Uploaded November 2023 | Updated September 2026, 11 hours ago
2023 ESPAS ANNUAL CONFERENCE
“Building Europe's Future: Time for Strategic Choices”
Tuesday 14 November 2023.
🌐 Conference website: https://www.espas.eu/conference2023.html
The annual conference of the European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS) was held on Tuesday 14 November. As in previous years, it was co-hosted by the European Commission and the European Parliament.
At a time when an illegal and unprovoked war continues to rage on European soil and ahead of the next EU institutional cycle, this year's 11th ESPAS annual conference focused on the key global trends at the crossroads of geopolitics, the environment, technology, the economy, and democracy. We debated, inter alia, the growing linkages between stability, security and the economy, the global tech race and future social, economic and environmental fairness, and digital technologies and their impact on democracy. We also mapped the related strategic choices for Europe in the period to 2040.
This year's conference "Building Europe's future: time for strategic choices" will be a stepping stone in the journey towards the fourth ESPAS Global Trends Report, due to be published in February 2024. We hope this conference will help to shape the public debate in the lead-up to the European Parliament elections in 2024, and offer citizens a forward-looking perspective for Europe.
2023 ESPAS ANNUAL CONFERENCE
“Building Europe's Future: Time for Strategic Choices”
Tuesday 14 November 2023.
🌐 Conference website: https://www.espas.eu/conference2023.html
The annual conference of the European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS) was held on Tuesday 14 November. As in previous years, it was co-hosted by the European Commission and the European Parliament.
At a time when an illegal and unprovoked war continues to rage on European soil and ahead of the next EU institutional cycle, this year's 11th ESPAS annual conference focused on the key global trends at the crossroads of geopolitics, the environment, technology, the economy, and democracy. We debated, inter alia, the growing linkages between stability, security and the economy, the global tech race and future social, economic and environmental fairness, and digital technologies and their impact on democracy. We also mapped the related strategic choices for Europe in the period to 2040.
This year's conference "Building Europe's future: time for strategic choices" will be a stepping stone in the journey towards the fourth ESPAS Global Trends Report, due to be published in February 2024. We hope this conference will help to shape the public debate in the lead-up to the European Parliament elections in 2024, and offer citizens a forward-looking perspective for Europe.
![Use of collaborative industrial robots in Europe [Science and Technology Podcast]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pW4ytI4GFwA/mqdefault.jpg "Use of collaborative industrial robots in Europe [Science and Technology Podcast]
Robot applications, including collaborative robots – cobots – designed to collaborate with humans, are in high demand, with sales and installation figures constantly on the rise. However, it is necessary to analyse the risks and opportunities of this technology and its possible social, economic, and ethical impacts. The following study presents the current state of collaborative robotics, its benefits, and its disadvantages, with a special emphasis on key aspects such as safety. It presents possible policy options to enable the EU to remain at the forefront of this technology by taking advantage of the opportunities and avoiding the potential risks.
🔎 See the paper publication behind this podcast: Analysis exploring risks and opportunities linked to the use of collaborative industrial robots in Europe ⤵️
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_STU(2023)740259
🎧 Subscribe to EPRS Science and Technology Podcasts:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/audio-podcasts.html")
![Recognition of parenthood between EU countries [Policy Podcast]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/q314a0iM28A/mqdefault.jpg "Recognition of parenthood between EU countries [Policy Podcast]
Families in the European Union (EU) are increasingly likely to move and travel between the EU Member States. Yet, given the differences in Member States laws, parents can face difficulties in having their parenthood recognised when crossing borders within the EU. Non‑recognition in one Member State of parenthood established in another Member State can have significant adverse consequences for children and their parents who are moving to another Member State or returning to their Member State of origin.
Subscribe to EPRS Policy Podcasts: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/audio-podcasts.html
See the paper publication behind this podcast:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2023)754562")
![What if Europe championed new AI hardware? [Science and Technology Podcast]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/q8qJWZQPpFM/mqdefault.jpg "What if Europe championed new AI hardware? [Science and Technology Podcast]
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 EU has the opportunity to leverage its strong regulatory framework for AI products as a mark of trust and safety, while also investing to support the next generation of hardware, opening up a new market for Europes high tech industry. What would happen if the EU formulated a cohesive plan to support these technologies through both research and economic policy?
See the publication behind this podcast:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_ATA(2024)762881
🎧 Listen to our podcasts reporting on the latest science and technology developments, looking into the impact they will have on our lives and capturing their policy implications:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/european-parliament-eprs-science/id1110775762?mt=2
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6XP9MnZdCDTnyDWXeDdnPx
YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPPfzoqPUImWL0O8VTtTNK1DTxiWxLJow&si=CBMMt4RYOllhxBbz
#AI")
![What if the EU were energy independent? [Science and Technology Podcast]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sIFXHwZmR64/mqdefault.jpg "What if the EU were energy independent? [Science and Technology Podcast]
The EU depends on imported fossil fuels (gas, oil and coal) for about 56 % of its energy needs (gross energy consumption), which in 2021 represented an energy bill of around EUR 300 billion. The domestic production of renewable energy sources has increased significantly in recent years to 22 % of total demand. The European Union can aspire to achieve energy independence through the deployment of existing and emerging technologies. Electrification, renewables and energy storage could reduce EUs reliance on conventional fossil fuels. What are the developments, expectations, concerns and societal implications associated with these technologies? What initiatives and policies can lead to a resilient EU energy system by anticipating impacts?
See the publication behind this podcast:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_ATA(2023)753182
Subscribe to EPRS Science and Technology Podcasts:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/audio-podcasts.html")
