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Will Blockchain Undermine Central Bank Control – Or Amplify It?

By Erik Sass, TES Editor-in-Chief     Since the launch of Bitcoin in 2009 cryptocurrencies have proliferated, powered by blockchain technology using distributed computing platforms. Many have grown with the belief that they will remain free from the control of central banks and treasuries, thus providing an alternative to fiat currencies, whose value may change […]

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EU and India’s strategic partnership: hot topic or hot air?

  “EU-India: a renewed strategic partnership, or business as usual?” By Stefania Bengalia, courtesy of CEPS   In 2004, India and the European Union signed a strategic partnership, based on the shared values and principles of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the promotion of peace and stability. Today, though, free trade negotiations […]

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China elbowing Europe aside in Russian market

    “China’s growing presence on the Russian market and what it means for the European Union” By Alicia García-Herrero and Jianwei Xu, courtesy of the Bruegel Institute   Russia doesn’t just look West, it looks East – and increasingly so. China’s economy has developed very rapidly over the past two decades, becoming the world’s […]

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The digital revolution is losing steam

    “Dissecting the global growth and productivity slowdown” By Robert Stehrer, courtesy of WIIW   Growth rates in the global economy since the financial crisis have been subdued compared to the boom phase at the beginning of this century (see Figure 1). Compared to the period 2000-06 average real GDP growth slowed from more […]

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How I learned to stop worrying and love AI

  “Artificial intelligence will be good for workers” By Gaël Campan and Luc Vallée, courtesy of MEI   Are machines going to steal our jobs? That is the question that keeps popping up in light of the rapid progress of artificial intelligence (AI). Research shows, however, that such fears about the adverse impact of AI […]

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Tesla fortunes turn – but will it last?

    After several years in the Wall Street doghouse Tesla shareholders received a boost from an optimistic forecast from occasionally erratic boss Elon Musk, predicting a profit in the third quarter. But after a number of disappointments analysts and shareholders are understandably skeptical: will the world’s leading electric carmaker finally deliver on its disruptive […]

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Singapore wants those fake chicken nuggets

                          Artificial meat, referring to protein grown from animal cells in laboratories, has obvious attractions for rich, high-tech places without much land for raising livestock. No surprise, then, that Singapore is one of the countries most interested in developing facilities for growing artificial […]

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Make way for the delivery drones (by empowering local government)

  “To Kickstart Drone Deliveries, Give Cities and States Regulatory Flexibility” By Brent Skorup and Connor Haaland, courtesy of the Mercatus Center     Drone delivery services are coming to US towns. The technology is ready and operators have been making thousands of deliveries in rural China and medical deliveries in Rwanda. (We are seeing the […]

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Drones have already saved tens of thousands of lives

                “Beyond Visual Line of Sight: The Future of Drones in Healthcare” By Davis Warnell, courtesy of Mercatus Center   On October 1st, UPS Flight Forward, Inc.—a subsidiary of United Parcel Service (UPS)—announced that it had received the first full “Part 135 Standard” certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) […]

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SE Asian countries need to focus on knowledge economy

                        A global crossroads boasting young, tech-savvy populations and far-flung trade connections, Southeast Asia is well positioned to become an economic hub. But to do this national governments must first lay the groundwork by embracing policies designed to foster innovation and the knowledge economy, […]