Videos
STOA’s key work on artificial intelligence in the European Parliament’s legislative term 2019-2024
The European Parliament’s Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) took an early interest in a technology that is increasingly shaping our world: Artificial Intelligence. Its experts, scientists and MEPs recognised the potential of AI for sectors like education, medicine and computing, but also the risks and challenges. With its work, STOA has ...
Ensuring the supply of critical raw materials in the EU
From everyday items to cutting-edge technology, critical raw materials (CRM) are an essential part of the EU economy. Yet supply chains are at constant risk of disruption. One reason, is that extracting and processing CRMs often do not take place in the same place. Extraction in one region does not guarantee the availability of the ...
Neurorights: how to protect mental privacy in the area of neuroscience?
Neurotechnologies are tools for recording and interpreting brain activity. They aim at rehabilitating, restoring or even modifying brain functions. Neuro-enhancement is the field of improving brain capacity. These methods raise ethical issues. So, does the sector need EU regulation? A new concept of "neurorights" is emerging. They could be defined as ethical and legal principles ...
Tackling the environmental impact of the textile sector
After food, housing and transport, textiles come in fourth place for environmental impact at EU level. Yet textiles are also essential to our daily lives, from clothing and furniture to protective equipment and even buildings and vehicles. How can we reduce this impact and make the textile industry more sustainable and circular? Part of the ...
Research integrity in Open Science for Europe
Open Science is the idea of disseminating knowledge as soon as it becomes available, using digital tools. It is a development that could greatly improve the quality of research and as such, it is a priority for the EU. But Open Science doesn’t come without risks. In order to safeguard academic freedom and protect researchers ...
Making democracy work for everyone
This year many elections are set to be held, but generational gaps, social and economic disparities can lead to inequality in the democratic process. How can we make democracy work for everyone? This was the question that was explored at the Panel for the Future of Science and Technology’s (STOA) Annual Lecture on 24 January ...
Academic freedom conference: the state of a fundamental European value
Academic freedom is a universal right which is essential not only for the quality of education, teaching and research, but for democracy itself. While many governments around the world recognise and protect academic freedom, it is under attack in some places. This was discussed during the high-level annual Academic Freedom conference on 29 November 2023 organised ...
Academic Freedom’s Crucial Role in Society
The European Parliament’s Forum for Academic Freedom has launched a video series featuring interviews on the protection of intellectual freedom. In the first three interviews, experts share their insights on the importance of safeguarding this essential principle. Whether they have personally faced limitations on their research or are actively working to uphold scholarly independence, they ...