Videos

Tackling antimicrobial resistance: from science to policy
Antimicrobial resistance, whereby antibiotics are no longer effective against bacteria or other microorganisms, is a growing problem. Every year, 33,000 people in the EU die from infectious diseases that cannot be treated with available medication. The European Parliament's Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) has been discussing ways to fight a phenomenon ...

Humanities in the digital age: Securing innovation and empowering democracy
What do video games and social sciences have in common? What about art and computational analysis? At first glance, not much. But crossing digital technologies with the study of humanities has become a field of research. At its latest event, the European Parliament’s Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) explored the opportunities ...

Towards a European climate label?
Climate labels on consumer products provide information so people can compare their impact on global warming. The idea is to help consumers to shop more sustainably. But for various reasons, existing climate labels have had a limited effect on consumer behaviour. Some believe that a pan-European label might prove more effective. At its recent event, ...

Open strategic autonomy – STOA event
At its event on 7 March 2023 gathering MEPs and researchers, the Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) focused on the concept of ‘Open strategic autonomy’. This strategy tries to address the European Union’s dilemma of how to reduce its dependency on external actors while remaining open to trade and investments. https://youtu.be/0Y7SRDhRpT0

‘Splinternets’ and their challenges for the EU
The European Union is concerned about so called 'splinternets': loss of the united, global and decentralised internet, fragmented into separate non-interoperable and disconnected networks controlled by governments or corporations. Behind the term 'splinternet' (a combination of 'to splinter' and 'the internet') lies an emerging geopolitical reality where certain countries aim to control the internet within ...

The future of RNA-based technology
Exploring RNA-based technology, its achievements, its future promises, and what it means for European healthcare: This was the aim of this year's STOA Annual Lecture, the 20th edition of a yearly event organised by the European Parliament's Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA). As its keynote lecturer, STOA welcomed Professor Özlem Türeci, ...

A forum to protect academic freedom in the EU
On 28 November 2022 the European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has launched the ‘EP Forum for Academic Freedom’ during a high-level conference hosted by the Panel for the future of Science and Technology (STOA). Many academics are working in increasingly hostile environments. This STOA initiative will monitor threats to the independence of researchers, scientists and ...

Quantum technology, chips and Europe’s digital sovereignty
We are now on the brink of a second quantum revolution: beyond simply understanding the quantum world, we are able to manipulate it. The potential future applications of this quantum technology are staggering: from ultra-fast computers to tamper-proof communications, from novel simulations of drug molecules to new industrial processes that vastly cut down on CO2 ...