Horizon Magazine

Guardians of the grid – protecting Europe’s electricity supply from cyber-attacks

by

EU-funded researchers are fortifying Europe’s electricity sector against increasingly sophisticated attacks by cybercriminals. By Michael Allen In the past decade, cyber-attacks on Europe’s power infrastructure have intensified so much that energy companies, experts and politicians called for help. Researchers came together to boost the resilience of European energy networks. The International Energy Agency warned in a … Read more

Going with the flow: water becomes economic and biodiversity driver in Europe

by

EU-funded researchers are seeking innovative ways to preserve water and biodiversity across the continent. Both are vital to human life and European economies, but are increasingly under pressure. By Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro On the plains of Crau in southern France, EU-funded researchers are pioneering a new approach to water conservation that allows local farmers to … Read more

EU researchers tackle pushback against gender equality in politics and society

by

EU-funded researchers are investigating recent push-back against gender equality measures, seeking to understand its motives and impact, to provide practical solutions. By Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro For Zoe Lefkofridi, a professor of politics and gender at the University of Salzburg in Austria, there cannot be real democracy without gender equality.  But past progress cannot be taken … Read more

European countries come together to improve outcomes for young cancer patients

by

EU-funded researchers are working together to improve survival rates and quality of life for children with cancer and reduce inequalities between countries. By Helen Massy-Beresford Dealing with cancer in children is hard enough. Knowing that there are huge disparities in survival rates between higher- and lower-income countries in Europe makes it even worse. But EU-funded … Read more

Sky high – Europe’s first drone cargo airline gets ready to take off

by

Drones can make air freight cheaper and remote areas more connected. But tracking them will be key. By Tom Cassauwers When brothers Svilen and Konstantin Rangelov first set up a small start-up called Dronamics in their native Bulgaria in 2014, their ambition was to democratise cargo deliveries in Europe and make affordable next-day delivery of packages a reality … Read more

From nitrogen pollution to battery recycling, young scientists take action to help society

by

Tackling societal challenges was key for aspiring young scientists at this year’s EUCYS and EU TalentOn competitions. By Tom Cassauwers For Piotr Olbryś, a 19-year-old from Poland, it was his brother’s hearing aid that motivated him to look into how to make lithium-ion batteries more environmentally friendly. His work earned him one of the four … Read more