Three conditions have to coincide for a society to accept technical change; otherwise even the most ingenious inventions will come to nothing. These conditions were laid down by Buchanan for the industrial revolution in the 18th century. They still apply today in their unchanged form, which is why I should like to draw your attention to them.

1. There must be people who have an interest in what is new, in improvements, and are willing make a serious study of innovations and then to apply them in a well-meaning way.
2. Innovations must cater for a need in society. For example the shortage of labour greatly accelerates the automation and robotisation of production processes.
3. Innovations are not realised if we lack one or more important resources such as capital, materials or (something that is especially important today) qualified personnel. This is why we are increasingly hearing the cry, "We can't do that; we haven't got the right people". This shows the tremendous importance of education and training provided by parents, schools, colleges and companies. This shapes the culture of a country.

This having been said, I should now like to present you with some perspectives for the future. For me it was important to compare the construction industry with other industrial sectors which invest a considerably larger amount of their turnover in research. Building plays a major role in the national economy. The market for industrial floors from polymers alone is put at a surface of 24 million square metres per year in Western Europe alone.