Technology News Era

The European Union has an unusual IT strategy. While the US prioritizes the development of global tech giants, the EU focuses on becoming the sector’s leading regulator. In 2022, the bloc launched two sweeping sets of stringent new rules: the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which seeks to bolster competition in online services, and the Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to protect people from online harm. Analysts expect the regulatory drive to accelerate next year. “The only thing we can be certain about is that there will be more regulation next year, and increased enforcement of it,” said Alan Calder,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/QP38BV6

Here we go again! For the sixth year running, we present Neural’s annual AI predictions. 2022 was an incredible year for the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence. From the AI developer who tried to convince the world that one of Google’s chatbots had become sentient to the recent launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, it’s been 12 months of non-stop drama and action. And we have every reason to believe that next year will be both bigger and weirder. That’s why we reached out to three thought leaders whose companies are highly invested in artificial intelligence and the future. Without… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Z1HQ6n7

Few could have predicted the economic and geopolitical landscape that confronted the mobility sector in 2022. With the industry still reeling from materials shortages — particularly semiconductor chips — caused by COVID-19 lockdowns, the invasion of Ukraine has further tested the sector’s resiliency. This has led to companies scrambling to wean themselves off Russian oil. The outcome of this has created a strong focus on renewable energy, including preservation, optimization of operational efficiency, and electrification, topics that’ll extend across all areas of mobility in 2023. But there’s a lot more we can expect from the sector next year, and here… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2NE1iQJ

According to the International Energy Association (IEA), the buildings sector in 2021 was responsible for around one-third of global energy and process-related CO2 emissions. Specifically, 6% of these emissions resulted from the manufacture of cement, steel, and aluminium used for construction; 8% from the use of fossil fuels; and 19% from the generation of electricity and heat needed to maintain them. This makes one thing clear: more attention needs to be paid to making our buildings greener and more sustainable. Thankfully, 2023 will be the year when we start taking some significant steps towards this goal. “The building sector has not… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/8rPF2uz

In the month after Elon Musk triumphantly announced his takeover of Twitter with his now famous “the bird is freed” tweet, he implemented a large-scale cull of the social media platform’s global workforce. While Musk’s rationale for this move was to make Twitter more efficient, how he carried out the cuts was widely criticised as showing a lack of compassion for employees. Luckily, the public have spoken and Musk has promised to step down after embarrassingly being voted out in his own poll. But what can we learn from this and what kind of leader does Twitter need moving forward?… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/wBflCbW

In the spring of 2010, physicist Jari Kinaret received an email from the European Commission. The EU’s executive arm was seeking pitches from scientists for ambitious new megaprojects. Known as flagships, the initiatives would focus on innovations that could transform Europe’s scientific and industrial landscape.  Kinaret, a professor at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, examined the initial proposals. “I was not very impressed,” the 60-year-old tells TNW. “I thought they could find better ideas.” As it happened, Kinaret had an idea of his own: growing graphene. He decided to submit the topic for consideration. That proposal lay the foundation… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/PLOok6F

New research values the UK tech industry at a whopping $1 trillion (€942 billion)  — making it comfortably the leading ecosystem in Europe. This sector is now worth more than double Germany’s ($467.2 billion) and three times more than France’s ($307.5 billion), according to a report by data provider Dealroom. The UK also leads the continent in overall funding, unicorns, and startup numbers. “UK tech has remained resilient in the face of global challenges and we have ended the year as one of the world’s leading destinations for digital businesses,” said Digital Minister Paul Scully in a statement. “This is… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/RcXDCxj

On January 13, 2023, Spaceport Esrange — mainland Europe’s first satellite launch facility — will be inaugurated in Sweden. This marks a critical milestone for the continent’s space industry. Spaceport Esrange will provide the European Space Agency (ESA) with an independent getaway to the stars, enhancing its current capabilities in French Guiana. At first, the spaceport will be used to launch satellites into orbit. “Satellites are decisive for many functions of the daily lives of today’s modern world, and the need for them will only increase in the years to come with space playing an even more important role,” Stefan… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/0IBjc1b

