Disruptive innovations and policy responses: self-production, insects as food, flying sensors, graphene & others

Facilitating the creation of co-working spaces and virtual collaborative platforms is crucial for the maker movement. Co-working spaces, Fab Labs and makerspaces allow people with common interests to come together, increasing access to manufacturing infrastructure which was previously confined to manufacturing companies. Digital platforms also enable individuals to more easily connect and share ideas and
resources fuelling the maker movement. These networks in turn influence others to become makers themselves. But to fully take of more infrastructure, both physical and
virtual, is needed.
The policy challenge of promoting new protein sources lies on both the supply and the demand side. This new protein sources industry is today being held back by a restrictive and unclear EU regulatory environment. The lack of clear position at the EU level on the classification of insects and algae as Novel Foods results in a legislative ambiguity across Member States. Most particularly, the use of insect proteins in feed is being hindered by the lack of precision in defining the scope of the regulations. On the other hand marketing and persuading customers and consumers to shift to these
new sources of protein remains a challenge.
Boosting the civil UAV market could lead to job creation and new innovative applications in various sectors. The EU established the main principles that should govern UAVs development in Europe as from 2016 onwards within the Riga Declaration. Moreover, in recent years, some 10 Member States have issued partial
regulation allowing limited civil UAVs operations. But more can be done do help this sector to grow.