Science

High Performance Computing

Emerging Technologies

Deep technologies

Access to finance

Future and Emerging Technologies

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Date of Editorial Board meeting:

Publication date:

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Abstract in English:

While Europe has made substantial progress in the development of its High Performance Computing (HPC) ecosystem in the last few years, the study has identified a significant investment gap, which has led to a setback in its relative global position.
In this context, this study aims to assess the access-to-finance conditions for the development and deployment of HPC. In particular, the study’s specific objectives were to:
• Identify successful commercial business models in the HPC market.
• Assess the financing requirements in key market segments and identify current financing bottlenecks.
• Provide recommendations to bridge the current gap between technology providers/users (demand side for financing) and investors (supply side).
• Explore options for public-private partnerships in financing HPC and propose ways of funding the HPC sector under the current EU financial instruments.

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European Union

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Number of pages:

154

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Financing the digital transformation

Author:

European Investment Bank

Keywords:

Digital Innovation

Deep technologies

Disruptive innovation

Access to finance

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Date of Editorial Board meeting:

Publication date:

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Abstract in English:

This study was commissioned as a follow-up to the European Investment Bank InnovFin Advisory study of Access-to-Finance Conditions for Key Enabling Technologies companies in 2015. It carries out a mapping of the key access-to-finance conditions for companies working in the photonics and micro-electronics/components sectors in Europe. Furthermore, the report explores to what extent the conclusions drawn and recommendations made for KETs (Key Enabling Technologies) companies in general also apply to photonics and semiconductor companies and identifies the need for more targeted measures.

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European Forest Institute

Country of publication:

European Union

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Number of pages:

142

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Towards a sustainable European forest-based bioeconomy

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Keywords:

Resources (Food, Energy, Water, Biodiversity)

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Date of Editorial Board meeting:

Publication date:

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Abstract in English:

This science-based study provides a synthesis of existing knowledge for policymakers on the prospects for a sustainable, inclusive forest-based bioeconomy in Europe, including:
• The importance of forests and the forest-based sector in contributing to a European bioeconomy;
• The assessment of a forest-based bioeconomy in view of innovation and economic, social and environmental sustainability;
• Future issues that may affect the development of a forest-based bioeconomy.

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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Country of publication:

European Union

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Number of pages:

162

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The State of the World's Forests: Forest Pathways to Sustainable Development

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Keywords:

Environmental Sustainability

Agriculture and Forestry

Sustainable Development

Forest

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Date of Editorial Board meeting:

Publication date:

Monday, January 15, 2018

Abstract in English:

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a commitment made by countries to tackle the complex challenges we face, from ending poverty and hunger and responding to climate change to building resilient communities, achieving inclusive growth and sustainably managing the Earth’s natural resources.
As governments determine how best to commit national efforts to achieve transformational change, The State of the World’s Forests 2018 (SOFO 2018) analyses the role that forests and trees – and the people who use and manage them– can play in helping countries achieve their objectives and bring about a brighter future. It shines a light on the profound interlinkages that exist between forests and many other goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda, enabling policy-makers to strike the right balance in actions, investments and partnerships directed towards food security, poverty alleviation, ecological conservation and, ultimately, to find pathways to sustainable development.

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Country of publication:

United Nations

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Number of pages:

139

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Fourth Industrial Revolution for the Earth

Author:

Pricewaterhouse Coopers

Keywords:

Environmental Sustainability

Artificial Intelligence

Technological innovation

Technological Disruption

Environment

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Date of Editorial Board meeting:

Publication date:

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Abstract in English:

The focus of this report is on harnessing AI systems today, and as they evolve, to create maximum positive impact on urgent environmental challenges. It suggests ways in which AI can help transform traditional sectors and systems to address climate change, deliver food and water security, protect biodiversity and bolster human well-being. This concern is tightly linked with the emerging question of how to ensure that AI does not become harmful to human well-being.

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Institut Français des Relations Internationales

Country of publication:

United Kingdom

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European Space Programs and the Digital Challenge

Author:

Keywords:

2017

EU's space activities

European Space Agency

Digital Innovation

Digital Economy

Digital Transformation

Date of Editorial Board meeting:

Publication date:

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Abstract in English:

The progress made in space exploration and digital technology have long been dis-synchronized. This is no longer the case- space programs are now both an actor of the digital revolution, since most of the data are being communicated through satellites, and themselves revolutionized.
The point of this study is to understand the tremendous changes affecting this sector, through the inclusion of new technologies and new actors, and to outline a way for Europe to remain an independent and strong actor in the space exploration sector- which is key to remain a credible global power.

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Country of publication:

Institut Français des Relations Internationales

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Number of pages:

138

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Gas in the European Energy Transition: Challenges and Opportunities

Title Original Language:

Le gaz dans la Transition Energétique Européenne: Enjeux et Opportunités

Abstract Original Language:

Les performances environnementales du gaz lui permettent de réduire rapidement et dès maintenant les émissions de CO2 du secteur électrique quand il remplace le charbon, deux fois plus émetteur. Sa flexibilité lui permet aussi de pallier l'intermittence du solaire et de l'éolien, facilitant ainsi le développement des ENRs. Il contribue de même à un approvisionnement électrique fiable et réduit les coûts d'équilibrage du système électrique. Il pourrait aussi être utile pour réduire les émissions des transports routiers et maritimes.
Le gaz a donc toute sa place dans le futur bouquet énergétique européen, a condition de décarboner encore son usage, d'augmenter l'intégration et la compétitivité du marché gazier européen et d'assurer la sécurité d'un approvisionnement qui dépendra de plus de plus des importations extra-européennes.