As part of the 2022 European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator program, the Commission selected 78 startups and SMEs to receive up to €470 million in funding. Depending on its needs, each company will get up to €17.5 million in grants and/or equity investments. The latter will be made through the EIC Fund, which is now “fully operational” after appointing Luxembourg-based Alter Domus as an external fund manager to streamline the equity payment process and avoid past delays. The selected companies span across 17 EU and EEA nations, with the addition of Israel and the UK. Among them, 17% of startups… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/JmKrvfY

War has decimated much of Ukraine’s economy, but a notable exception is the IT sector. As of November, the industry’s annual export revenues had hit a record $5.5 billion — 13% more than in the same period last year. Since Russia invaded in February, 58% of Ukrainian tech firms have processed new orders from clients. Despite brutal assaults, martial law, and general mobilization, 85% have restored their pre-war business activities. That’s according to Lviv IT Cluster, a community of companies, universities, and local authorities. “Ukraine’s tech industry is not only showing the ability to operate fully, but it’s demonstrating growth,”… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/EJqvTGm

The war in Ukraine has become the largest testing ground for artificial intelligence-powered autonomous and uncrewed vehicles in history. While the use of military robots is nothing new — World War II saw the birth of remote-controlled war machines and the US has deployed fully-autonomous assault drones as recently as 2020 — what we’re seeing in Ukraine is the proliferation of a new class of combat vehicle.  This article discusses the “killer robot” technology being used by both sides in the Russian war on Ukraine. Our main takeaway is that the “killer” part of “killer robots” doesn’t apply here. Read… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/rn5cTeI

As we’re moving towards an EV-dominated future, efforts to introduce wireless on-road charging systems are increasing. Now, Germany’s famous Autobahn will welcome its own wireless charging system — although it won’t be available to individual EV drivers. Instead, it will power a public bus transporting passengers to the city of Balingen. The technology will be provided by Israeli wireless charging company Electreon, which will collaborate with German EnBW — an EV charging infrastructure provider — for the realization of the project. Electreon will deploy 1km of Electric Road System (ERS) along a stretch of the Autobahn, providing dynamic wireless charging… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/xpE15Ge

Content provided by IBM and TNW Thanks to the convergence of several trends and changes across different markets and industries, automation is becoming a critical factor in the success of businesses and products. Advances in artificial intelligence, in parallel with the accelerating digitization of all aspects of business, are creating plenty of opportunities to automate operations, reduce waste, and increase efficiency. From managing your Information Technology (IT) bill to finding bottlenecks in your business processes and taking control of your own network operations, here are three areas where companies can gain from applying automation. 1. IT automation Practically every large… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2VLqAgG

JUPITER is set to become the first European supercomputer to make the leap into the exascale era. This means, it’ll be capable of performing more than an exaflop (or 1 quintillion) operations per second. In other words, the device’s computing power will surpass that of 5 million laptops or PCs combined. The European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU), which is being behind the project, has now signed a hosting agreement with the Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC) in Germany, where JUPITER will be located. Under the terms of the agreement, JUPITER (which stands for “Joint Undertaking Pioneer for Innovative and Transformative Exascale Research”) will be… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Fv1Tsnw

Application development has a long history of quick evolution and transformation, perhaps faster than any other industry. The tools we use to create and host our applications are constantly changing. The fast developments in programming tools provide plenty of opportunities to create software for companies of different sizes, industries, and budgets. However, the added flexibility and diversity of tools — as well as the constantly changing landscape — also introduce their own set of challenges. Developers must be able to create their apps in ways that can adapt to the scale and changes that their organization, customers, and infrastructure undergo.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/mOCMAQZ

Over the past year, the skyrocketing fuel prices across Europe have increased consumer interest in alternative sources of energy, such as solar power. And as demand has been on the rise, 2022 was a good funding year for startups focusing on providing photovoltaic (PV) technology to residential customers. Specifically, European startups in the sector have raised over €488 million — and that’s excluding the €855-million debt funding round attracted by Berlin-based unicorn Enpal. Notably, 86.4% of the amount has been injected in German-based startups, including 1Komma5°, Zolar, Sunhero, Enpal, Einhundert, and Sunvigo. 1Komma5° has received the highest funding throughout the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ENQTBrz

Nowadays, just about every facet of daily life can be automated or altered to fit consumers’ preferences and moods. This shift towards customizing private spaces is especially prominent in the field of smart home technology — and other industries are following suit.  A tech setting for every mood Inhalio, with just a quick verbal cue, can release scents that correlate with your mood, whether you’re feeling bright, cheerful, angsty, or drowsy. Philips Hue lights have pre-programmed scenes like ‘relax’ or ‘focus’ that sync directly with televisions and other entertainment systems to provide pulsing, complementary lighting.  This trend of setting the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/rOmYuiD

