A group of European urban areas bordering seas and rivers is paving the way for climate neutrality by 2030. By Karen McHugh In the medieval Belgian city of Bruges, the urban administration has been seeking a new home and decided to move into an old hospital rather than construct a building. Elsewhere in Bruges, famous … Read more
A new generation of commercial electric vehicles is emerging to reduce air pollution and congestion in urban areas. By Karen McHugh At the end of January 2024, keen-eyed residents of the Belgian capital Brussels may have noticed something different about the familiar national postal service: it began delivering some mail in an electric vehicle with … Read more
EU researchers are seeking to expand supplies of clean aviation fuels by producing more from agricultural sources. By Tereza Pultarova Professor David Chiaramonti is looking down at the ground to help resolve a problem up in the sky: aeroplanes’ emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other pollutants. An expert in energy systems and power generation at … Read more
Advances in plane technology promise one day to help many people in Europe and elsewhere get a better night’s sleep. By Tom Cassauwers In mid-December 2023, a demonstration in Ireland revealed the strength of public concerns about noise caused by commercial aeroplanes. Protesters gathered outside the county offices where the Dublin Airport Authority was discussing … Read more
Research projects in Europe developed water-surface scanners and better hull designs to tackle shipping accidents. By Tom Cassauwers When one of the world’s largest container ships crashed into the bank of the Suez Canal in 2021, a major gateway for global trade became blocked with an estimated $9.6 billion in daily commerce being held up. … Read more
Personal support and user opinions are crucial to ensuring local transport systems become more widely accessible. By Jessica Berthereau When Inez Rastovac, who works for the Dutch municipality of Tilburg, asked 30 women of migrant background in 2021 about gaps in technologies for using local transport, she wasn’t expecting them to request cycling lessons. ‘At … Read more