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Future gazing

02 September 2019
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Technologies provide new solutions to pressing issues in Europe and around the world. Image credit - George Hodan, licensed under CC0 Public Domain

The next decade sees Europe facing some urgent challenges: climate change, biodiversity loss and feeding a growing population, to name but a few. At the same time, technology is developing apace, presenting both opportunities for novel solutions and worries about how to ensure it’s used for good. In September, as plans for the EU’s next research funding programme start to crystallise, we take a look at some of the pressing issues facing Europe and how the next research agenda should be designed to best serve people and planet. We will also be covering the EU’s Research and Innovation Days event at the end of the month, where policymakers, academics, business people and civil society organisations will gather to finalise priorities for Horizon Europe, the EU’s €100 billion research programme which runs from 2021 to 2027.

The science that made smartphones possible was done in the 1940s and 1950s. Image credit - Pixabay/ 7721622, licensed under Pixabay license
frontier research | policy
26 September 2019

Basic research to world-changing applications can take 6 months – or 50 years

All technology and innovation have a science base but to get there requires patience, as the journey from curiosity-driven basic research to a world-changing technology can take six months or 50 years, a panel of Nobel and Kavli prize laureates has said.

There is still uncertainty around the knock-on effects of abrupt ocean changes. Image credit - Pixnio, CC0
environment | policy
25 September 2019

‘The biggest threat to our oceans is that we’ve taken them for granted’

People need to be persuaded that the ocean is not a problem or dangerous for humans, but that we are a problem for the oceans, according to former WTO trade chief Pascal Lamy, who kicked off discussions on Europe’s ambitions for protecting oceans over the next decade at a major research event in Brussels, Belgium.

‘As Greta Thunberg would say, I would like people to panic and take action,' said Prof. Schellnhuber. Image credit - PlanetMallika/ Pixabay
environment | policy
24 September 2019

‘I would like people to panic’ – Top scientist unveils equation showing world in climate emergency

A new equation showing that the world is ‘deep in a climate emergency’ was unveiled on 24 September by Professor Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, one of the world’s leading authorities on climate change, who said that people still don’t want to see the truth about the state we’re in.

The idea that wellbeing encompasses more than economic growth is widespread, but the problem is deciding what to measure. Image credit - Cherylholt/ Pixabay
science in society
19 September 2019

Prosperity is about more than money. But what else should count?

More than two decades ago, Professor Andrew Oswald worked at the London School of Economics, UK, when he organised what he says was the world’s first conference on the economics of happiness. He put up posters, invited speakers, and waited for the crowds to come.

Many of the risk factors to do with cancer are related to lifestyle, so there is concrete action people can take to avoid getting the disease. Image credit - Pixabay/ MabelAmber, licensed under pixabay license
health | policy
18 September 2019

Will we ever cure cancer?

Cancer is a group of diseases that we may never be able to cure completely, but scientists are optimistic that vaccines, personalised medicine and smart lifestyle choices will help prevent and treat a much greater proportion of cases than currently happens.

Robots can already take over some repetitive tasks from human workers, now research focuses on more interaction between the two. Image credit - KUKA Roboter GmbH, Bachmann, the image is in the public domain
ict | policy | frontier research
17 September 2019

Concerns linger over workplace robots, even as they deliver benefits

People harbour lingering fears about the impact of robots on their jobs and welfare, but machines in the workplace have produced benefits that researchers believe are likely to continue. But for that to happen, challenges such as earning workers’ trust and improving safety and human-robot interaction must be overcome.

Countries in Europe are committed to decarbonising, but experts say not nearly enough is being done and that we need real political action. Image credit - Peter Castleton/Flickr, licensed under CC BY 2.0)
energy | environment | policy
16 September 2019

Five things you need to know about: decarbonising Europe

Countries across Europe have, in the past few years, announced their intention to become carbon neutral in the coming decades. Some, like Norway, have targets for 2030, while others, like the UK and France, have goals that extend to 2050. Despite the differences, however, all have agreed to decarbonise, but just what will this entail, and how will it work?

Data centres that store and process algorithms use a lot of energy but there is little discussion about their environmental impact. Image credit - 123net/Wikimedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
ict | policy
12 September 2019

AI can help us fight climate change. But it has an energy problem, too

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology can help us fight climate change – but it also comes at a cost to the planet. To truly benefit from the technology’s climate solutions, we also need a better understanding of AI’s growing carbon footprint, say researchers.  

Climate change will heat land five times more than oceans, creating immense soil and water challenges for food production. Image credit: photosforyou/Pixabay, licensed under Pixabay licence
environment | policy
10 September 2019

Land use puts huge pressure on Earth’s resources. Here’s what needs to change

Deforestation, intensive agriculture and rising urbanisation are all putting intense pressure on the Earth’s natural resources and resilience to climate change. But how exactly does the way we use land need to change if we are to take care of the planet and provide enough food and resources to sustain a growing population?

Undocumented migrants are often exploited by unscrupulous employers as they avoid coming into contact with the authorities. Image credit: balticmedia
social sciences | policy
09 September 2019

‘They are already citizens’: What will it take to bring Europe’s undocumented out of the shadows?

Innovative ways of supporting undocumented migrants so that they can access vital health, social and emergency services are required so that European countries can properly assist these vulnerable people.