This article was originally published on .cult by Nadya Primak. .cult is a Berlin-based community platform for developers. We write about all things career-related, make original documentaries, and share heaps of other untold developer stories from around the world. The tech industry is not known for having great interviewing processes. From the notorious whiteboard interviews to algorithm challenges requiring a computer science degree to even wrap your head around, there are all kinds of outdated standards and approaches to interviewing developers that should have died out years ago. Unfortunately, like most legacy systems we love to hate, these interview processes… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/GrhAe92

EU lawmakers have agreed on a new set of rules aiming to make batteries in the bloc more sustainable and reusable. The regulations will cover the entire battery life cycle: from the extraction of materials and industrial production, to disposal. They will apply to all types of batteries sold in the EU, including portable batteries used in electronic devices, industrial batteries, SLI batteries used in automotive applications, as well as batteries used in two-wheelers and EVs. The green requirements of the newly-agreed rules set an impressive milestone for the Union as part of its goals to advance its energy transition… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/16keH2j

App downloads are at an all-time high, but a growing number of innovators believe that a world beyond them is the next frontier for technology. We’re constantly shuffling back and forth from one app to another to carry out daily tasks. But this can be cumbersome, a drain on devices, and time-consuming. It’s not unusual for people to use a combination of apps simultaneously to carry out one task. Just think about all those times when you had to switch to your email, while using another app, because you needed to verify something in your inbox. With people averaging four… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/AlqHKkG

Elon Musk is progressing plans to slim down Twitter since he bought the 396 million-member platform for US$44 billion (£38 billion) on October 27. Musk’s deal has taken Twitter private, dissolved the platform’s board and enhanced his unilateral power as CEO. But mass redundancy announcements made since he took control have been scrutinized globally. Musk’s plans to restructure Twitter began with laying off top executives, before notifications were emailed to around half of the Twitter global workforce that they were being made redundant or that their jobs were at risk. In a memo to staff, Musk defended the firings as… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/WqCx9st

A Berlin-based scientist has unveiled a novel solution for Europe’s tumbling birth rates: “the world’s first artificial womb facility.” Dubbed EctoLife, the concept is the brainchild of Hashem Al-Ghaili, a Yemen-born biotechnologist and science communicator. His invention comprises 75 separate labs, each of which accommodates up to 400 adorable “growth pods,” which replicate the conditions of a mother’s womb. Al-Ghaili claims a single building can incubate 30,000 babies a year.  It’s the future that your unborn child deserves. Just peruse all the amenities that the designer fetus will enjoy. EctoLife can house the population of a large town. Credit: Hashem… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/qsAUwr9

Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter earlier this year has shined a bright light on how quickly the sands can shift under employees’ feet. “Please note that Twitter will do lots of dumb things in the coming months. We will keep what works & change what doesn’t,” the SpaceX CEO tweeted of his mission for Twitter 2.0. Some of those changes have, so far, included mass layoffs, some of which are now resulting in lawsuits from workers who say they weren’t given proper notice of termination, or sufficient severance pay. Musk has also reinstated former president Donald Trump to the platform,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ZRq9b8n

The newly-adopted 2023 work program of the European Innovation Council (EIC) will grant €1.6 billion in funding to scientists and innovators who can scale up breakthrough technologies and create new markets. Notably, 70% of this amount (€1.13bn) is reserved for the EIC Accelerator, which supports startups and SMEs in developing and marketing high-impact innovations. Specifically, €525 million is made available for startups developing future technologies that will contribute to the EU’s strategic objectives. These include biomarkers for cancer, decontamination for pandemic management, energy storage, quantum or semiconductor components, resilient agriculture, space tech, and the New European Bauhaus initiative. The remaining… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/U5lWR2V

Shocking absolutely no one, it turns out the UK barely gives a diddly about the metaverse — especially when compared to the rest of the world. But, for startups and businesses, this apathy is actually an opportunity. First off though, the data. According to a report from law firm Gowling WLG, 10% of UK consumers aren’t interested in the metaverse, and 20% don’t expect it to become mainstream. On top of that, many people are concerned about its downsides: Credit: Gowling WLG The report also highlights that twice as many consumers in China (83%) want to take part in the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Jp5ubzO

