The Sound of Economics

Artificial intelligence and automation are increasing in role, and no industry is immune. From doctors to gig workers, advances in AI are becoming a key determinant of job quality. This week on The Sound of Economics, Giuseppe Porcaro is joined by Laura Nurski and Mia Hoffmann, to discuss how technology affects work, whether good or bad, and what should we take into consideration for the future?This podcast was produced within the project “Future of Work and Inclusive Growth in Europe“, with the financial support of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. Relevant Publications:https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/german-facebook-probe-links-data-protection-and-competition-policy | German Facebook probe links data protection and competition policy https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/uber-and-economic-impact-sharing-economy-platforms | Uber and the economic impact of sharing economy platforms https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/economic-value-personal-data-online-platforms-firms-and-consumers | The economic value of personal data for online platforms, firms and consumers https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/rise-sharing-economy-indonesia | The rise of the sharing economy in Indonesia https://www.bruegel.org/comment/european-union-course-become-big-loser-global-tech-race | Is the European Union on course to become the big loser in the global tech race? https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/practical-arrangement-cooperation-between-digital-economy-regulators | A practical arrangement for cooperation between digital economy regulators https://www.bruegel.org/working-paper/market-power-and-artificial-intelligence-work-online-labour-markets | Market power and artificial intelligence work on online labour markets https://www.bruegel.org/podcast/technology-product-unequal-power | Technology: a product of unequal power? https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/opening-digital-platforms-and-reducing-anticompetitive-risks | Opening up digital platforms and reducing anticompetitive risks https://www.bruegel.org/working-paper/platform-mergers-and-antitrust-0 | Platform mergers and antitrust https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/self-employment-covid-19-and-future-work-knowledge-workers | Self-employment, COVID-19, and the future of work for knowledge workers https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/regulating-big-tech-digital-markets-act | Regulating big tech: the Digital Markets Act https://www.bruegel.org/working-paper/platform-mergers-and-antitrust | Platform mergers and antitrust https://www.bruegel.org/working-paper/digital-platforms-and-antitrust | Digital platforms and antitrust https://www.bruegel.org/report/effect-digitalization-energy-consumption-passenger-transport-analysis-future-scenarios | The effect of digitalization in the energy consumption of passenger transport: An analysis of future scenarios for Europe https://www.bruegel.org/policy-brief/bridging-divide-new-evidence-about-firms-and-digitalisation | Bridging the divide: new evidence about firms and digitalisation https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/work-protection-digital-age-towards-new-social-contract | Work Protection in the Digital Age: Towards a new social contract https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/era-digitalisation-single-market-needs-software-update | In an era of digitalisation, the Single Market needs a software update https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/breaking-big-companies-and-market-power-concentration | Breaking up big companies and market power concentration https://www.bruegel.org/report/vertical-restraints-and-e-commerce | Vertical restraints and e-commerce https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/how-e-commerce-reshapes-markets-and-firms-strategies | How e-commerce reshapes markets and firms’ strategies https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/big-data-and-first-degree-price-discrimination | Big data and first-degree price discrimination https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/industrial-internet-will-transform-policymaking | The industrial internet will transform policymaking https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/apple-discord | The Apple of Discord https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/new-eu-net-neutrality-guidelines-are-pragmatic-next-step | New EU net neutrality guidelines are a pragmatic next step https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/european-e-commerce-needs-better-visibility-cross-border-delivery-prices | European e-commerce needs better visibility into cross-border delivery prices https://www.bruegel.org/policy-brief/e-commerce-europe-parcel-delivery-prices-digital-single-market | E-commerce in Europe: parcel delivery prices in a digital single market https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/e-commerce-opportunity-growth-europe-people-and-business | E-commerce: an opportunity for growth in Europe, for people and business https://www.bruegel.org/policy-brief/better-pensions-european-unions-self-employed | Better pensions for the European Union’s self-employed https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/inclusive-european-union-must-boost-gig-workers-rights | An inclusive European Union must boost gig workers’ rights https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/making-antitrust-work-not-against-gig-workers-and-self-employed | Making antitrust work for, not against, gig workers and the self-employed https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/which-platforms-will-be-caught-digital-markets-act-gatekeeper-dilemma | Which platforms will be caught by the Digital Markets Act? The ‘gatekeeper’ dilemma https://www.bruegel.org/policy-brief/policies-support-self-employed-labour-markets-future | Policies to support the self-employed in the labour markets of the future

