Innovation
EIT launches Solar Academy: Aims for water, maritime innovation next
Est. 5minThe EIT Summit 2024, which took place on 20 February, revealed the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s (EIT) ambition to harness the power of the sun, focusing on solar technology innovation and the training of thousands of solar engineers.
EU, UK urge scientists to join research programme after Brexit concerns
Est. 3minEU and UK science chiefs on Monday (12 February) launched a push to attract scientists to Europe's €95,5-billion Horizon research programme after warnings of high costs and red tape in Britain.
Talent, tech, and the unicorn farm… in conversation with EIT’s Adam Rottenbacher
Est. 9minEuractiv spoke with the Head of Operations of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Adam Rottenbacher to learn about Europe’s largest innovation network, startup hub and unicorn farm.
Bill Gates: No fairness in climate change fight without innovation
Est. 4minA socially equitable green transition ought to rely heavily on technological innovation, American tech mogul and philanthropist Bill Gates told a high-level 'Growth and Climate' conference in Paris on Tuesday (5 December).
French experts warn of productivity slowdown, suggest education, tax reform
Est. 5minFrench productivity has been slowing down considerably in the past 20 years due to a significant drop in education levels and a misguided tax incentive system, a group of experts advising the prime minister have found.
‘Choose France’ summit kicks off against backdrop of Uber lobbying allegations
Est. 4minThe 2022 'Choose France' summit, taking place at the Palace of Versailles on Monday (11 July), will gather 180 CEOs from some of the world's largest multinationals amid allegations that President Emmanuel Macron got too close to comfort with US tech firm Uber.
Valencia mayor: We are ready to become testing ground for innovation in Europe
Est. 6minValencia is one of the dozen finalists in the race to become the 2020 European Capital of Innovation. In an interview with EURACTIV, its mayor, Joan Ribó, defended their mission-oriented proposal to overcome the biggest challenges of our period, bringing on board political parties, the civil society and the scientific community.
Work starts in France to recreate power of the Sun
Est. 2minFourteen years after receiving the official go-ahead, scientists began to assemble a machine in southern France on Tuesday (28 July) that will seek to prove whether nuclear fusion, the process which powers the Sun, can be a safe and viable energy source for Earth.
Sinkevicius: COVID-19 cannot be an excuse to curb EU’s green ambition
Est. 6minMember states cannot use the COVID-crisis as an excuse to weaken the EU's environmentral and health protection efforts, European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius told EURACTIV Italy in an exclusive interview.
EIT Crisis Response Initiative: €60 million for Europe’s innovators
Est. 2minThe European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) will mobilise €60 million to support European entrepreneurs and innovators. The EIT’s Crisis Pandemic Initiative, launched on Thursday (14 May), aims to support start-ups, expanding businesses, SMEs and new innovative projects based on a greener and more sustainable approach.
Tackle the pandemic by innovating, says European tech institute
Est. 4minIn the innovation sector “reorientation” is a keyword, as different sectors of society try to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic.
Happy as a ‘sandbox’: Bulgaria’s tech upsurge
Est. 5minThe creation of a "sandbox" - a safe environment where FinTech companies can test their products - is big news for Bulgaria and the entire tech community in Central and Eastern Europe, write Eduard Tsvetanov and Filip Genov.
How frontier research could be the answer to a more sustainable future
Est. 6minMore frequent extreme weather events, increasing political nationalism and growing economic inequality are making sustainable development goals harder to achieve. EURACTIV looked at the work of four frontier researchers to explore how a more sustainable future could look like.
Frontier researchers to benefit from new Horizon 2020, despite looming budget cuts
Est. 5minAs member states are locked into negotiations over the next EU budget, research has become an easy target for cuts. Meanwhile, EU-funded scientists urge that frontier research is becoming more important than ever with new challenges ahead.
Should the EU embrace artificial intelligence, or fear it?
Est. 6minAdvances in machine learning are progressing rapidly, and governments are struggling to keep up. The EU has emerged as the world’s regulator in this space, but some fear it's stifling European innovation.
Von Der Leyen urged to prioritise single market to counter slowdown
Est. 7minThe European economy is undergoing a rapid transition, with digital technology and climate change needs set to transform normal commerce. Is the EU’s single market flexible enough to handle the change?
Frontier Research – A good return on investment?
Est. 1minFrom healthy lives to sustainable cities, from food security to equal societies - frontier research is often credited to have the potential to produce paradigm-shifting discoveries with economic, societal and policy impacts. With almost 10,000 researchers supported all over Europe, the …
ERC president: Brains should become main resource of Europe
Est. 12minInstead of funding 'business as usual'-research, the need to take a long-term perspective is crucial for innovative solutions, but that is often difficult to accept for policymakers, the head of a top European research agency told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
To target or not to target? That is the EU’s research and innovation question
Est. 5minThere is a lot of money available to fund research and innovation in the EU, but it's not reaching the right people at the right time. Policymakers are debating whether more focused funding would make the situation better, or worse.
Europe’s ‘MIT’ wants to accelerate innovation and support creativity
Est. 4minThe European Institute of Innovation and Technology often referred to as "Europe's MIT", is a little over ten years old and has already supported more than a hundred projects. It is now preparing to launch a branch to promote culture and the creative industries. EURACTIV France reports.
Europe seeks a comprehensive strategy to lift its competitiveness
Est. 4minThe dominance of US firms and Chinese companies in the digital world has sounded the alarm bells in Europe. EU and national officials have agreed that the competitiveness of European firms requires a comprehensive strategy that goes beyond easing the bloc's competition rules.
OECD calls for bigger EU budget to deal with digital revolution
Est. 4minThe Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) defended a larger budget for the EU, saying the bloc's funding is already “stretched” despite new challenges like digitalisation.
Investment in ‘first class connectivity infrastructure’ a priority, Commission says
Est. 10minThe cable industry's ambitions of ubiquitous gigabit connectivity have long been hindered by a number of obstacles, including patchy coverage and consumer trust issues. Carlota Reyners Fontana explains what the EU Commission is doing to improve the bloc's broadband gaps.
Bringing industry emissions down to net-zero is possible. Here’s how.
Est. 6minThe EU needs an industrial strategy that helps basic material industries achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and innovation needs to be a large part of it, write Tomas Wyns and Gauri Khandekar.