The UK government’s plans to weaken encryption can “easily be exploited” by hackers and officials, experts have warned. The proposals are part of the controversial Online Safety Bill, which is currently working its way through parliament. Ministers say the legislation would make Britain “the safest place in the world to be online,” but campaigners fear it will erode free speech and privacy. Their prime concern involves the threat to end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) messenger apps. Under the mooted measures, telecoms regulators could force platforms to scan through private messages for illegal content. A new clause in the legislation requires services to… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/o5jHUCe

Scientists at ETH Zurich have developed a special coating that prevents the lenses in glasses from fogging up. Apparently, not all heroes wear capes. This has been a problem since the advent of optical lenses, but it’s fair to say it reached a peak during the pandemic when everyone wearing glasses found out the hard way that most face masks vent your breath up towards your eyes. You’d think someone would have fixed this by now, but it’s harder than you might guess. The difficulty of the problem is evident by the lack of current solutions. You can wipe your glasses off when they fog up… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/UCf1hsO

Getir, the Turkish fast delivery startup, has bought its German rival Gorillas. This further reduces the number of companies in Europe promising to bring groceries to your door within minutes. This merger leaves only three such businesses active on the continent: Getir, Berlin-based Flink, and US-based Gopuff. As Getir’s founder tweeted, the acquisition valued Gorillas at $1.2 billion — down from $3.1 billion in September 2021. Gorillas was among the most hyped-up startups in the instant grocery delivery sector, offering delivery times in less than ten minutes and numerous discounts. Founded in 2020, the company expanded rapidly covering multiple European… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/nQfjUu8

Content provided by IBM and TNW As our lives become more digitized, the IT infrastructure supporting the applications and services we use have become increasingly complex. There are a variety of options to run services in the cloud, on-premise, serverless, and hybrid, which makes it possible to accommodate different kinds of applications, environments, and audiences. However, managing such complex IT architectures is becoming increasingly difficult. There are too many moving parts, which makes it difficult to optimize IT, predict and prevent outages, and respond to incidents after they happen. Fortunately, AIOps — the use of AI in IT operations —… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/El2o4Bv

In an age when consumers expect products and services on demand, there are very few things more annoying than a sluggish website. And for businesses that fail to keep their website at optimal performance, there’s a big risk: it kills the customer experience. Studies show that just two seconds of additional loading time can increase bounce rates by 103%, meanwhile 100 milliseconds of load time can cause a 7% drop in conversion. Site speed is also a factor in Google rankings on desktop and mobile. Poor performance can reduce your site’s visibility on search engines, killing your traffic. But, you’re… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: WordPress from The Next Web https://ift.tt/eOcEV8r

Being a woman in business is incredibly tough. On average, it takes them 30% longer than men to achieve the CEO position. They hold under 25% of board room positions. And 42% of women have experienced sexism at work. These figures are just the tip of the iceberg. From socialization to society-wide prejudice, women are confronted by difficulties at every turn in the startup, tech, and business worlds. But that doesn’t mean success can’t be found, far from it in fact. There are rafts of women thriving in business — and one of those is Trinny Woodall, the co-founder of… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/8MwNFjR

The Netherlands is one of the best places in the world for startups and businesses working on green tech. Managing the climate is deeply rooted in Dutch culture. With nearly a third of its land below sea level, the country has been highly-adaptive to environmental challenges — finding ways to turn them into opportunities for technological growth. Think, for instance, of how the Dutch have managed to reclaim land from sea with polders, or avoid flooding from the North Sea with the construction of the Delta Works, a series of dams and surge barriers along the southern West coast. The… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/YsuA2Kl

Almost weekly a friend or an acquaintance asks me, “I want to learn to code; which language should I start with?” More or less bi-weekly I get a DM on LinkedIn starting with, “My son should start programming; what is the best language for him?” It’s not just people who’ve never coded before. Often I get these messages from people who have several years of coding experience under their belts. I’m not saying this to complain. I make half a living from prodding the pros and cons of different programming languages, frameworks, and AI models here on Medium. I profit… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Wo2atfb

