The European Software Institute, a non-profitmaking association of 17 European companies, has been officially launched. The institute has financial support from the European Commission and the Basque government, and its aim is to increase competitiveness of European businesses by improving software development processes. Although the official opening was in March, the institute has been operational for a number of months and is already a focal point for 60 companies, including software developers, hardware manufacturers, service companies and users. The Compagnie des Machines Bull SA, Ing C Olivetti Co SpA, Siemens-Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG, Cap Gemini Sogeti SA, Sema Group Plc, Matra Marconi Space SA, and Board Telecom Eireann are all founder members. Rodriguez Cortezo of the Spanish Ministry of Industry announced the participation of five Spanish companies, including Eritel SA, the electric company Iberdrola and the Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa savings bank. Cortezo said Europe was the largest market for software in the world, but efforts to create a cohesive software industry had been hindered by the fragmentation of the market. The institute had been established to tackle this problem, and Certezo confidently predicted that its impact on competitiveness of Spanish businesses would be immediate.
Symbol
The institute is based in Bilbao, with 23 staff, which is expected to grow to 60 in 1996. The president, Takis Katsoulakos, said it was an important symbol for Spain and proof of the country’s interest in technological transformation. Software is the second most important market in the world (after oil), and it is essential for businesses to take advantage of its benefits in order to become successful and competitive, he added. Despite the strong European flavour of the venture, Katsoulakos does not rule out the possibility of opening the door to companies based on other continents but with representation in Europe. The 17 founder members of are committed to annual investment of about $76,000 each, while corporate members pay about $4,000 a year. Both the European Commission and the Basque government have agreed to provide more than $200,000 between them over the first five years of operation.
