Inline Insights

For all that some of the media (in the UK at least) enjoy stirring the pot about the unsuitability of renewables projects because of their impact on the landscape, on local communities, etc, investors and the finance sector will tell you that is policy direction and regulatory stability which counts.

The way in which people listen to music has been fundamentally changed by digital technology. The rapid growth in music streaming, in particular, has led some even to argue that it could destroy the music industry entirely. Regulators are having to deal with this digital shift as copyright rules, and other associated regulations, were often designed decades ago. The pace of technological change can also mean that even when regulation is updated, it can quickly become out-of-step with the latest advancements. The disruption is huge, as are the headaches for regulators and policy makers.

The questions of who will occupy the top jobs on environment and energy in Brussels over the next five years, particularly in the European Parliament (EP) and in the European Commission, will matter greatly. There is a big policy agenda ahead, coming at a testing time for European policies on energy markets and security of supply, which will have price implications for industry and consumers, and the decarbonisation strategy.

The sharing economy makes headlines daily: from anti-Uber protests across Europe to Airbnb's recent £5.9bn valuation, new start-ups entering the private sector are offering more things to share (or rent, swap, borrow or barter) and more ways to do so.

In recent weeks there have been numerous regulatory developments in the peer-to-peer car sector. The ongoing regulatory battles of Uber and Lyft, in particular, are grabbing the headlines and have illustrated how this is an area in which the regulatory environment is far from settled. The disruptive business models of such companies, all underpinned by advances in technology, are forcing policy makers to adapt regulatory frameworks which were often put in place decades ago.

About a year ago, Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos announced that Amazon were testing unmanned drones – called Octopers – to start delivering packages to customers in five years’ time. This announcement gave Amazon a PR boost; and was perhaps also initiated in the hope of raising awareness around businesses being given authorisation to use drones commercially.

According to the US drone industry, regulation is necessary for it to be profitable, as current regulations in most jurisdictions prevent unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from flying over densely populated areas.

The EU needs to make the single European energy market a reality. But to achieve this, it will need to concentrate more on incentivising investment, infrastructure and technical issues rather than on grand political gestures.

Last Thursday, Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) announced that it is not currently looking to regulate virtual currency. This is a significant announcement as there previously was uncertainty over how state officials, particularly in Japan, would react following the collapse of the leading Japanese Bitcoin exchange, Mt. Gox and the loss of over $420 million worth of Bitcoins. 

What was once considered a far-off fantasy is now fast becoming reality.  Robots will soon become an integral part of our working lives, and not just in traditional automotive sectors. Inevitably this will have far-reaching consequences for consumers, corporations and governments. This article looks at what is driving the commercialisation of robots, and how governments and corporates are responding.

The inaugural London Technology Week comes to a close today. Featuring over 200 events, the week-long showcase has shone a light on many of the innovative companies who are thriving in London. More broadly it has underlined the growing sense that London is fast becoming one of the leading tech centres in the world. Former Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, who joined London Mayor Boris Johnson in launching the event on Monday, went as far as declaring that London is now a real challenger to Silicon Valley. Beyond the fanfare, an important thread of this week has also been the growing discussion about the challenges which need to be addressed if London is to truly cement its place as a global tech leader.

From guns to body parts,3D printing technology has introduced a digital manufacturing revolution, which is already disrupting some of our well-established industries.

Companies are now able to print silicone, latex, ceramic, clay, play dough, Nutella, or icing sugar. In the medical field, 3D printing brings the ability to print replacement body parts, organs, skin and bones. NASA has recently purchased a 3D printer for the International Space Station in order to produce spare parts and other items, cutting transportation costs and improving safety. In China, a company has used large 3D printers to build 10 detached one-storey houses in just a day. However, technology is advancing faster than regulation. Very soon, regulators will need to consider the implications of the recent emergence of 4D printing.

Things may be looking up for the EU’s “flagship” climate policy instrument. But much more needs to be done from the autumn.

The development of driverless cars has seen a resurgence of interest of late. This is no doubt partly due to the publicity Google generated from trialling the concept. But how have regulators reacted to the idea of driverless cars. Will regulation stand in the way or facilitate this giant leap forward in transport innovation?

The Financial Times recently reported that the amount lent by peer-to-peer websites internationally was almost $3bn in 2013, up from around $100m in 2007. There has been an equally impressive growth in the estimated number of crowdfunding websites, which have grown from 1,100 to 2,700 in the last year alone.

Since being first released on the consumer market in 2005, the global e-cigarette market has been growing rapidly. In the United States, sales grew at an annual rate of 115 percent in the 2009-12 period. It is estimated that the global market could increase to $10 billion by 2017. Some analysts have gone as far as suggesting that e-cigarettes could be outselling conventional cigarettes within a decade.