FACT: While Europe’s technological prowess has been compared unfavorably with the U.S., more than anywhere else, Europe is the place of high speed trains, vast solar arrays, high tech windmills, hydrogen and electric cars and power from the sea. Europe is populated by high tech companies and projects such as Airbus, BMW, Mercedes, Nokia, Siemens, Alston, the world’s largest particle accelerator at CERN, the largest fusion power project at ITER, and more.

Its high tech manufacturing base has made many European countries into high export nations — China and India hunger for European technology. Indeed, the World Economic Forum’s “Global Information Technology Report 2008–2009” ranked European nations in the top two spots and in seven of the top ten; the U.S. was ranked third. Europe also has more people on the internet, and its internet speeds are faster and less expensive than in the U.S.

– Steven Hill, guest blogger

Ed. comments:

You can see all the posts in this series here.

Steven Hill is the author of “Europe’s Promise: Why the European Way is the Best Hope in an Insecure Age” (www.europespromise.org). He’s visiting Seattle and Bellingham this week:

• Monday March 15 at 11 a.m., interview on the Dave Ross Show, KIRO 97.3 FM

• Monday March 15 at 7 p.m., presenting at the University of Washington Communications Building

• Tuesday March 16 at 7:30 pm: presenting at Town Hall Seattle (tickets here)

• Wednesday March 17, 7:00 p.m.: presenting at Village Books, Bellingham