Innovation
Happy as a ‘sandbox’: Bulgaria’s tech upsurge
The creation of a "sandbox" - a safe environment where FinTech companies can test their products - is big news for Bulgaria and the entire tech community in Central and Eastern Europe, write Eduard Tsvetanov and Filip Genov.
How frontier research could be the answer to a more sustainable future
More frequent extreme weather events, increasing political nationalism and growing economic inequality are making sustainable development goals harder to achieve. EURACTIV looked at the work of four frontier researchers to explore how a more sustainable future could look like.
Frontier researchers to benefit from new Horizon 2020, despite looming budget cuts
As member states are locked into negotiations over the next EU budget, research has become an easy target for cuts. Meanwhile, EU-funded scientists urge that frontier research is becoming more important than ever with new challenges ahead.
Should the EU embrace artificial intelligence, or fear it?
Advances in machine learning are progressing rapidly, and governments are struggling to keep up. The EU has emerged as the world’s regulator in this space, but some fear it's stifling European innovation.
Von Der Leyen urged to prioritise single market to counter slowdown
The European economy is undergoing a rapid transition, with digital technology and climate change needs set to transform normal commerce. Is the EU’s single market flexible enough to handle the change?
Frontier Research – A good return on investment?
From healthy lives to sustainable cities, from food security to equal societies – frontier research is often credited to have the potential to produce paradigm-shifting discoveries with economic, societal and policy impacts. With almost 10,000 researchers supported all over Europe,...
ERC president: Brains should become main resource of Europe
Instead of funding 'business as usual'-research, the need to take a long-term perspective is crucial for innovative solutions, but that is often difficult to accept for policymakers, the head of a top European research agency told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
To target or not to target? That is the EU’s research and innovation question
There is a lot of money available to fund research and innovation in the EU, but it's not reaching the right people at the right time. Policymakers are debating whether more focused funding would make the situation better, or worse.
Europe’s ‘MIT’ wants to accelerate innovation and support creativity
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology often referred to as "Europe's MIT", is a little over ten years old and has already supported more than a hundred projects. It is now preparing to launch a branch to promote culture and the creative industries. EURACTIV France reports.
Europe seeks a comprehensive strategy to lift its competitiveness
The dominance of US firms and Chinese companies in the digital world has sounded the alarm bells in Europe. EU and national officials have agreed that the competitiveness of European firms requires a comprehensive strategy that goes beyond easing the bloc's competition rules.
OECD calls for bigger EU budget to deal with digital revolution
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) defended a larger budget for the EU, saying the bloc's funding is already “stretched” despite new challenges like digitalisation.
Investment in ‘first class connectivity infrastructure’ a priority, Commission says
The cable industry's ambitions of ubiquitous gigabit connectivity have long been hindered by a number of obstacles, including patchy coverage and consumer trust issues. Carlota Reyners Fontana explains what the EU Commission is doing to improve the bloc's broadband gaps.
Bringing industry emissions down to net-zero is possible. Here’s how.
The EU needs an industrial strategy that helps basic material industries achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and innovation needs to be a large part of it, write Tomas Wyns and Gauri Khandekar.
What EU innovation policy can learn from professional cycling
Mission-oriented innovation is potentially significant in tackling big societal challenges such as climate change. When establishing those missions, the EU could take a few lessons from Britain’s most successful cycling team, writes Simon Skillings.
European innovation council ramps up with improved pilot phase
The European Commission announced on Monday (18 March) new changes to the European Innovation Council and a budget increase to €2 billion, to improve and encourage entrepreneurs and innovation in Europe.
EU bets on innovation to secure energy transition
Breakthrough climate-change-busting technologies are set to benefit from €10 billion in EU funding over the next decade, as the European Commission confirmed its punt on a major new innovation fund.
‘No alternative’ to digital construction, expert says
The digitisation of the EU's construction industry is an oft-overlooked area of technological development, both politically and socially. EURACTIV.com spoke to Milena Feustel to shine a light on the sector and explore the direction the digital construction is going in across Europe.
Katainen: Innovation needed to address climate issues
During a week in which the European Commission hosts the 2019 EU Industry Days, a series of conferences that examine key industrial challenges, EURACTIV sat down with Vice-President Jyrki Katainen to find out how far the EU's industries have come since 2014.
France becoming more attractive to German investors
While German companies already have a strong presence in France, more and more of them want to invest in the country, attracted by the French government’s digital policy, among other reasons. EURACTIV France reports.
Commission to hike EU investment in defence innovation
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.
EU aims for the stars with new €100 billion innovation fund
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 EU is right to refuse legal personality for Artificial Intelligence
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.
France, Germany push EU funding for tech start-ups
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.