Sophie Roupetz, Gerhard Janser and Josef Manola report from England, Germany and Spain – on March 1st at 9:20 p.m. on ORF 2
Vienna (OTS) – It wasn’t that long ago that Europe was a supplier of innovation and exported technical know-how to the world. At the turn of the millennium, European corporations were still at the forefront in many areas. Nokia was once the top dog in the global cell phone market until the Finns missed the smartphone trend. The European failures now range from rail to data transport to mobile communications. Are we losing touch with the world when it comes to technological progress? Under the title “Test of Patience. Is Europe sleeping through the future?” report in the ORF correspondent magazine “WeltWeit” on Friday, March 1, 2024, at 9:20 p.m. on ORF 2 Sophie Roupetz, Gerhard Janser and Josef Manola from England, Germany and Spain:
In England, the birthplace of the steam locomotive, Sophie Roupetz encounters angry commuters who are literally left behind. Outdated train carriages, overpriced ticket prices and constant delays determine their everyday lives. The British government has just buried Europe’s largest infrastructure project due to cost reasons. The planned express train route would have economically revitalized the lagging north of England. Also speaking are residents who had to hastily evacuate their houses to allow for the construction of tracks, and experts who find it difficult to explain the political failure.
In Germany, Gerhard Janser ends up in a dead zone even on international rail routes. Commuters are stranded in no man’s land, people in rural areas complain about poor cell phone reception and companies still prefer to send a fax instead of an email. Due to tough bureaucracy and sleepy reforms, the powerful industrial nation Germany is increasingly coming to the bottom of the pack in Europe.
Spain, on the other hand, stands out when it comes to digitalization and is far ahead of Germany and Austria in a European comparison. Josef Manola asks agricultural businesses what digitalization is good for and whether it is also useful in saving fertilizer and pesticides. Can automated irrigation systems make a difference in the fight against water scarcity? And will Spain succeed in slowing the rural exodus with broadband internet and co-working?