Sweden’s Social Democrats struggle in traditional blue-collar heartlands – POLITICO

Sweden’s Social Democrats struggle in traditional blue-collar heartlands – POLITICO

The party, which has dominated Swedish politics for a century, is now facing an alarming reality in old heartlands like Uddevalla, just over an hour’s drive north of Gothenburg on Sweden’s west coast: Blue-collar voters, and those who have come of age since the docklands’ heyday, have begun turning toward the political right for economic … Read more

Back off, Mario! Capitals do not like the taste of Draghi’s telecom medicine – POLITICO

Back off, Mario! Capitals do not like the taste of Draghi’s telecom medicine – POLITICO

Some capitals are also worried their own national champions might be the target of a takeover by a bigger European rival. “Operators of all sizes should have business opportunities in the single market and be able to benefit from and contribute to effective competition,” the document reads. Back off, Mario Draghi didn’t exactly win over … Read more

Stockholm urges Chinese ship suspected of sabotage to return to Swedish waters – POLITICO

Stockholm urges Chinese ship suspected of sabotage to return to Swedish waters – POLITICO

Denmark’s navy said it was shadowing the ship, which is currently anchored in international waters between Denmark and Sweden. “From the Swedish side, we have had contact with the ship and China and stated that we want the ship to move towards Swedish waters,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Tuesday, while stressing that he was … Read more

Finland urges NATO, EU to shield critical networks after undersea cables damaged – POLITICO

Finland urges NATO, EU to shield critical networks after undersea cables damaged – POLITICO

This marks the second time in a year that Baltic Sea infrastructure — which includes communications cables and energy pipelines such as Nord Stream — has been damaged, raising concerns over security and sabotage. Another telecom cable in the Baltic Sea between Lithuania and Sweden’s Gotland Island was damaged Sunday morning, telecom company Telia Lietuva, … Read more

Shenzhen’s soaring R&D spending rivals Beijing, dwarfs Hong Kong amid China’s tech drive

Shenzhen’s soaring R&D spending rivals Beijing, dwarfs Hong Kong amid China’s tech drive

China’s southern tech hub Shenzhen spent a record amount on research and development (R&D) last year, rivalling Beijing’s level and vastly exceeding that of neighbouring Hong Kong to cement its position as a national research mecca. Shenzhen’s R&D expenditure jumped to 223.66 billion yuan (US$30.93 billion) in 2023, surpassing the 200-billion-yuan mark for the first … Read more

What lawmakers should ask the EU’s new tech boss – POLITICO

What lawmakers should ask the EU’s new tech boss – POLITICO

— Q: Only 8 percent of European companies currently use AI, according to a report published in July. How do you want to reach the target of 75 percent by 2030? — Q: President von der Leyen instructed you to develop a “Cloud and AI development plan” to boost computing power and data storage to … Read more

How do we close Europe’s innovation gap? Start with advanced connectivity and a strong intellectual property rights framework  – POLITICO

How do we close Europe’s innovation gap? Start with advanced connectivity and a strong intellectual property rights framework  – POLITICO

Getting the IPR framework right now to unleash long-term innovation EU policies adopted in the next five years will be foundational for Europe’s innovative ecosystem to thrive in the long term, improving conditions for the next wave of intellectual property lifecycles that can take over a decade to bear fruit. A smart and strategic policy … Read more

Europe’s tech security czar-to-be faces China fight at home – POLITICO

Europe’s tech security czar-to-be faces China fight at home – POLITICO

“The total value of business in China for Finnish companies is estimated to be more than 20 billion euros per year,” a 2023 report from the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs said, which labeled China as “one of our most important trade partners.” “Chinese investments play the largest role in Finland compared to any other … Read more

Europe needs concrete action on connectivity policy – POLITICO

Europe needs concrete action on connectivity policy – POLITICO

Governments doing the right thing Signs are starting to emerge of policymakers moving in the right direction. Over the past year, there has been growing acceptance of the need to address the challenges facing the sector. Enrico Letta, former Italian prime minister, has called for the completion of the single market for telecoms, and asked … Read more

CRTC expanding competitor access to big fibre networks, but too soon to know price impact

CRTC expanding competitor access to big fibre networks, but too soon to know price impact

Canada’s telecommunications regulator is expanding a decision that allows smaller internet providers to use rivals’ fibre networks to offer their services to customers, but it’s too soon to say whether the move will lead to lower prices for Canadians. Starting in February, large telephone companies that own fibre internet networks — like Bell Canada and Telus … Read more