All posts tagged: public-private partnerships

Guiding the EU’s quest for economic competitiveness – POLITICO

Guiding the EU’s quest for economic competitiveness – POLITICO

Published by skeptic

Given the stakes, Brussels policy circles are now abuzz with recipes for economic competitiveness. But beneath the surface, these appear to be driven by opposing ideological views: On the one hand, there’s the established liberal view, which sees free trade and competition policy as key for competitiveness, while perhaps acknowledging that the need for economic security may justify a higher degree of public intervention than usual. On the other hand, there’s the interventionist view, which pushes the need to overcome the established model in order to face the brave new world of geoeconomic and industrial competition. This means, state control of strategic industrial sectors, watering down competition policy and using trade policy instruments — like tariffs and foreign direct investment restrictions — to protect Europe’s market. This new debate is thus deeper, more complicated and more divisive than in previous incarnations. Competitiveness needs to be reconciled with the new challenges of today’s world, including economic security, decarbonization, shrinking fiscal space and economic nationalism in China, the U.S. and other trading partners. And for Europe to …

EU’s drug-busting ports alliance excludes Chinese-owned Piraeus – POLITICO

EU’s drug-busting ports alliance excludes Chinese-owned Piraeus – POLITICO

Published by skeptic

While Piraeus is not the main entry point for drugs to Europe, the decision to block it from the new ports alliance raises questions about the EU’s ability to guarantee security at critical infrastructure that are foreign-owned. Brussels also presented new measures and strategies to strengthen its economic security last week, including revamping FDI monitoring in critical sectors. The port authority of Piraeus did not respond to a request for comment. The Belgian Ministry for Interior Affairs, which co-hosted the alliance’s launch, reverted to the explanation on the invitees list when asked why Piraeus had not been invited. The new European Ports Alliance was jointly initiated by the Belgian government, which currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, to reinforce port security, combat corruption and stop illegal drugs from entering the Continent. The alliance will connect governments, EU officials, law enforcement, port authorities, shipping companies and terminal operators to share best practices in countering organized crime groups and drug trafficking. Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden, who chaired the launch, told POLITICO at the end of last …

Where Are All the Missing Students?

Where Are All the Missing Students?

Published by skeptic

In 2006, the School District of Philadelphia, in partnership with Microsoft, opened the School of the Future. The idea was simple enough: Establish a learning environment centered on technology—no textbooks, just laptops and Wi-Fi—that would provide students in relatively poor districts the same benefits that those in wealthier areas enjoyed. The district built a handsome, well-lit building and filled it with state-of-the-art trappings including electronic lockers and Italian-marble bathrooms. It was heralded as a path-defining achievement for public-private partnerships in education. Two years later, Michael Gottfried, now an economist at the University of Pennsylvania but then a graduate student there, was part of a team examining whether such a technological revolution actually made a difference in student achievement. But he soon realized that the technology was somewhat beside the point: “We were talking to a teacher [at the School of the Future] and she said, ‘Here’s the thing, we can talk all you want about smart boards and laptops per student and curriculum moving online, but I have a bigger problem: Half of my class …