Drawing lessons from the ongoing shortages in chip supply, the United States, China and the European Union are adopting industrial policies to secure semiconductor supply chains as well as economic and technological competitiveness. The EU Chips Act, announced in February 2022, represents a real break in Europe's industrial policy. Are semiconductors the new oil? The answer might be more complicated than just yes or no. Giuseppe Porcaro, Niclas Poitiers and Pauline Weil unpack the economics and geopolitics behind the Chips Act. Relevant publications:Briefings de l'Ifri, Fishing for Chips: Assessing the EU Chips Act Poitiers, N. and P. Weil (2022) ‘Is the EU Chips Act the right approach?’, Bruegel Blog, 2 JunePoitiers, N. and P. Weil (2022) ‘Opaque and ill-defined: the problems with Europe’s IPCEI subsidy framework’, Bruegel Blog, 26 JanuaryPoitiers, N. and P. Weil (2021) 'A new direction for the European Union’s half-hearted semiconductor strategy', Policy Contribution 17/2021, Bruegel

With the winter on the horizon, it is more important than ever for Europe to be independent in energy. Russian gas cuts, sanctions and embargoes have put the EU in a tough spot, where a trade-off had to be made between energy needs and actions against Russia. In this episode of the Sound of Economics, Bruegel’s interim Director Maria Demertzis is joined by Bruegel's Ben McWilliams, Simone Tagliapietra and Georg Zachmann to discuss the future of European energy independence, what needs to be done and its implications for sustainable goals.

Since its announcement in 2013, BRI has only grown in economic and political relevance. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns, the mega project is at a standstill. Is the scope and ambition of BRI permanently shaped? In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Giuseppe Porcaro is joined by Alicia García-Herrero and Xue Gong, to discuss the context, present, and future of BRI in relation to the pandemic and foreign relations. This episode is part of the ZhōngHuá Mundus series of The Sound of Economics. ZhōngHuá Mundus is a newsletter by Bruegel, bringing you monthly analysis of China in the world, as seen from Europe. Sign up now to receive it in your mailbox!

As his time as Bruegel Director comes to an end, Guntram Wolff sits down with Giuseppe Porcaro to discuss the highs, lows and shifts of economic policy in Europe over the past decade and Bruegel's contribution in an effort to improve it, from the euro area sovereign debt crisis, migration to Brexit, geoeconomics, the climate urgency and COVID-19.Relevant publications and events: Policy contribution, What kind of European banking union? Blueprint, EU-IMF assistance to euro area countries: an early assessment Event, Resolving the European debt crisis External publication, Europe after Brexit: A proposal for a continental partnership Policy contribution, Redefining Europe’s economic sovereignty Policy brief, The threats to the European Union’s economic sovereignty Policy contribution, The geopolitics of the European Green Deal Policy contribution, An effective economic response to the Coronavirus in Europe External publication, A Global Deal for Our Pandemic Age

Sri Lanka is experiencing an episode of political and economic instability the country has not seen since the civil war. The growing anti-government sentiment, the power struggle between the Parliament and the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, mixed with the economic situation has reached a boiling point, and an outbreak of riots and protests in the streets. In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Giuseppe Porcaro is joined by Bruegel Senior fellow Alicia García-Herrero, and Asanga Abeyagoonasekera, international security and geopolitics analyst and strategic advisor from Sri Lanka, to discuss the crisis in Sri Lanka, its relation to China's BRI, and to understand its consequences for Europe, China, as well as the world. This episode is part of the ZhōngHuá Mundus series of The Sound of Economics.ZhōngHuá Mundus is a newsletter by Bruegel, bringing you monthly analysis of China in the world, as seen from Europe. Sign up now to receive it in your mailbox!

Guntram Wolff invites Bruegel veteran Alessio Terzi to talk about his recently published book ‘Growth for good’, which lays out an agenda to enroll capitalism in the fight against climate catastrophe. With Diane Coyle, they take a deep dive into the book and share their view on the growth or degrowth debate.

In this episode of the Sound of Economics Live, Bruegel Director Guntram Wolff hosts Ľubica Karvašová (Prime Minister’s office Slovakia), Alexander Duleba (Research Centre of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association), and André Sapir to debate a proposal by the Slovak government to aid Ukraine’s accession to the EU. Check our special podcast series, War in Ukraine, which reflect on the implications of Russia’s war in Ukraine in EU energy storage, macroeconomic implications, international finance system and more.

Alexander Gabuev joins Bruegel’s Giuseppe Porcaro and Alicia García-Herrero to discuss China’s ambiguous stance towards Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, how this impact China’s relationship with other countries and if Russia is becoming more dependent on China.This episode is part of the ZhōngHuá Mundus series of The Sound of Economics.ZhōngHuá Mundus is a newsletter by Bruegel, bringing you monthly analysis of China in the world, as seen from Europe. Sign up now to receive it in your mailbox!

European leaders have finally agreed on a Russian oil embargo. What are the implications? How long will it take to enforce and what should be the next steps? Bruegel’s Giuseppe Porcaro is joined by MEP Luis Garicano, Simone Tagliapietra and Georg Zachmann to talk sanctioning Russia.