Artículos

Europe retains strong scientific capabilities, yet structural weaknesses continue to limit its ability to turn research into scalable businesses and global technological leadership. The challenge is not new, but the context is. The US and China are intensifying their technological competition, governments are tightening controls on scientific collaboration, and the AI race is raising the stakes of Europe’s innovation gap. The question is no longer simply how much to invest in research and development, but how to ensure those investments translate into economic impact.

Tourist taxes are often criticised for undermining the
competitiveness of destinations. However, in locations
experiencing overtourism, a well-designed tax can help ease
congestion, improve the quality of the visitor experience, and
support a gradual shift towards higher-value tourism.

The European experience shows that rent controls and demand
subsidies often produce short-term relief at the cost of longterm
distortions. In Spain, structural supply shortages and a
weak social housing stock continue to drive rising prices and
declining access.

Wealth inequality in Spain has intensified along both
intergenerational and intragenerational lines, driven largely by
housing market dynamics and uneven income trajectories since the
financial crisis. Looking ahead, demographic shifts will increase
the volume of wealth transferred across generations, but have the
potential to amplify, rather than reduce, existing disparities.

Half of all Spaniards under 35 who have left the parental home
now rent, with most living in large cities where demand is most
concentrated. High prices and limited supply are pushing many
to peripheral neighbourhoods and municipalities, while rent and
associated costs consume a growing share of household budgets.