The current context demands proactive, thoughtful and purposeful action across multiple well-coordinated organisations, all working towards a shared vision of Europe’s future in the space domain.

The recent explosion of activity in space has been interpreted by some as evidence of a new or second ‘space race’. The term calls back to the initial period of intense competition between the US and USSR in space exploration and development during the Cold War.

Pandemics are as old as humanity, but while the increasing likelihood of future natural pandemics is certainly alarming, it is not the worst-case scenario; a natural pathogen could kill tens or hundreds of millions, a designed or adapted one could threaten civilization collapse, ushering in an engineered apocalypse.

From a legal perspective, the fact that cyber-related activities can escape regulatory control, accountability mechanisms, and move across borders is a serious concern. Not only is it rarely possible to attribute responsibility to a cyber attacker and their agent/client, but the potential for human rights violations is even greater.

What exactly do ‘emerging’ and ‘disruptive’ mean to the user? Within what context are these technologies emergent or disruptive? Which aspects of those labels are being emphasised as most central to the analysis? In what ways do the subjects under analysis fit the definition used, and in what ways do they not?

The military-strategic superiority requirement is creating increasing pressure and plunging states into an AI arms race, as was the case for nuclear weapons in the 20th century. As the military use of AI has become the focus of great power competition, governments around the globe are increasingly investing in research projects to enhance their armed forces’ combat capabilities by providing them with brand-new technological equipment, including autonomous weapons systems.

While there are obvious reasons that cause cybersecurity problems in the healthcare industry to be particularly burdensome during a pandemic, organizations should realize the importance of cybersecurity and lead the charge from within.