Scenarios for 2020 amidst innovation and trade wars

The year which just went by came to a close with many innovations and a series of announcements that could cause 2020 to become a pivotal year.
Novelties include, for instance, the possibility of applying for support to industrial research and experimental development projects within the scope of the National Strategic Plan and the Space Economy Innovation Agreements, and, above all, the possibility to apply for Vouchers for Innovation Managers, a role with the task of supporting technological and digital transformation processes, preparing companies
to receive ideas coming from the outside world.
The measures announced for 2020 are described in greater detail in the in-depth article.
Regarding the international picture, the controversial issue of reciprocal tariffs between the US and China still stands.
The agreement being defined mainly concerns technology transfers, intellectual property, food and agricultural products, financial services and the expansion of trade.
According to official statements, the United States declared their willingness to lower tariffs on Chinese products. China reacted accordingly, announcing the suspension
of tariffs against the US.
At the same time, however, Beijing is aiming at digital self-sufficiency by 2022, stopping the introduction of software and PCs produced abroad in its public offices.
The European Union is looking on, but should a tariff war break out, European economies would be among the ones hit hardest because of their strong orientation to exports. This is why, as the Vice-President of the European Commission recently remarked, the EU must reaffirm the centrality of multilateral institutions as the venue where to resolve conflicts between countries.