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What if the problem with cars was not their method of propulsion?
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?
What if the EU were energy independent?
The European Union (EU) can aspire to achieve energy independence through the deployment of existing and emerging technologies. Electrification, renewables and energy storage could reduce the EU's reliance on conventional fossil fuels. What are the developments, expectations, concerns and societal implications associated with these technologies? And what initiatives and policies could lead to a resilient EU energy system, through anticipating impacts?
What if Europe ran out of water?
Globally, it has been estimated that four billion people are facing severe water scarcity. While the situation is not yet critical in Europe, water stress is already a serious issue and climate change is expected to make it worse in the future. What is the extent of the problem, and what solutions are available to avoid running out of water?
What if generative artificial intelligence became conscious?
Generative artificial intelligence applications, such as ChatGPT, are powered through complex learning processes by comprehensive datasets of – potentially dubious – human-created content. There are concerns that such tools could develop consciousness and spark emergent behaviour that is, by definition, unpredictable and therefore potentially unsafe. Do these concerns point to a need to look again at the relevant legislation?
What if algorithms decided what we should eat by looking at our DNA?
Algorithm-generated diets tailored to our individual needs could bring health benefits, but at the cost of having to share our most personal data, such as our DNA. The promises are many, but so are the open questions about interactions between genes, nutrients, environment and health, and the role of socioeconomic factors underlying food choices. Precision nutrition advice, services and products will need to be governed by a range of laws and policies, as they are at the intersection between food ...
What if we could make nuclear fusion work?
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.
What if biosensors could help treat rare diseases?
Most rare diseases are incurable. Research into new diagnostics and therapies is hampered by the low number of patients, limited amount of data, lack of multi-centre coordination and low profitability. Biosensors are a technology that, driven by continuous advances in artificial intelligence, can help disease detection, lower the cost of novel therapies, replace placebo groups in clinical trials and foster patient-centred, personalised (e)-medicine. Governance of biosensor technology involves targeted ...
What if open strategic autonomy could break the cycle of recurring crises?
Open strategic autonomy is about ensuring that the EU has the capacity to cope alone if necessary but without ruling out cooperation whenever possible. It goes some steps beyond smart supply chain management by taking into account geopolitics as well as economic factors. It relies on foresight to identify threats and ensures resilience by anticipating the required responses. Could the resulting preparedness also prevent crises by normalising situations that would otherwise become emergencies?
What if nature taught us how to adapt to climate change?
Over the past 3.8 billion years, nature has been engineering itself to survive. It has also developed efficient and sustainable adaptation mechanisms against changing environmental conditions. To further the EU's political ambitions, could we employ biomimicry to mitigate climate change and achieve climate neutrality?
What if increased energy storage could help fix climate change?
The European Union is committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2050, which requires a drastic increase in the share of energy from renewable sources in the electricity mix. However, the availability of some renewable energy sources is variable and intermittent, creating concerns about system reliability. Devising new energy storage capacities could solve this issue and contribute to the EU's climate neutrality goal.