Blog
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The “Winning Cards” in the Digital Era: Internet, Smart Devices, and Online Network Services
It was the “Walkman” which transformed Sony from a relatively unknown small company in the 1970s to the prominent global giant that we know today. Given its popular reputation, it is remarkable...
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Can Europe Shape the Peaceful Rise of China? Working through the AIIB
The old adage was that the future of Asia would be Europe’s past, yet Europe’s role in the region’s future has often been given little consideration. The rise of China and its implications for...
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Beyond Geo-blocking: “Gangnam Style” is not just for Gangnam
“Gangnam Style” by Psy has been a seemingly unstoppable musical force around the world. With over 2.5 billion clicks (as of February 2016) this song has been YouTube's most watched video since...
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The WTO Ministerial Conference in Nairobi – What are the Results?
The 10th Ministerial Conference of the WTO finished on Saturday night in Nairobi with a package of agreements the WTO itself calls “historic”. Considering that some believed that the WTO was...
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A Race Against Time: New Data Protection Rules in the Internet Era
It was about time. Pre-internet rules on data protection were not fit for our new interconnected reality. The core institutions of the European Union have finally set in stone an agreement which...
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Cultural Industries: Europe, Look East!
There is a fascinating twist in the current European debate on cultural industries and the Single Digital Market: it has been dominated by the transatlantic dimension. Europeans are still measuring...
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Wrestling with or Embracing Digitization?
Vincent Van Gogh is regarded as one of the greatest artists and his paintings are some of the world’s most expensive. However, while he was alive he only sold one piece, The Red Vineyard near...
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Realpolitik in ISDS Reform: Will the Commission’s Proposal get us Anywhere?
Things for the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism are not looking good lately. The system has been strongly criticised by civil society and representatives of governments all over the...
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Who Did not See the Migration Crisis Coming?
This infographic documents the European migration crisis during 2015. In 2014 the migrant flow had been mainly from Africa through Libya across the Mediterranean into Italy; but in contrast in 2015...
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Welcome to North Korea! Prospects on the Economic Impact of Kim Jong-un’s International Tourist Zones
The tourism industry may not seem like the most promising area for development in North Korea given its negative reputation abroad and limited international access. Yet Kim Jong-un has recently...