all. It is the third priority that European managers put on the table for the 2024 European Parliament Elections.

Sustainability or inclusive development are part of the amalgam of concepts around “smart change”. But what exactly does it mean?

In the European context, smart change means that through innovative thinking and thanks to the active involvement of social partners, the EU can elaborate the most effective answers to tackle the ongoing main economic challenges and promote innovative frameworks to foster economic growth while ensuring social cohesion.

CEC European Managers believes that all the EU policies should promote an intelligent change transition, as we need EU frameworks to facilitate the development of European companies capable of competing on a global scale.

It also means producing strategic goods currently imported into European soil, such as microchips or batteries.

In that sense, the EU Commission has launched the Microchips Act to bolster Europe’s competitiveness and resilience in semiconductor technologies and applications and help achieve both the digital and green transition. In the global geopolitical context, this is particularly crucial.

Smart change is about embracing innovation and technology while ensuring a just transition for all.

At the beginning of the century, the European Union held around a quarter of global semiconductor production; today, it represents less than 10%. Some initiatives, such as the European Chips Survey and Report or different investments, are taking place.

More than €43 billion of policy-driven investment will support the Chips Act until 2030, broadly matched by long-term private investment.

Well-equipped Managers to lead Smart Change

Managers play a decisive role as traditional tools for promoting innovation evolve to maintain robust growth, employment, and sustainability objectives. They must be equipped with solid leadership skills.

We call on policymakers to reinforce the managerial staff’s bridge-building roles, particularly in organizational growth, to foster a culture of creativity and innovation and ensure that their teams thrive in an increasingly dynamic and competitive business environment.

Through innovative thinking and thanks to the active involvement of social partners, the European Union can elaborate on the most effective answers to tackle these challenges.

Only by embracing innovation and supporting research and development (R&D) and training, with the help of managers, initiatives such as the EU’s Green Deal Industrial Plan can genuinely succeed.

To sum up, European societies can harness the benefits of technological advancement while minimizing potential drawbacks and ensuring that no one is left behind.

Implementing a truly engaging and functional smart change approach will only succeed if policymakers count on managers.

You can download and post our Smart Change carousel for LinkedIn here +

Don’t forget to share the hashtag #UseYourLeadership.