The EPN Consulting Newsletter - 071 - July 2016
Editorial
Dear Colleague,

Last week I read an article published on 12 July 2016 online by the Fortune magazine: "Another Tesla Motors Car Crashed while in Autopilot". 
This fact made me think of whether automated cars may or may not be reliable. As a matter of fact, one Tesla car was already involved in a fatal accident early May 2016 and in that case the company stated that one accident after running 200 million kms of tests could be acceptable.

The first things to be noticed is that Tesla cars are not automated cars "per se" but they become automated after downloading a piece of software. Maybe the software needs improvements?
I don't know but it can be that a vehicle designed as automated/driver-less from the beginning - as the Google car - could be different from one that becomes automated after installing a software patch.

In the latest accident, the user stated that the autopilot failed to detect debris in the road while the car was travelling at 60 miles per hour (96 km/h). Tesla denied that the crash was caused by an autopilot failure but instead it was due by an incorrect driver's behaviour (more details in the article above).

Whatever real cause was (maybe it will come out more clearly in the future), the optimistic vision of automated, driver-less vehicles that can circulate safe in cities (someone speculated traffic lights would not be necessary anymore as automated cars will self-regulate the traffic) must be re-assessed and enthusiasms calmed down. Additional analyses, studies and tests certainly need being carried out. 
Insurance companies will also have to take into account whether a vehicle was originally designed as driver-less or it was upgraded so: such a nightmare...



EPN Consulting Ltd.
Founder, CEO


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EU
Horizon 2020 & other calls close to deadline

26 July 2016 - Deadline to submit proposals to the H2020-JTI-IMI2-2016-09-TWO-STAGE calls (Innovative Medicines Initiative - Stage 1)

25 Aug 2016 - Deadline to submit proposals to the H2020-CIP-01-2016 call (Prevention, Detection, Response and Mitigation of the Combination of Physical and Cyber Threats to the Critical Infrastructure of Europe)
30 Aug 2016 - Deadline to submit proposals to the H2020-SWAFS-2016 calls (Science with and for Society)
01 Sept 2016 - Deadline to submit proposals to the ERC-2016-ADG call (ERC Advanced Grant)
06 Sept 2016 - Deadline of No. 7 Horizon 2020 calls. Visit our Events Section for more details

Go to the Events Section
The High-Tech Villages that live off the grid  

20 June 2016 - It's expected that 70% of the world's population will live in urban areas by 2050. More and more people are moving away from their small farming communities to join the hustle and bustle of a big city.

But what if living off the grid doesn't have to be the same as living below the high-tech urban standards? An urban life means a costly life. Not just in terms of personal finances but also in terms of overall energy and food consumption. On the other hand, farming is a big driver of deforestation and loss of biodiversity, and it's using 70% of global water consumption. The livestock industry is the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, contributing to almost 30% of emissions.

That's where the new eco-villages that are being built in the Netherlands this summer come in.

The Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2016

23 June 2016 - A diverse range of breakthrough technologies, including batteries capable of providing power to whole villages, "socially aware" artificial intelligence and new generation solar panels, could soon be playing a role in tackling the world's most pressing challenges, according to a list published (PDF) by the World Economic Forum.

The Top 10 Emerging Technologies 2016 list, compiled by the Forum's Meta-Council on Emerging Technologies and published in collaboration with Scientific American, highlights technological advances its members believe have the power to improve lives, transform industries and safeguard the planet.It also provides an opportunity to debate any human, societal, economic or environmental risks and concerns that the technologies may pose prior to widespread adoption.

Read more
EU
Green light for EUR 6.7bn Investment in Transport Projects

08 July 2016 - The EU Member States formally approved the list of 195 Transport projects (PDF) that will receive €6.7 billion of EU funding under the 2015's calls for proposals of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).

This list had been put forward by the Commission on 17 June. Along with the Commission's Investment Plan, the CEF is instrumental in bridging the investment gap in Europe and stimulate the EU's economy.

The investment confirmed today by the Member States will unlock additional public and private co-financing for a combined amount of €9.6 billion and is expected to create up to 100,000 jobs by 2030.
 
Read more
EU
Innovation Performance compared: How Innovative is Your Country?

14 July 2016 - The main findings of three reports recently published are:

- Sweden is once more the EU innovation leader, followed by Denmark, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands

- In selected areas of innovation, the EU leaders are: Sweden= human resources and quality of academic research; Finland= financial framework conditions; Germany= private investment in innovation; Belgium= innovation networks and collaboration; and Ireland= innovation in small and medium-sized companies

- The fastest growing innovators are Latvia, Malta, Lithuania, the Netherlands and the UK.

Over the next two years the EU's innovation performance is expected to improve. A majority of companies plan to maintain or increase the level of investment in innovation over the next year. 

- Businesses in Romania, Malta and Ireland are the most likely to increase their investment in innovation next year.
 
Read more
EPN Consulting Limited

EPN Consulting News  




On 21 June 2016 in London EPN Consulting attended The Future Works Europe 2016, event
organised by The Economist Group, dedicated to the analysis of the changing world of work.

The Summit debates focused on how organisational design is evolving through the digital revolution and how leadership and management models need to change in response to the new generations of workers and leaders.

Political and industry leaders analysed the broader economic and political outlook in Europe and applied their key findings to the labour market and how this will influence decision making from board level through to those directly involved in human resources, training and talent management.


NEW - Next 19 Sept and 28 Sept 2016 EPN Consulting will attend in Brussels the Horizon 2020 Info Days on Energy Efficiency and Smart, Green and Integrated Transport respectively. If you plan to attend either of them please be in touch

people_at_conference.jpg
Upcoming Professional Events in Europe

until 22 July 2016 - London (UK) - FIN+INN - FINTECHWEEK LONDON 2016
23-27 July 2016 - Manchester (UK) - INN - ESOF 2016
07-09 Sept 2016 - Berlin (DE) - ENV+ICT - EGG 2016+ - Electronics Goes Green
14-15 Sept 2016 - Lyon (FR) - ENE+ENV - HYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENT: EUROPE 2016
16-22 Sept 2016 - Europe - ENV+EUP+TRA - EMW 2016 - European Mobility Week


The Website of the Month:
NETWERC H2O


The Network for Water in European Regions and Cities - NETWERC H2O - is an association of European municipal and regional governments whose objective is the promotion and development of sustainable practices related to the management of water.

Founded by universities, research centres and various European, Middle Eastern and American bodies, NETWERC H2O is a channel of communication, a forum for the exchange and publicising of experiences as well as a platform for the creation of European and transatlantic projects.

If a public administration believes that water is of vital importance, NETWERC H2O will be an essential instrument to support the creation and implementation of local policies.


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