Future Connectivity Archives

It used to be fairly easy to explain what it means to be educated: it involved schooling, and the more schooling you had, the better educated you became and the more opportunities you had. But things are now more complex, writes Stavros N. Yiannouka

Northern European countries are in a strong position to reap the benefits of digitalisation, according to new research from McKinsey. But this will depend on how fast companies adopt new technologies, and how quickly people can acquire the skills needed for new, or different jobs, writes Iarla Flynn.

It is high time to stop politicizing the new Ukrainian Law on education, writes Ukraine’s Ambassador to the EU, Mykola Tochytskyi.

An internet of things based on shared open standards is under threat from Silicon Valley. And EU policymakers could stop them, writes Francisco Mingorance.

The next generation of connected devices will change our lives. But the high-speed, reliable mobile connectivity they need requires collaboration across the EU and long-term regulatory certainty, writes Afke Schaart.

While capacity and speed will always be important, European companies need networks that are exceptionally reliable and adaptable to launch new technologies across Europe, writes Richard Swinford.

A draft EU telecoms law could cause major economic growth and create jobs, but there is a high risk it could be diluted by the Brussels compromise machine, write Steven Tas and Lise Fuhr.

Digital technologies and communication have the potential to uphold a strong and dynamic internal market fit for the digital age, ultimately making every European citizen’s life much better, writes Antonio López-Istúriz.

5G is on everyone’s lips at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017, and exciting developments in the field of automated and connected driving are providing a sneak preview into how life-changing a technology it really is, writes Victor Zhang.

As delegates arrive for the Oslo emergency summit on Northern Nigeria and the Lake Chad region today (23 February), why should people in the EU care about people who live in such a far-off place, writes Jamie Drummond.

Europe is creating digital jobs but lacks the skilled workforce to fill them. The Commission should promote the benefits of action at national level without drowning member states in red tape, writes Jamie Greene.

Computers are becoming more powerful every day and are fundamentally changing our societies. We must act now to defend jobs, wages and equality in the dawning digital age, write Gianni Pittella and Sergei Stanishev.

Opportunity is the bedrock of a stable democracy. EU support for innovation and education in Tunisia will benefit the whole of North Africa, as well as the EU itself, write Imed Hammami and Pier Antonio Panzeri.

The advent of the gig economy has brought fundamental changes to the way in which we access goods and services and turned traditional business models on their head.  Denis Pennel considers its impact on employment and the likely implications for the future of work.

Most IT professionals lack the skills they need to do their job effectively. As the profession matures, we need to ensure our workforce has the skills it needs for the future, writes Fiona Fanning.

Refugees spend an average of 20 years away from their homes, in the “limbo” of temporary shelters with only basic provisions. Education is vital to building a sense of normality and ensuring these years are not wasted, writes Nicholas Rutherford.

As EU Code Week puts the spotlight on skills needed for the digital economy, it is important that vulnerable segments of European society are not left further behind, writes Ilona Kish.

Learning the language of code is fast becoming an essential skill for the next generation in our increasingly digital world, writes Seán Kelly.

Regulation can improve the competitive environment and give consumers a better deal, but the EU’s proposal to enforce “neutrality” on internet platforms does the opposite, argues Diego Zuluaga.

Europe faces some daunting challenges – an aging population, sluggish growth, an influx of migrants and refugees – yet in the age of data-driven innovation, it also has powerful new tools to help address them, writes Nick Wallace.

Even the best security software will not keep a company’s data safe if its employees are not adequately trained. The EU must deliver on its Skills Guarantee to keep Europe’s workforce one step ahead of the data thieves, writes Austeja Trinkunaite.

Europe’s economy has clearly seen better days. Facing great technological and societal change, it is marred by a sluggish recovery and a lack of investment, write Reinhard Bütikofer and Philippe Lamberts.

Cybersecurity rules have been patchy at best and lacking at worst. So the adoption of the NIS Directive on security of network and information systems is a landmark development. Nomi Byström asks whether it is enough for our increasingly connected society.