The report argues for a new strategic agenda for software technologies in Europe.

Software is a key driver for the European economy. Whilst the European software industry lags behind its international competitors, recent trends in technology (for example Future Internet, Mobile Computing and Cloud Computing) offer a window of opportunity to rectify this situation.  The European software market is the second biggest in the world and is projected to grow at a rate that is twice the projected growth of the overall economy in the EU27 region.  Europe must ensure that the younger generations are equipped with the appropriate technical and business skills to exploit these opportunities.

Non-functional features such as reliability and security will become more important differentiators. Increasingly software will be automatically produced and Europe needs to ensure that the appropriate production methods are employed to ensure that the European software sector is market leading in these aspects.

For more information, see http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/docs/istag-soft-tech-wgreport2012.pdf