europe
Interview with Dr Maura Hiney on the future of research integrity in Europe
How can we keep our trust on science in a world where research integrity is increasingly challenged? Experts are discussing different paths to ensure the continued integrity of the scientific process. One of them, Dr. Maura Hiney is an Adjunct Professor at University College Dublin Institute for Discovery and chair of the ALLEA Research Ethics ...
Can digital tools revive European democracy? Interview with Bjørn Bedsted
Online discussion platforms, digital deliberation tools, and - more recently – tools using artificial intelligence are increasingly being explored as ways to involve citizens more directly in policymaking processes. But can technology truly improve democratic participation? And what risks come with handing more of these processes over to algorithms and digital platforms? The European Parliament’s ...
Solutions to make Europe more resilient to raging wildfires
Fuelled by climate change and a shift in land-use practices, wildfires are increasing in number and intensity across Europe. In fact, last year was the worst year for wildfires in Europe in 20 years, according to an EUMETSAT report. Its authors contribute the intensity of the fires to factors like increasingly dry vegetation, low soil ...
A scientist’s opinion: interview with Théo Wittersheim from the Shift Project on their report about Europe’s energy exposure
Could you elaborate on the technical foundations of your methodology, particularly what makes it novel compared to existing approaches, and which data sources were used to validate your approach? Théo Wittersheim: Our methodology is based on two core principles: analysing dependencies from the perspective of physical flows (for instance, barrels of oil, tonnes of steel, ...
A scientist’s opinion: interview with Ugnė Keliauskaitė from Bruegel on Europe’s energy dependency
The views expressed here are from Ugnė Keliauskaitė and do not necessarily reflect those of the think tank Bruegel. Do your findings suggest that Europe is shifting from fossil fuel dependency towards new forms of dependency, for example on critical materials or external clean energy supply chains? Ugnė Keliauskaitė: China dominates global production of the ...
Assessing EU’s direct and indirect energy dependencies
Europe is highly dependent on fossil fuels, and 97% of the EU’s oil consumption is imported as well as 90% of its fossil gas consumption. How can Europe address this issue, especially at a time of geopolitical tensions that have a significant impact on energy and the economy? Assessing EU's direct and indirect energy dependencies ...
Why technology alone won’t secure Europe’s rail future
Rail transport carries only a modest share of passengers and freight across the EU, yet it is widely regarded as one of the most important tools available for meeting Europe's climate targets. The European Union has spent decades building a Single European Railway Area but persistent gaps in governance, infrastructure investment and cross-border coordination continue ...
The future of automated vehicles in the EU: Interview with Prof. Michael Botsch and Prof. Werner Huber
Technology can take over an increasing amount of tasks when it comes to driving a vehicle - like braking or steering. The European Union is currently implementing and possibly reviewing some aspects of its regulation in the field of automated, connected and also self-driving vehicles, while vehicle manufacturers are increasingly putting more models on the ...