The report is seen as a sign that the EU is making progress towards the Lisbon goal of becoming “the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world” by 2010. Augusto Lopez-Claros, chief economist and director of the WEF’s Global Competitiveness Network, thinks that a focus on innovation and technology through investments in infrastructure, education, scientific research and the establishment of strong intellectual property protection are “a successful strategy for boosting competitiveness in an increasingly complex global economy”.