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One of the pressing questions that arise with artificial intelligence is how to account for the actions of machines that make decisions by themselves. Image credit - ITU Pictures, licensed under CC BY 2.0
policy
13 July 2018

Digital age 'desperately' needs ethical and legal guidelines

Digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics, ‘desperately’ need an institutional framework and system of values to help regulate the industry, an ethics expert has told leading scientists and policymakers.

Engaging with the public is essential to winning back trust in evidence-based policy making. Image credit - Pxhere, licensed under CC0
policy
12 July 2018

General public should have more input into scientific advice

The scientific community needs to listen more to people outside academia if it wants to continue to help politicians create good evidence-based policies that will benefit the public, a conference has heard.

Commisioner-Moedas
policy | interview
07 June 2018

Horizon Europe will connect the public to European science – Carlos Moedas

The next European science and research funding programme, known as Horizon Europe, is designed to connect people with the achievements financed by their tax money, and to fix problems with innovation funding, according to Carlos Moedas, the European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation. He spoke to Horizon magazine to coincide with the launch of the Horizon Europe proposals on 7 June.

PET-bottles-recycling
environment | policy
05 June 2018

Smart containers to reward people for recycling properly

Smart recycling containers that reward people for proper use could help drive up the rate of plastic recycling, reducing the amount of plastic that goes into oceans and landfill, and creating business opportunities out of the challenge to cut back on waste.

Artificial intelligence software technologies are very important for European industry, says Prof. Jürgen Rüttgers. Image credit - Dirk Vorderstraße, licensed under CC BY 2.0
interview | industry | policy | open innovation
24 April 2018

We want to end the de-industrialisation of Europe – Prof. Jürgen Rüttgers

Artificial intelligence (AI) and cyber security should be priorities in future EU industrial research policy in order to reinvigorate industry and recover jobs that have been lost abroad, according to Professor Jürgen Rüttgers, a former research minister in Germany.

Six venture capital funds will share the task of raising €2.1 billion of private investment for European companies. Image credit - Pixabay/rawpixel, licensed under CC0
policy
10 April 2018

EU launches venture capital mega-fund to attract heavy-hitting investors

Heavy-hitting institutional investors will soon have their chance to back European technology innovation, according to fund managers involved in Europe’s new €410 million venture capital fund of funds.

Jean-Eric Paquet says the the need for science to live up to societal challenges is greater than ever. Image credit - European Commission
interview | policy
28 March 2018

'Evolution, not revolution' will guide next EU research funding programme – Jean-Eric Paquet

The structure of the EU’s next research funding programme is based on the mantra of ‘evolution, not revolution’ and so will not contain any major surprises, according to Jean-Eric Paquet, the EU’s recently appointed director-general for research and innovation, who takes up his new role on 3 April.

Imagine if all the billions we are now putting into these expensive subscription journals could be put into research, says Robert-Jan Smits. Image credit - European Union
interview | policy
23 March 2018

Open access to scientific publications must become a reality by 2020 - Robert-Jan Smits

A lot of lip service is being paid to making scientific papers free to access but when it comes to action there is a lot of hypocrisy, according to Robert-Jan Smits, the EU's outgoing director-general for research, science and innovation. He has recently been appointed the EU's special envoy on open access, tasked with helping make all publicly funded research in Europe freely available by 2020.

Major missions such as putting a man on the moon generate a lot of spillover innovations along the way. Image provided by Prof Mazzucato.
interview | policy | open innovation
27 February 2018

Missions could make Europe cool again – Prof. Mariana Mazzucato

Missions modelled on the 1960s 'moonshot' programme to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade could help make Europe a cool place to do business and unite the public behind European science and innovation, according to Professor Mariana Mazzucato, founder and director of the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose at University College London, UK, where she holds the chair in the economics of innovation and public value.

The transport sector accounts for 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Image credit -Flickr/opengridscheduler, licensed under CC0 1.0
energy | policy | open innovation
27 February 2018

EU puts its 'foot on the accelerator' of battery research

The European Union is scaling up its investment in battery technology with the announcement of a €10 million open competition to design a better battery for electric vehicles and a €50 million cash injection to develop Europe's largest green battery factory.

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