Vivaldi browser is backing Mastodon to release online communications from Big Tech’s stranglehold. The Oslo-based company today became the first browser to integrate Mastodon — just weeks after launching its own server on the federated social network. The moves aim to accelerate the uptake of Mastodon, while attracting more users to Vivaldi’s privacy-focused browser. They arrive amid a backlash against Silicon Valley’s closed platforms and lock-in algorithms, which spread deeper into the mainstream after Elon Musk bought Twitter.  Since the world’s richest person took over the bird app, Mastodon’s active user base has soared from 300,000 to 2.6 million —… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/be9P1YH

When signing up for Facebook and Instagram, users are forced to agree to Meta’s privacy policy. This allows the company to deliver targeted adverts — but not for much longer. On Monday, EU privacy regulators ruled that users of Meta’s platforms should no longer have to accept these sort of adverts, sources from Reuters and the Wall Street Journal reveal. The regulators declared that this kind of coerced consent falls foul of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU’s wide-reaching privacy law. This doesn’t mean it’s a done deal though. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission still needs to issue specific orders… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/0IOXhlY

Ministers at the European Space Agency (ESA) recently approved funding for a special project to build nuclear waste-powered batteries for use in space exploration. If successful, the new tech would make it possible to conduct operations in areas where access to solar energy is degraded or absent, such as on the dark side of the moon. Researchers working with the ESA believe they can use americium, a radioactive element derived from plutonium decay, to generate sufficient heat to both warm equipment and generate electricity to power functionality. This would represent the first time americium has been used in this manner,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/C1QYb2P

The European startup scene is booming, with the total equity value exceeding $3 trillion in 2021 — the highest number ever recorded. Currently, four countries are the major players in the ecosystem: the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, and France, which host nearly two-thirds of the continent’s top 1,000 startups and scaleups. Among them, Amsterdam has seen explosive growth, with a whopping 53% average year-over-year growth since 2011. It has also been ranked as Europe’s second top performing startup hub for 2021 — preceded by London, and followed by Paris and Berlin. Yet, compared to the other countries, the Netherlands is… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/cn6rDJt

Content provided by IBM and TNW Companies that don’t have a digitization and automation strategy will probably not survive in the next decade. Why? Because a host of technological developments are making it possible to free employees from a range of routine operations, so they can focus on the most impactful areas of business. Enterprises that embrace automation can have happier customers, more satisfied employees, and streamlined operations. From back-office tasks to the inspection of industrial complexes and manufacturing sites, there are tools and platforms to collect and analyze various types of data, and take actions that automate repetitive tasks… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/N9Ayc2i

You can’t have been active in the workplace (or had an account on a social media platform) over the last couple of years and not come across the term the “Great Resignation,” also known as the Big Quit or the Great Reshuffle. It started as a US-based economic trend whereby employees voluntarily left their jobs en masse, and then spread to Europe. Whatever way it happened, the net result was the same: a lot of people left their jobs, took time off, moved abroad to check out life as a digital nomad, or changed sectors. Others reskilled during the pandemic,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/XxKdznw

The road to fully autonomous vehicles is long and marred by technological challenges, from the cost of developing the technology and commercial expansion, all the way through public acceptance and safety concerns. And that’s if people even want to give up driving in the first place. But there’s something that can help this transition, that can bridge the divide between the autonomous believers and self-driving sceptics: remote-controlled vehicles. And no, we’re not talking about toy cars, these are real, adult-sized, remotely-driven automobiles. In this piece, I’m going to explain how they work, the commercial and technological implications, and if they… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/IXWJVh0

France has been given the green light to ban short-haul domestic flights. Specifically, between locations where there is a train alternative that takes less than 2.5 hours. When the French government suggested the measure in 2021 as part of the country’s Climate Law, it was contested by the Union of French Airports (UAF) and the European branch of the Airports Council International (ACI Europe). This led to an investigation by the European Commission, which gave the final approval on Friday — making France the first EU member state with a short-haul flight ban. Initially, the measure will affect routes between… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/l4ejIcE

The evolution of data centers has been continuous since their advent, with the requirements of each technological era defining each phase of transformation. As the world abruptly shifted to digital during the COVID pandemic, we’re now producing more data than ever before. Naturally, the demand to manage, store, and process that data has also increased exponentially. Along with this heightened demand, comes a new set of challenges and things to consider when building the data centers of the future. How can we satisfy our growing data needs, without compromising the environment? How can we tackle the growing cybersecurity threat and… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/8I93vJ2

