Researchers in Europe are working to counter potential risks from nanomaterials used by a range of industries for technological advances. By Tom Cassauwers While others might dream big, Dr Otmar Schmid dreams small. That’s because he works on nanomaterials, which are so tiny they’re invisible to the naked eye. Demand around the world for nanomaterials … Read more
Touch sensations are improving to help sectors like healthcare and manufacturing, while other advances are being driven by the gaming industry. By HELEN MASSY-BERESFORD Imagine a single technology that could help a robot perform safety checks at a nuclear plant, cure a person’s arachnophobia and simulate the feeling of a hug from a distant relative. Welcome … Read more
As Europe turns increasingly to clean sources of energy, EU researchers are on a quest to make hydrogen from solar rays and heat. By TOM CASSAUWERS In July 2023, when southern Europe endured an unprecedented heatwave with temperatures soaring to around 45 °C, a particular place in Spain got much hotter without becoming headline news. The … Read more
As the number of objects launched into orbit grows, the EU is working to prevent debris from getting out of hand. By GARETH WILLMER An upsurge in worldwide rocket and satellite launches into space means collisions are an increasing danger that EU research projects are seeking to curb. The number of satellites in space may exceed … Read more
Heat pumps in buildings are in focus as the EU slashes emissions and boosts clean energy. By HELEN MASSY-BERESFORD At the foot of the mountains of western Italy between the cities of Turin and Cuneo, Europe recently took a step forward in a campaign to provide homes with clean energy as part of the fight against … Read more
EU manufacturers are increasingly embracing digital technologies to improve agility. By HELEN MASSY-BERESFORD A plant that makes electric shavers in the northern Dutch town of Drachten is gearing up for a test meant to help European industry thrive in increasingly competitive international markets. The plant run by consumer-electronics company Philips is part of a research project … Read more