Innovation & Industry Archives

Uber and Airbnb have shown how city services can be transformed by platform offerings. Developing the right platforms will be key for cities to ensure that their economies, environment, and services are fit for the future, writes Eric Woods.

Acceleration of technological development provides huge opportunities for qualified employees. In an interview with EURACTIV Poland, Christian Bodewig from the World Bank Group explains how non-routine skills and competences not yet possessed by machines become increasingly relevant.

EU countries should pilot voucher schemes to assess whether they can be used to combat the grey economy, according to a new report.

The EU needs to take market surveillance more seriously. This is not only about spending more money, but also about creating more coherent and less complex single market legislation, writes Naemi Denz.

Self-employment is becoming more diversified in Europe and covers an increasing number of activities. But this small revolution raises issues when it comes to social protection. EURACTIV.fr reports.

If an organisation breaks EU lobby rules, it should not be able to continue accessing policy-makers in Brussels. That requires a comprehensive “no registration, no meeting” rule, which the Parliament and Council seem unwilling to adopt, and until they do so, the Commission will not extend it internally, writes Margarida Silva.

The European Commission proposed on Wednesday (June 13) to hike from €90 million to €13 billion the budgetary funds earmarked for strengthening the EU's strategic autonomy in collective security by boosting cross-border research and innovation in the field of defence.

Horizon Europe, the EU’s research programme, has been one of the biggest winners of the EU’s long-term budget after 2021. But it’s not all about money (even if we're talking about  €100 billion here). Science needs a mission, Commissioner Carlos Moedas told reporters on Thursday.

The Commission has unveiled its proposal for Horizon Europe 2020 and this comes at a critical time for the EU. But there needs to be close monitoring of the research agenda set, as current proposals could have dire consequences for democracy and sustainable development, writes Jill McArdle

European Commission detailed on Thursday (7 June) plans to strengthen its science and innovation fund, focusing on disruptive innovations and financing “a couple of good missions” that would inspire people as the moon-landing project did, commissioner Carlos Moedas said.

The European Commission’s recent outline of an artificial intelligence strategy does not give in to European Parliament calls to grant personhood for AI. The Commission is right in this, though not for the reasons mentioned in a recent open letter published by experts, writes Thomas Burri.

Is there life on Mars? Maybe soon. What seems more like Hollywood sci-fi than genuine farming prospect could soon come to fruition, as an Italian project uses EU funding to grow plants in extremely hostile conditions. EURACTIV.it reports.

France and Germany are pushing for an EU-wide initiative to fund innovation and research in tech start-up projects across the bloc so that Europe can compete more effectively against the likes of China and the United States.

Europe is ahead in the digital game, says Tata's Consultancy Services COO. But businesses and governments will need to utilise Big Data and Artificial Intelligence to improve services and the quality of life of customers.

Public-private partnerships are vital to achieving the leap forward, deploying new clean technologies at scale and fast, writes Maroš Šefčovič.

For 25 years, the internet allowed business models to rampantly grow and radically change everyday life. Now, a period of regulation has come – and the awareness of the impact of digitisation. EURACTIV Germany’s media partner “Der Tagesspiegel” reports.

The Western Balkans' very strategic location and entrepreneurial labour force are some of the assets that could help the region take advantage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and take its destiny in its own hands, Martina Larkin of the World Economic Forum told EURACTIV.com in an interview.

Most EU countries have been hit by a collapse in investment in the past decade, according to data published by Eurostat on 14 May. EURACTIV’s partner La Tribune reports.

As Europe is confronted by different visions about its future, the question remains how these different visions will affect the developments in the Western Balkans. The Balkans remain fragile, and the external pressures and internal divisions could deliver fresh instability in the region.

Tech industry groups and consumer watchdogs are at odds over whether the European Commission should overhaul the bloc’s legislation on product liability to cover robots and artificial intelligence.