Amongst the 2022 Apple Store Awards winners, Gentler Streak emerged as the Apple Watch App of the year. For those of you who haven’t heard of it, the app — designed for iPhone and Apple Watch use — is a workout and fitness tracker that comes with a twist: a self-compassionate approach to exercise. Gentler Streak is the first product of Gentler Stories, a Slovenian-based mobile app studio that specializes in solutions for a sustainable lifestyle. The women-led company was founded in February 2021 by three Apple Entrepreneur Camp alumni and one alumnus of Y Combinator, a startup accelerator. The… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Apple from The Next Web https://ift.tt/btVYic7

We’ve long suspected the human brain is a quantum computer but we’ve never had any actual evidence to back this theory up. That is, until now. A pair of researchers from Trinity College in Dublin and the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw recently published what may turn out to be landmark research in the quest to understand the human brain, consciousness, and the physical nature of the universe itself. The team’s paper, titled “Experimental indications of non-classical brain functions,” details an experimental MRI paradigm in which it appeared test subjects’ brains were entangled with their hearts. Entanglement refers to… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/0w94O8a

According to EU data, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of Europe’s economy. They represent 99% of all businesses in the Union, employ around 100 million people, and account for more than half of Europe’s GDP. Yet, business survival for SMEs has been continuously challenged since the pandemic. After suffering the consequences of the COVID crisis, SMEs are now particularly affected by soaring energy prices, inflation, supply chain bottlenecks, and changed consumer behavior. That’s especially the case in the retail, food, and restaurant sectors — among those that were hit hardest during the pandemic. A survey conducted by… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/OVRSxZY

If you read a lot of tech news, you’d think we’re merely months away from being able to hail a robotaxi in Europe. Unfortunately, this will be wrong: because those articles are most likely talking about projects in North America. The EU approach to autonomous ridesharing and ride-hailing is vastly different to the US. So, we had a simple question: when will we be able to catch a robotaxi and Europe? And why can’t we yet? Currently, there are robotaxis (and a small number of roboshuttles) in the US, but only roboshuttles in Europe, terms we’ll define later. This difference… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/QjMD1rG

Amidst rising climate concerns and the current energy crisis, European oil companies are trying to pivot from fossil fuels to renewable power — and spending a huge amount while doing so. Most recently, British/Shell agreed to buy Europe’s biggest biogas producer, Denmark-based Nature Energy, for €1.9 billion. As part of the deal, the oil giant will acquire Nature Energy’s 14 industrial plants and an international development pipeline of about 30 plants across Europe and North America. This comes one month after rival BP announced its $4.1-billion plan to buy Archaea Energy, a US-listed biogas producer. What is biogas? Biogas —… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/wZkQyqE

When it comes to B2B products, it’s all about building relationships, something that can be challenging for startups entering traditional industries like rail. But over the last few years, the rail industry has reached out to startups to provide a way to gain their insights and draw them into its ecosystem. Examples of these initiatives include the UK’s Rail Innovation Group — an incubator for rail startups — and Deutsche Bahn’s DB Mindbox. Since 2015, the latter in particular, has organised hackathons and supported more than 150 startups with their proof of concept, 60% of which continue their business cooperation… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2tLKrnk

Suddenly finding yourself unemployed is a precarious position to be in, and not even severance pay can take the sting out of the confidence knock a lay-off brings. The unprecedented tech layoffs that have occurred in recent weeks at the likes of Meta and Stripe have sent shockwaves through the industry, as thousands of workers brace themselves for the task of finding a new role in a less buoyant job market. However, the industry as a whole remains stable. In fact, according to a report by Gartner, IT expenditure is expected to increase by 5.1% and hit $4.5 trillion by… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/qWr5OHP

When British director Scott Mann’s latest film, Fall, was on the precipice of receiving an “R” rating from the MPAA over the number of “F” bombs dropped over its one hour and 47-minute run time, he did what any reasonable person would: he used artificial intelligence to digitally alter the actor’s performances in order to change the swear words into more palatable terms. A stroke of fricking genius, if you ask us. For those who are curious: about 35 “F” words stood between a PG-13 rating and an R rating. Mann’s dilemma, then, became trying to figure out how to… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Gyvg0uz