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Growth in the marine sector is welcome, but needs to be sensitively managed; we shouldn’t put wind turbines in fishing grounds. Investing in seabed mapping technology will ensure resources are used in a sustainable way, says Maria do Céu Patrão Neves, MEP

The successful integration of renewables could cut Europe’s energy bill by as much as €50 billion annually, says Goran Strbac, professor of electrical energy systems at Imperial College London. First, however, the market must start rewarding investment in flexible power generation, demand-side response and energy storage.

Subsidies for renewable energies should be progressively eliminated where they distort competition, Director-General Dominique Ristori tells Science|Business

In response to the latest IPCC report, Mary Ritter, CEO of Climate-KIC, the EU’s public-private partnership, highlights the major efforts that are under way to tackle climate change. Collaboration is the route to addressing this threat, she says

EU’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) counts 459 smart grid initiatives in its yearly stock-taking report

Output from photovoltaics rises by 34 per cent in 2013, but changes in incentive programmes mean Europe loses ground

Plant biologist Peter Olesen to succeed Alexander von Gabain in August 2014

There’s a long tradition of offering scientists prize money to solve specific problems. After making the first such payment – of €2M for a way of preserving vaccines without refrigeration - the EU is planning more prize give-aways

Software apps have risen from nowhere to support 1.8 million jobs and deliver revenues of €17.5 B in 2013. But more could be done to support this vibrant sector, with skills shortages being a particular worry, says John Breslin, project director at Eurapp

Smart specialisation roadmaps will make better use of EU structural funding and break the old habit of thinking on a project-by-project basis

Despite a challenging market environment, the 16 European energy utilities analyzed in the ESMT Innovation Index increased their aggregate R&D budget by 3 per cent between 2010 and 2012.

Energy trade negotiations hold promise for investment and innovation, but doubt lies under the surface

Temporary backstop of funding to be made available for Swiss researchers disadvantaged by lack of full membership in Horizon 2020

Matthias Kaiserswerth, head of the European research headquarters of the IT company IBM, reflects on some ways Europe could improve its approach to innovation and calls for the creation of a single set of rules for research

Technical standard-setting is painstaking but necessary. But is it possible to devise a more flexible, dynamic system for agreeing standards to keep pace with changing technologies? A panel, organised by the Science|Business Innovation Board, discussed this at the Innovation Convention 2014