21 must-read stories for the weekend

Private data in the EU will be worth €1 trillion by 2020. Legislation on the ‘right to be forgotten’ could transfer much of that from companies as a windfall for citizens.

Many nations have vibrant start-up scenes. Now comes the hard part – freeing them from regulation, lack of finance, and skills gaps.

Eradicating poverty is one of 17 global goals to be agreed next week at the UN General Assembly. Over-ambitious? Not if we’re prepared to shift power, argues Oxfam’s Executive Director.

As Syrian refugees vote with their feet, public opinion is moving faster than politicians. Is this a tipping point in Europe’s humanitarian crisis?

Innovation can unlock global growth. But it’s disruptive. Tackling the factors that breed resistance to change may be just as important.

Beijing’s engagement with trade initiatives is good news. It might even unlock long-stalled trade talks.

Many of China’s tech giants aren’t yet household names. As its economy shifts the emphasis to innovation, that could soon change.

A rapidly ageing population is straining China’s support systems. Big Data to the rescue?

Podcast: Broadening China’s economy at a time of unprecedented technological change

More articles and videos on China in this week’s special report.

Hurdles ahead along the “New Silk Road”. Forum writers on how it can achieve $2.5tn in additional annual trade over the next 10 years. (Financial Times)

China bears “are worrying too much”. Confidence in China’s economy needs a boost, and Premier Li Keqiang addressed the situation head on in Dalian. (Quartz)

To support its new citizens, Germany needs to reform. The EU’s biggest economy has accepted large numbers of refugees, now it needs to set itself on a path to sustainable growth, says Forum chief economist Jennifer Blanke. (Deutsche Welle)

How can killer snails improve the state of the world? By stopping cancer cells in their tracks. Biologist Mande Holford, a Forum Young Scientist, explains how it works. (Scientific American)

“You must be pro-equity to be pro-growth”. Inclusive growth buttresses economies, it doesn’t beat them down, says Forum economist Gemma Corrigan, citing our Inclusive Growth and Development Report 2015. (Huffington Post)

Welcome to the end of the global oversupply of labour. Real wages may begin to rise. And robots might need to take more jobsfaster than we thought.

Syrians are a small minority of those seeking refuge in Germany. “It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that tens of thousands of people from relatively peaceful countries have joined the trek to Germany”.

Walls are one way countries keep people out. But it isn’t effective, or economically sensible.

A closer look at China’s economic data. More transparency would strengthen credibility.

Technology rewarding exercise? One health insurer is experimenting with using digital pedometers. It could mean lower premiums for working out.

Star Trek economics? A future utopia may be closer than we think.

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Author: Adrian Monck is Managing Director and head of Public Engagement at the World Economic Forum.

Image: Women walk near the glass floor area constructed as a view point on 37th floor of the China Central Television (CCTV) Tower next to construction sites in Beijing’s central business district, June 11, 2015. REUTERS/Jason Lee