Research

Making a Step Change: Transforming the European Administration to Deliver 21st Century Public Service

In 2018-2019, 12 students from the College of Europe (Manuel Marín González Promotion) were competitively selected to take part in a year-long competition. Divided into three teams, they analysed the challenges of three European public sector administrations and proposed forward-looking recommendations on how to tackle them.

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Co-Creation of Public Services: How and Why?

“Co-creation” and “design thinking” are trendy themes – the topic of innumerable conferences and a growing number of academic papers. But how do we turn co-creation into a reality for Europe’s 508 million citizens? In Co-Creation of Public Services: Why and How, a new policy brief, co-authors Francesco Mureddu and David Osimo propose a ten-step roadmap for delivering genuinely user-centric digital government, arguing that it is time to put co-creation at the core of government functioning. The policy brief builds on research findings and cutting-edge analysis developed at the “Understanding Value Co-Creation in Public Services for Transforming European Public Administrations” project, or Co-VAL, a 12-partner research consortium, co-funded by the European Union, and in which the Lisbon Council is a member. The policy brief was launched at the High-Level Summit on ‘Co-Creation’ and ‘Design Thinking’ in Brussels.

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A Roadmap for a Fair Data Economy

The General Data Protection Regulation has been in effect for almost one year. The far-sighted regulation – devised well before scandals involving Cambridge Analytica, Exactis or Marriott Starwood Hotels – has made Europe a global leader in the data-regulation field. But what about the other side of the coin? How can Europe use its home-grown advantage in building effective regulation to transform itself into a true global leader in the highly competitive field of advanced data analytics and data-driven services and business models? In this policy brief, Luukas K. Ilves, deputy director and senior fellow, and David Osimo, director of research, propose A Roadmap for a Fair Data Economy, a timely look at the steps Europe needs to take to deepen its lead and build on an already strong foundation. The policy brief was developed by The Lisbon Council, in collaboration with The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra.

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Why Quality of Public Finance Matters in Europe

In a new policy brief released as finance ministers gather in Brussels for the 21-22 January eurogroup/ecfin meetings, Chief Economist Alessandro Leipold calls for a dramatic increase in the role and political attention awarded to a vital but crucial policy lever: the quality of public finance. Drawing on recent research from the OECD, a 10-year European Commission investigation into the role and importance of public finance as well as the conclusions of The 2018 Euro Summit, convened by the Lisbon Council in December 2018, Chief Economist Leipold explains the increasing importance of improved performance across the eurozone/EU in this decisive area. With total public revenue and spending averaging 46% to 47% of gross domestic product in euro area countries, the quality of its composition matters much more than the decimal over-run of any deficit (or surplus). He proposes a five-point programme for better eurozone governance to eurogroup/EU finance ministers.

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Digital Europe: A European Agenda for the Digital-9+

In a new discussion paper, President and Co-founder Paul Hofheinz and Deputy Director and Senior Fellow Luukas K. Ilves take a look at the coming challenge – and strategic advantage – for a renewed European digital agenda under the incoming European Commission. The discussion paper looks at three key tests Europe faces: 1) An incomplete single market; 2) an incomplete digital society, and 3) the absence of global digital champions coming from within Europe and proposes an Eight-Point Action Plan for the European institutions and the incoming European Commission. Among the key recommendations are “complete the single market,” upgrade the digital AND the single-market dossiers in a commission restructuring, use co-creation and “design thinking” in policymaking and commit to an “Every European Digital” programme to end Europe’s digital divide.

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Responsible, Safe and Secure Artificial Intelligence

(TALLINN, Estonia) – The Lisbon Council launches Responsible, Safe and Secure Artificial Intelligence, a new policy brief, in the margins of the Tallinn Digital Summit which convenes in the Estonian capital today in the presence of Jüri Ratas, prime minister of Estonia. Deputy Director and Senior Fellow Luukas K. Ilves presented the five-point framework to an afternoon plenary made up of state-level delegations from 15 countries, including Japan, Singapore and South Korea. The paper looks at the challenge and opportunity of artificial intelligence, and proposes concrete steps for ensuring its safe, equitable and secure deployment.

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