Author:

Keywords:

Gas

Liquefied Natural Gas

Original Language:

Date of Editorial Board meeting:

Publication date:

Monday, January 15, 2018

Abstract in English:

Thanks to its environmental performance, gas can help to quickly reduce the CO2 emissions of the electricity production when replacing the twice-as-emitting coal power. Its flexibility also help make up for the intermittence of the sun and wind powers, thus facilitating to the development of the renewable energy production. It similarly contributes to a reliable electricity supply and reduce the balancing cost of the electric system. It could also be used in the near future to reduce the emissions of the road and maritime transportation sectors.
In nutshell, gas could play a key role within the future European Energy Cluster, provided the further decarbonization of it usage, the increase in the integration and competitiveness of the European gas market, and the securing of its supply-which will increasingly depend on extra-European imports.

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cornot-gandolphe_gaz_transition_energetique_2018.pdf

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The rise of offshore wind power in the North Sea

Title Original Language:

L'essor de l'éolien offshore en Mer du Nord

Abstract Original Language:

Les acteurs industriels européens ont su préserver le marché de l'éolien offshore pour leurs produit et services. Le savoir-faire ainsi acquis les place en bonne position sur ce marché, dont le potentiel paraît immense. Cependant, la compétition ne fait que débuter et de nombreux groupes extra-européens ont déjà pris des parts dans des projets en Mer du Nord, acquérant à leurs tours les compétences nécessaires pour essaimer sur d'autres rivages.
Autour de la Mer du Nord, les politiques de soutien à ce secteur ont évolué vers des procédures concurrentielles, notamment par des appels d'offre. Jointe à une maîtrise technologique croissante, cette démarche a abouti à une remarquable baisse des coûts pour les projets annoncés après 2018, dans les pays déjà équipés. La compétitivité ainsi accrue de l'éolien offshore offre des perspectives considérables en Mer du Nord. Hélas, elle bute encore sur les coûts d'extension du réseau électrique. A l'heure où chaque Etat mène sa propre politique énergétique, la coordination interétatique est indispensable pour minimiser les coûts d'exploitation de cette ressource.

Author:

Institut Français des Relations Internationales

Keywords:

Original Language:

Date of Editorial Board meeting:

Publication date:

Monday, July 16, 2018

Abstract in English:

Over the past years, European industry players have acquired a significant know-how that they can value on the promising global offshore wind market. Yet, competition is still at an early stage and many non-European stakeholders have taken shares in projects in the North Sea, hoping to gain similar expertise before wandering to other shores. Support policies have recently moved to competitive tenders ad, combined with a growing technological lead, the have contributed to a remarkable fall in prices announced for projects to be commissioned after 2018. Offshore wind represents a strategic opportunity for Europe but requires strong investments in grid infrastructures. While each national government is currently defining its own targets and support schemes, cross-border coordination is imperative to guarantee the integration of massive wind production at minimal cost.

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cruciani_eolien_offshore_mer_du_nord_2018.pdf

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Artificial Intelligence and Labor

Title Original Language:

Intelligence artificielle et travail

Abstract Original Language:

La question clé est de savoir si l’intelligence artificielle représente une rupture technologique telle que le travail s’en trouvera transformé de manière brutale, avec des répercussions importantes sur l’emploi, ou si elle s’inscrit dans la continuité des transformations numériques à l’oeuvre depuis plusieurs décennies. Pour tenter d’y répondre et illustrer de façon concrète les enjeux posés par ces mutations annoncées, notre rapport a choisi d’examiner trois secteurs, ceux des transports, de la banque et de la santé, pour esquisser des scénarios de transformation du travail.

Author:

France Stratégie

Keywords:

Labor Market

Artificial Intelligence

Original Language:

Date of Editorial Board meeting:

Publication date:

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Abstract in English:

The key question this report deals with is whether IA is a major technological breakthrough which will radically transform labor and have far-reaching consequences on employment, or just one more IT innovation like the ones we witnessed during the last few decades.
In order to answer this question and concretely illustrate the challenges posed by these foreseeable changes, this report will analyze three different sectors: Transport, Banking and Health. This will help us to draw different scenarios for labor transformation.

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Intelligence artificielle et travail.pdf

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Building a Smart Partnership for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Author:

Atlantic Council

Keywords:

Fourth Industrial Revolution

Emerging Technologies

New Technologies

Artificial Intelligence

Disruptive innovation

Date of Editorial Board meeting:

Publication date:

Friday, April 27, 2018

Abstract in English:

The emerging technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution offer unprecedented avenues to improve quality of life, advance society, and contribute to global economic growth. Yet along with greater prospects for human advancement and progress, advancements in these technologies have the potential to be dramatically disruptive, threatening existing assumptions around national security, rules for international cooperation, and a thriving global commerce. This report by the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) addresses emerging technologies in key areas of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and explores innovative ways by which the United States and the Republic of Korea can cooperate around advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics; biotechnology; and the Internet of Things.
Each chapter focuses on one of these scientific advancements, with two authors exploring the technology from the perspective of the United States and the Republic of Korea, respectively. Building off the work already underway in both countries, the authors of this report examine opportunities for continued growth and development in these key areas, offering concrete, distinct recommendations for increasing US-ROK cooperation around each technology as the world moves further into the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

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