Europe, the US, and taking the high-tech initiative

There's a certain type of received wisdom that can often be heard in the worlds of business and technology.

It goes like this: Europe is slow to embrace new technologies, the US is fast; Europe is bogged down with bureaucrats, the US has streamlined government and institutions; if you want a technology, a business, even a simple idea to succeed, you're better off in North America.

Forget all that.

It's true that most of the world's largest information technology vendors are based in the US, and it's true they have created many a de facto standard and incredible wealth. But while the last century was America's, who's to say this one will?

At a meeting of EU leaders in Portugal that starts today, Europeans will once again try to position themselves at the forefront of the high-tech revolution.

And the impressive Spanish MEP Ana Palacio has some compelling reasons for suggesting Europe will achieve its goal of leading the Internet economy by 2002.

Speaking to silicon.com, she has pointed to examples such as the uptake of digital signatures across member states, and the EU's fast-track Ecommerce Directive that is making a mockery of stop-start legislation in individual countries.

And despite the benefit of a federal framework, 50 US states have legal, fiscal and cultural differences almost as diverse as Europe's.

If you think a carefully harmonised evolution is no match for a toe-to-toe IT slugfest, just look at the advantage planned GSM has given Europeans pushing ahead with mobile voice and Internet communications.

Palacio and European leaders have much work to do, but properly planning a pan-continental environment for technologists and businesses to thrive is a worthy and achievable goal.