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Europe could gain competitive edge by supporting the development of new hardware for artificial intelligence (AI). Current state-of-the-art hardware is not optimised for machine learning, and both academic and private sector research is already leading to new designs. At the same time, the need for more time- and energy-efficient machine-learning hardware is increasing as more consumers and companies want access to machine-learning applications. The European Union (EU) has the opportunity to leverage ...

Copper is a relatively common element with a variety of suppliers, and that should typically mean a stable market. However, the copper market has recently been showing unusual instability. New EU legislation, though not always directly related, seems to be having a significant impact on copper prices. This is the case for the Chips Act and the Critical Raw Materials Act – designed to make EU industry more resilient by improving strategic autonomy – but also for laws concerning energy, artificial ...

This study aims to illuminate the role of research and innovation (R&I) in ensuring a safe and sustainable supply of critical raw materials (CRM). It provides background information on CRMs, related EU policies, sustainability issues, and public controversy, tying all these in with their respective R&I needs. The study reviews the role of R&I and cooperation in securing the EU's raw material supply, highlighting the significance of R&I along the value chain and analysing patenting activities and ...

Horizon Europe is the EU's key funding programme for research and innovation, containing ambitious commitments to scientific progress, climate neutrality, and improving the EU's competitiveness and growth. This study evaluates the following selected items in Horizon Europe: the evolution of calls and funding, adoption of the Common Model Grant Agreement (CMGA), implementation of the strategic plan, discontinuation of the Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) Flagship, the participation barriers ...

The European Green Deal, aimed at making the EU climate neutral by 2050, outlines a comprehensive approach to sustainability, requiring profound transformation across all industrial sectors. Horizon Europe, the EU's foremost research and innovation programme, can be a critical enabler, providing the necessary funding, framework and innovation pathways to support this transition. Employing a combination of desk research and stakeholder consultations, this study evaluates Horizon Europe's alignment ...

Academic freedom is a fundamental principle of any university and research system or institution, and is essential for a healthy democracy. The concept can be traced back to the birth of the Humboldtian research university model in Germany in the early 1800s. Despite international declarations and constitutional and legal protections, in recent years there has been renewed interest in academic freedom around the world owing to major challenges and threats from governments, industry and civil society ...

The European automotive industry is striving to adapt to market changes driven by the dual green and digital transition. Electrification has become the main strategy for reducing CO2 emissions, especially in urban traffic. At the same time, the average size and weight of cars have greatly increased. Big electric cars are the trend, but are they really the solution? Could better planning and optimisation of resources help?

If it is to achieve the Paris Agreement objective of keeping the rise in global temperature well below 2° C, the EU must consider every possible technology to decarbonise energy production. Nuclear fusion is the process that powers the sun and it can be reproduced on Earth. However, even once the considerable engineering challenges of designing a fusion power plant are overcome, there are major constraints inherent in upscaling fusion power.

The development of a European digital public space in which all European citizens could inform themselves about current affairs would be a great opportunity. While online platform operators from the United States and China provide various different digital media and also meeting spaces, these often lack democratic discourse and at the same time increase polarisation and division by concentrating and rewarding those types of content that generate outrage. Freedom of expression, and the possibility ...

The fishing sector is facing major challenges in the accelerating energy crisis, owing to its high dependency on the stable supply of fossil fuels at low prices. This report reviews the literature on drivers of energy use, identifies potential reduction measures and provides an overview of opportunities for using alternative fuels in the fishing sector. Each measure is evaluated in terms of greenhouse gas emission reduction potential and costs, and challenges and policy options that could facilitate ...