European innovation policy: a broad-based strategy?

This article provides an overview of innovation policies in the EU and Member States and examines how employee-driven innovation is being discussed and how the role of employees as drivers of innovation in Europe is being understood and supported by joint European innovation policies and measures. The conclusion is reached that the role of employees as drivers of innovation is restricted to highly skilled professionals and researchers working in the areas of technology and natural sciences. Skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled workers are not considered as innovators. Finally the role of the social partners in setting the agenda for skilled and unskilled employees as drivers of innovation, especially in small-and medium-sized enterprises, is presented. The article is based on analyses of publicly accessible EU documents on innovation policy.