European technological protectionism and the risk of moral isolationism: The case of quantum technology development

In this editorial, we engage with the European Commission's 2023 recommendation calling for risk assessment with Member States on four critical technology areas, including quantum technology. A particular emphasis is put on the risks associated with technology security and technology leakage. Such risks may lead to protectionist measures....

Co-creating the future through design-based education in innovation hubs

Creativity and innovation have become prominent in higher education curricula. Applying a design paradigm has been frequently used to build innovative and creative skills in graduates across different discipline domains. Besides the design approach, another element that is important to increase innovation in organizations and society involves...

Moving beyond Smart Cities: Digital Nations for Social Innovation & Sustainability

The next step after smart cities is the creation of digital or smart nations. A digital nation requires a national transformation across diverse institutions including the urban and rural areas of a society. Besides diverse social innovation initiatives, sustainability is a key aspect, so that rather than greenfield projects, long-term...

Social Innovation and the Energy Transition

The transition to low carbon energy systems cannot solely rely on technological innovation. It also requires social innovation. In the context of energy transition social innovation can be defined as innovation that is social in its means and which contributes to low carbon energy transition, civic empowerment and social goals pertaining to the...

Innovation in the European energy sector and regulatory responses to it: Guest editorial note

The European energy sector is an important economic sector that is also traditionally highly regulated. With the increasing tempo in which innovations in technology and markets occur, catalysed inter alia by the energy transition and accompanied by new formats of innovation (disruptive and bottom-up), the question arises whether existing...

The societal impact of the emerging quantum technologies: a renewed urgency to make quantum theory understandable

This paper introduces the special issue The societal impact of the emerging quantum technologies as a contribution to a more inclusive societal debate on quantum technologies. It brings together five contributions. Three are authored by quantum technology researchers who give explorations of the possible impacts of quantum technologies on...