European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
Mihalis Kritikos
What if technologies challenged our ethical norms? [Scientific and Technology Podcast]
Ethical considerations concerning the impact of research and innovation (R&I) are increasingly important owing to the quickening pace of technological innovation and the transformative potential and complexity of contemporary advances in science and technology. Continue reading
What if law shaped technologies? [Science and Technology Podcast]
Technology does not operate outside its legal context. Law reacts to technological developments through the adoption, for example, of health and employment rules, or tax and risk assessment standards, to prevent technological advances from undermining human rights, environmental standards and democratic values. Continue reading
What if technologies shaped the law? [Science and Technology Podcast]
Εxploring the relationship between law, technological innovation and regulatory governance has always been a challenging task for policy-makers. Technologies are often seen as ordinary objects of formal law that can fit into traditional doctrinal classification. Continue reading
Looking for new ways to finance transport infrastructure projects in cross-border regions
Meeting large infrastructure needs – including proper maintenance and operation – is and will remain a major challenge for the European Union (EU) in the coming years, requiring targeted innovative financing mechanisms. Continue reading
The future of employment: can we be optimistic about the impact of new technologies?
The relationship between new technologies, employment and inequality has gained a lot of attention recently. One reason for this interest is alarming reports about the possible negative consequences for employment of the widespread use of new information and communication technologies (ICTs), including machine learning, digitalisation of production, robotics and automated vehicles. Continue reading
What if editing genes could fight rare diseases? [Science and Technology Podcast]
A new technique to simplify gene editing might herald a new era of genetic modification. What are the benefits and potential dangers of this technique, and how should policy-makers respond? Continue reading
What if mini-brains could help us understand dementia? [Science and Technology Podcast]
Organoids are artificially grown organs that mimic the properties of real organs. What new possibilities for treating diseases, drug development, and personalised and regenerative medicine do organoids provide? Continue reading
How should we manage media in the age of artificial intelligence?
This year’s STOA Annual Lecture focused on how media and other information is managed and distributed in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) – including how AI can be used to disseminate information and misinformation – and also in implementing new measures to counteract fake news. Continue reading
Precision agriculture: legal, social and ethical considerations
Precision agriculture, or precision farming, is a modern farming management concept that, based on a number of technologies coming concurrently from outside the agricultural sector, is of increasing interest to of increasing interest to actors in related fields, as well as legislators across the EU. Continue reading
STOA Annual Lecture 2017: Media in the age of artificial intelligence
This year, STOA’s Annual Lecture will focus upon how media and other information is managed and distributed in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Continue reading
What if manmade biological organisms could help treat cancer? [Science and Technology Podcast]
Written by Mihalis Kritikos, Synthetic biology is expected to begin to design, construct and develop artificial (i.e. man-made) biological systems that mimic or even go beyond naturally-occurring biological systems. Applications of synthetic biology in the healthcare domain hold great promise, but also raise a number of questions. What are the benefits and challenges of this … Continue reading
New ways to finance cross-border transport infrastructure
Written by Mihalis Kritikos, Border regions face considerable challenges when it comes to cross-border transport infrastructure. These regions therefore need Member States’ support to develop their own unique mobility and transport plans. Publication of a forthcoming STOA study on innovative transport infrastructure funding, expected in November 2017, will follow a presentation to the STOA Panel on … Continue reading
Organoids: a new technology which could change our lives
By Mihalis Kritikos. Organoids are artificially grown organs that mimic the properties of real organs, providing new possibilities for treating diseases, drug development, and personalised and regenerative medicine. Organoids are small clusters of human cells, grown in a laboratory environment to form three-dimensional structures that mimic the functionalities of real organs such as the liver, … Continue reading
STOA Workshop: Innovative financing for cross-border transport
Webstreaming Written by Mihalis Kritikos, While EU funding is available for large-scale trans-European transport infrastructures, less seems to be spent on smaller projects in Europe’s border regions, which rely on cross-border transport of goods and passengers. Cross-border projects to remove bottlenecks and bridge the gaps identified between national networks are vital for an efficient and … Continue reading
Opportunities and challenges of 5G in the EU
Written by Mihalis Kritikos. ‘The European Union will manage to gain a competitive advantage if it takes a leading role in the definition and standardisation of 5G technologies’ is how Eva Kaili, (S&D, Greece), Chair of Parliament’s Scientific and Technology Options Assessment (STOA), opened the workshop on ‘Opportunities and challenges of 5G in the EU’, which … Continue reading
STOA Workshop: Opportunities and challenges of 5G in the EU
Webstreaming Hashtag: #STOA5G Written by Mihalis Kritikos 5G has been described as the most critical building block of our ‘digital society’, as it promises a new wave of technology services – from driverless cars to smart home appliances – and mobile broadband download rates up to 60 times faster than from the current 4G providers. … Continue reading
Ethical and social challenges of agricultural technologies
Written by Mihalis Kritikos with James Tarlton, ‘We shouldn’t hinder technological development, but we should … protect our citizens and our natural resources” is how Marijana Petir (EPP, Croatia), a member of the European Parliament’s STOA (Science and Technology Options Assessment) Panel, opened the ‘ethical and social challenges of agricultural technologies – issues for decision-makers’, … Continue reading
Making difficult decisions in agriculture: STOA Workshop
Written by Mihalis Kritikos and Nera Kuljanic, Scientists have new technological answers to the twin challenges of limiting emissions and feeding a growing population which is simultaneously shrinking the space left for cultivation. However, these answers in turn pose their own ethical and risk management questions. Societal actors and a wide range of stakeholders have … Continue reading
Technology and inequality: Can computers help or is it ‘all their fault’?
Written by Dr Mihalis Kritikos, On 11 October 2016, the European Parliament’s Science and Technology Options Assessment (STOA) Panel will host a workshop, chaired by Panel member Georgi Pirinski (S&D, Bulgaria), to discuss the effects of new technologies on labour markets. The workshop will bring together policy-makers, experts from academia, industry representatives and NGOs to assess … Continue reading
What if we could make ourselves invisible to others? [Science and Technology Podcast]
Written by Philip Boucher and Mihalis Kritikos, with Liliana Cunha and Brian Kelly, Through developments in the field of metamaterials, we may be able to create products with surprising capabilities, from making DNA visible to making buildings invisible, but have we considered the risks, as well as the benefits? Metamaterials are materials that are designed … Continue reading
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