Nothing will ever be the same. It’s hard not to share such a clear yet simple assessment of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the short span of a few weeks, indeed a few days, ordinary human activities were disrupted. The impact was immediate and particularly visible in cities where traffic frenzy and traffic jams were suddenly replaced by deserted streets and unreal silence.
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Up until not long ago, research and development efforts around autonomous driving focused on the vehicle. Automobile and technology companies disseminated their vision for futuristically designed vehicles wherein passengers could even sleep during their trips, and which would make mobility fully efficient, safe, clean, and equitable. Over time, following the involvement of other actors (researchers from different fields, administrations, traffic management centres, etc.) in autonomous mobility, this idealistic vision was discarded.
Over the last two years, global economy – and the EU’s in particular – has been shaken by two “black swans” in a row: Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine. After the impressive economic rebound in 2021, the conflict has already taken its economic toll: growth forecasts for 2022 and 2023 are heavily revised downwards, public debts are skyrocketing, and inflation is at 30-year high, and likely to keep rising.
Most of the developed world reacted to Russian government’s military operations in Ukraine with a prompt economic counteroffensive.
Foreign producers who have heavily invested in Russia over the past two decades – betting on Russia’s political stability, size, and access to the post-Soviet market - now face a hard choice: how to do business without losing face. Many are considering to go-in-between jurisdictions (Armenia, Kazakhstan, Serbia, etc.) to continue trading with Russia to circumvent sanctions.
Economic sanctions imposed by the EU against Russia aim at weakening Moscow’s economy by cutting it off trade flows with European countries. So far, six rounds of sanctions have been introduced, but have they been effective? Are they going to harm European economies as well, and to what extent? In the short term, Europe growth prospects will be affected; but in the medium to long run, it might be possible for the EU to strengthen its trade partnerships with other countries thanks to its extensive networks of Preferential Trade Agreements.
The war in Ukraine has raised fears of a major economic impact across the African continent, calling into question its post-pandemic recovery trajectory.
Regions such as the Horn of Africa and West Africa are particularly vulnerable to food crises and food insecurity, whose warning signs are growing globally.
However, the economic implications of the war are multifaceted: while new opportunities for partnerships in the energy sector are emerging, questions arise about the prospects for a green transition in the continent.
Since the war in Ukraine broke out in Europe, its consequences and side effects have been reverberating across African countries. Rising food and energy prices, supply disruptions, and inflationary pressures have created additional challenges on the road for a post-pandemic economic recovery the continent painstakingly embarked upon, in what UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called a 'perfect storm'.
The war in Ukraine has turned the European green deal into a cornerstone of the EU’s long-term security agenda. Europe is taking extraordinary measures to disconnect itself from Russian gas and to shield itself from the fallout of the conflict. It should think big, not small, and pursue more stable, secure, and ultimately strategic energy partnerships with its southern neighbours.
The green deal through a security lens“The answer to this concern for our security lies in renewable energy and diversification of supply”
Il conflitto rischia di causare una crisi alimentare globale. L’UE può esserne risparmiata, a patto di saper adottare una nuova visione geopolitica con i Paesi del vicinato.
Il cyberspazio è divenuto, a tutti gli effetti, un’arena per la competizione tra Stati. Questo ha determinato un forte aumento dei rischi e delle minacce informatiche a livello globale.