I agree . To develop next generation products in some field like aerospace costs tens of billions , which is too much even for countries like France or Germany to do on their own . Globally there is a market for two or at most three competitors for widebody aircraft . Retooling for the next generation of memory chips also costs billions . There is not in single company in Europe which can compete with Asian conglomerates like Samsung in this field . Even developing the next generation of car engine costs billions , which makes it hard for small companies to do it on their own . The scale of investments required in RD is such that cooperation is indispensable . That doesn ' t mean there is no competition .