European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
STOA
Maglev transportation [Science and Technology Podcast]
Magnetic levitation-based transport might soon enter our lives, providing faster, safer and more energy-efficient journeys. As longer distances can be covered faster and more cleanly, could they change the way in which we choose where to live? Continue reading
New collection asks if we should fear artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging, once again, as one of the most hotly debated technologies on the horizon. This horizon is getting closer and, in some application areas, AI is already here. This has prompted debates about what AI means for the future of humanity, which occasionally includes extreme predictions on employment (such as a job-free society), and existential threats (such as a human-free earth). 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 all technologies were inherently social? [Science and Technology Podcast]
How technology has shaped society and how future technologies might affect it in the years to come are subjects for frequent debate. It can be tempting in this context to think of technologies as neutral ‘things’ that can be used for good or bad depending on the user’s intentions and skills. Continue reading
Achieving a sovereign and trustworthy ICT industry in the EU
The European Union (EU) faces a number of challenges to its goal of achieving a trustworthy and cyber-resilient digital single market: (i) a lack of funding for European cybersecurity companies to scale up; (ii) fragmentation of the European cybersecurity industry; (iii) strong dependence on non-EU providers; (iv) misalignment between public research and development programmes and market needs; (v) regulatory fragmentation; and (vi) a lack of common standardisation and procurement requirements across Member States. Continue reading
Prospects for e-democracy in Europe
E-participation in politics is expanding worldwide, driven by the development of digital tools that can be used for citizen involvement – social media, deliberative software, e-voting systems – and growing access to the internet. Continue reading
What if all our meat were grown in a lab? [Science and Technology Podcast]
Livestock production has an enormous environmental impact. The total land used for keeping animals and growing crops for their consumption amounts to around 30 % of the world’s ice-free land surface, and the livestock supply chain is responsible for about 14.5 % of global human-made greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Continue reading
How assistive technologies could make society more inclusive of people with disabilities
Assistive technologies (ATs) are designed to improve the functional capabilities of people with disabilities. Some are relatively low-tech and very familiar, such as reading glasses, crutches and hearing aids. Others are more advanced, using cutting-edge science and technology, with future ATs under development that could have a huge impact on all our lives. 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
MEPs meet scientists once again
The sixth round of STOA’s MEP-scientist pairing scheme kicked off with the ‘Science meets Parliaments’ event, co-organised with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) on 28 November 2017. 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
Therapies for the future – Advanced therapies & nanomedicine
Advanced therapy medicinal products constitute a heterogeneous group of biopharmaceuticals encompassing gene therapy and somatic cell therapy medicinal products, as well as tissue-engineered and combined products (tissues or cells associated with a device). Continue reading
What if we could 3D-print our own body parts? [Science and Technology Podcast]
The 3D-printing sector has proven its commercial viability in recent years, reaching the high street and, indeed, many homes. The technology is already used in some medical domains, such as dentistry and prosthetics, and many scientists are now exploring methods of printing biological materials – even if reports about lifesaving 3D-printed hearts are certainly premature. 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
New technologies and regional policy: Insights for the next cohesion policy framework
These are some of the policy options for the legislator that emerged during the workshop organised by the Science and Technology Options Assessment (STOA) Panel of the European Parliament (EP) on 16 October 2017 in Brussels. Continue reading
Is it rational to be optimistic about artificial intelligence?
The STOA workshop ‘Should we fear the future? Is it rational to be optimistic about artificial intelligence?’ gathered speakers from the fields of sociology, policy, computer science and philosophy to contribute their perspectives on the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Continue reading
Radio frequency identification tags: a new technology which could change our lives [Science and Technology Podcast]
The Internet of Things is slated to transform our way of life – while radio frequency identification tags, and other short-range communication devices, are already with us – how might this technology change our way of life? Continue reading
Will artificial intelligence really improve our lives?
Humans are, on the whole, living longer and healthier lives than ever before. For many, these basic measures are enough to conclude that the world is becoming a better place. Continue reading
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