Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V.

The European Data Summit is a symposium organised by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung at which experts address the prerequisites for a digital European single market. A focus is also placed on the connection of the topic to the European Union’s regulatory projects.

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Genetic engineering and biotechnology and the associated fields of research are controversial in socio-political terms. The risks are unacceptable, according to many critics. However, the facts refute the criticism and show that the opportunities far outweigh the risks. Progress in medicine, pharmacy, plant breeding, agriculture, food production and environmental research would be inconceivable without modern lifesciences. All scientific findings clearly speak for a responsible approach to these cross-sectional technologies.

What are the opportunities of the life sciences? What economic potential do they hold? How can they contribute to overcoming the challenges that lie ahead? What benefits can people expect? How should genetic engineering and biotechnology, embryo and stem cell research, reproductive medicine and other fields of application be regulated? What potential dangers must be kept in mind? Information and food for thought on these questions can be found on our project page.

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The “Sustainability Navigator – Transformation through Innovation” project deals with specific innovations for more sustainability and provides a relevant overview. The view is also from multiple perspectives. Here, we not only look at the ecological, but also the social and economic dimension.

Learn more about the Sustainability Navigator project

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Open world markets have undeniably led to unprecedented prosperity and technological progress. Nevertheless, global trade is currently highly controversial, as climate change, global inequalities and strategic dependencies seem to partially offset the benefits of free trade. Clearly, there is a need for rules governing global trade. On our overview page, we introduce this complex topic and, with our publications and video contributions, offer discussion approaches and suggestions on how free trade could be further developed with a view to climate change and new global political realities.

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Quantum computers are considered a significant future technology with great economic and social potential. Against this background, our publications on the topic not only address the basics, possible applications and social implications of this technology, but also provide recommendations for action.

Learn more about the quantum computing publications

KAS

Our interview series “Artificial Intelligence (AI) from a Global Perspective” looks at the current developments in AI technology. With interview partners from all over the world, we talk about the lines of conflict between ethics and AI, the technological added value, but also about the risks and different political approaches when dealing with AI.

Learn more about the AI interview series

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Many countries in the Southeast Asian and Pacific region are considered prime examples and pioneers of digital developments. Digitisation has become deeply rooted in the Asia-Pacific economies and societies in the form of facilitating work and everyday life, and it is hard to imagine life without it. But the major digital technologies and future trends are also being driven forward, especially in Asia. These include artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, FinTech and e-health.

In order to generate sustainable social and economic added value for large parts of the population, our foreign offices and regional programmes in the region closely monitor technological developments around digitalisation topics. In order to achieve the above-mentioned goal, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, together with regional actors from politics, business, society and science, promotes the exchange of knowledge between Germany, Europe and Asia.

Learn more about the digital transformation in Asia-Pacific

In our three publications, we explain how artificial intelligence (AI) not only improves the performance of an economy, but also affords people with the opportunity to assert individual rights. Our expert interviews and interactive web publication address the legal implications, the design aspect in the interplay between human and machine, and use examples to illustrate how AI is already supporting human rights.

Learn more about artificial intelligence and human rights

Despite the establishment of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Germany and Europe present a rather mixed picture when it comes to data protection. In the articles of our publication series on data protection law and data trust, we look seriously at the various perspectives on the topic and inform you about controversial debates and the current state of developments.

Learn more about the publications on data protection law and data trust

“Open Data” is a concept that proposes a comprehensive and collaborative use of data. The use of data, which is considered an inexhaustible and renewable resource and whose economic benefit is estimated by experts as being particularly high, should be possible for everyone; this also includes post-processing and dissemination. This would not only affect the economy and science, but politics and, above all, citizens. That is why “Open Data” represents a multi-faceted topic, which we approach from different perspectives in our series of contributions on “Open Data” and “Open Government”.

Learn more about the Open Data publications

KAS

Digital platform companies are the big so-called “gatekeepers” on the digital markets. Yet it is not Europe that is successful here, but Asian and American companies for the most part. The seven most valuable companies worldwide either come from the USA or China. Europe is in great danger of not keeping apace with the rest of the world. To ensure that this does not happen, we are intensively addressing competition policy questions on topics such as data economy or Industry 4.0. The publications of our publication project on competition policy in the digital world aim to contribute towards this and demonstrate corresponding recommendations for action.

Learn more about the publications on digital competition policy

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V.

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s Science Network is an independent working group with experienced experts from the fields of science and science management. The network primarily looks at questions surrounding the framework conditions that universities need for their research, teaching and continuing education so as to provide high-quality research results and develop useful innovations. The outcomes of discussions are published in policy papers at irregular intervals.

Learn more about publications of the Science Network

With the “Hidden Innovators” campaign, we want to shed light on the people behind innovations. We have therefore encouraged you via social media you to show us your ideas and innovations and to start a discussion with us about this. We received submissions from all over the world and presented eight of the best and most interesting projects in several video contributions.

Learn more about the Hidden Innovators campaign

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In addition to its current hype, the term metaverse is always accompanied by considerable scepticism. Yet the technologies used for this are not at all new. The idea is to make it possible to virtually experience and walk through 3D worlds, which are already being used today - for example in video games. The idea has the potential to initiate a new and possibly the final stage of digitalisation. That is why we have dedicated a separate overview page to this exciting topic area, where we show which other application scenarios already exist, which are conceivable in the future and what requirements this entails for the digital infrastructure.

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KAS

With the “Social Market Economy” doctoral programme, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung presents doctoral candidates with an exciting study and research opportunity. It intends to stimulate the academic debate on basic principles of the social market economy, and inspire its creative further development against the background of current challenges for politics, society and the economy.

The dissertation topics should make a significant scientific contribution to understanding the social market economy model, and demonstrate practical relevance. The fellows are supervised by the Academic Advisory Board and undergo an accompanying curriculum comprising doctoral seminars on the basics of the social market economy and regulatory thinking as well as on economic policy.

Learn more about the “Social Market Economy” doctoral programme

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V.

The learning laboratory of our Adenauer Campus, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s digital learning platform, provides teachers, pupils as well as politically interested people with a broad range of teaching and learning opportunities. In addition to exciting learning content, there are also classroom exercises on the topic of the social market economy. We invite all interested people to take a closer look at our free and interactive offers.

Learn more about the Adenauer Campus learning lab

KAS

With the Social Market Economy Prize, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung honours personalities who champion the preservation, realisation and further development of the social market economy. When selecting the winners, the jury places special emphasis on those who exhibited a high degree of independence and individual responsibility or have made an important contribution to the justice of our economic and social system.

Find out more about the Social Market Economy Prize