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Research Information Centre	Updated: Mon, 17 Jun 2013

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Flood alert
Dams that protect urban areas from flooding sometimes fail, resulting in catastrophic damage. But what can be done to prevent such disasters?

Burn fat, not energy
There are around 1.5 million sporting facilities in Europe helping people have fun, stay healthy, and have fun.

Technology cooperation to drive greener and quieter aircraft
Wind tunnels are very expensive research facilities which are critical to the development of the new aerospace components and configurations vital to keeping the aircraft industry competitive.

Improving safety in vehicles for all European citizens
Road accidents killed almost 35 000 people in the European Union's 27 member states in 2009, the latest year for which statistics are available. While this number represents a fall of 38% since the start of the 21st century, there is still great scope to improve vehicle safety in Europe.

Protecting and managing biodiversity – the foundation of life as we know it
"Biodiversity is the living tissue of our planet," says Xavier Le Roux, BiodivERsA's project coordinator. "It delivers services – what we call "ecosystem services" – which are very important for human society." Provided by the countless living organisms which make up life on earth, these services include functions such as plant and crop pollination, the maintenance of soil fertility, the regulation of greenhouse gases, and the production of food.

Turning the nanotech promise into commercial reality
Nanotechnology offers human society a vast range of benefits, making possible startling advances in everything from medicines and cosmetics to energy generation, electronics and even 'hi-tech' clothing. What is more, this nanotechnology 'revolution' is still only in its infancy. Research into ever more applications is in full swing.

Cheese by-product to make packaging greener
Plastic films are used for packaging a wide range of products, offering protection against humidity and potential contaminants. Over time, however, these films let in air, diminishing the properties of the packed products. And while multilayer films combining several plastics are often used to improve protection, most of this packaging cannot be recycled. The researchers behind the EU-funded WHEYLAYER project found a cheese-based biodegradable alternative to conventional multilayer films.

The solar car driving Egypt into the future
It doesn't look much like the car of the future: the vehicle parked in a workshop in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt's Red Sea tourist haven, resembles nothing more than a golf cart or a milk float. But thanks to its pioneering solar technology, it could pave the way for the production of Egypt's first ever eco-friendly road vehicle.

New airplane inspection system to make skies safer
The research team behind the European Union (EU)-funded "QualiTi" project has developed a new testing system for titanium-made airplane parts that improves by 20 percent manufacturing-related defects' detection, even if the probability of such flaws causing any potential incidents is very low.

New weld inspection system to boost rail safety
Europe's railway networks have dedicated teams devoted to checking track safety, inspecting the metal for any cracks or defects that could cause problems. If a track needs fixing, it is often welded on-site. But for all their expertise, the track inspectors have few tools to check whether the resulting welds are strong enough. Now, however, researchers have built a new tool to provide an easy yet reliable ultrasonic test of track welds, adding a much-needed layer of safety to the rail network.

Tracking and cleaning small oil spills
Major oil spills from sinking supertankers are thankfully very rare these days. However, smaller oil spills from shipping are unfortunately still common. Most ships have some type of fuel on board and if they are involved in an accident, there is a risk of that fuel leaking into the sea.

Banishing the "black cloud": How rice research could clear Egypt's skies
It's a phenomenon known locally as the "black cloud", and it plagues Egypt every autumn after the rice harvest: an estimated 4 million tonnes of rice straw is burnt every season, spewing some 80,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the skies. It leaves a choking, toxic layer of thick smog hanging just 25 meters above over the entire Nile valley for weeks, and adds to the already polluted air over the Cairo megalopolis.

Deep inside the brain
The brain controls our thinking, feelings and movements and a new exhibition in southern France aims to reveal some of its secrets.

Water-friendly hydraulic technology to make heavy machinery greener
Bulldozers, diggers, tractors: these heavy machines all apply the same basic hydraulic powers for their trays and claws. Around 85% of all hydraulic fluids leave their system through slow leaks, line breaks or system failures. Exhausted lubricants could be a severe fire risk, with a cumulative impact on plants, fish, and wildlife. When the fluids need to be disposed of at the end of their life, the cost, at €1 per kg, is around the same as the lubricant itself. As the costs associated with disposal rise, there is a growing demand for alternative options.

Improving healthcare for young cancer survivors
"If I have received radiotherapy to my abdomen (to treat cancer) and I have a heart problem or a new cancer 30 years later, to what extent is this linked to the radiotherapy I received?" asks Dr Lars Hjorth of Lund University in Sweden.

Leading the charge into the future, one electric car at a time
Overconsumption of fossil fuels, excessive carbon emissions and threats to air quality are all urgent problems that would be addressed if all-electric vehicles were fully operational and in widespread use. Research conducted by the European Union funded Fuerex project could give consumers in the near future the option of driving a car with almost zero emissions, without compromising on the range of the battery.

Materials and drives for High & Wide efficiency electric powertrains
- Reducing dependency on rare earth materials
Presently, drives for Fully Electric Vehicles and Hybrid Electric Vehicles develop their highest efficiency of around 93–95% within a speed range of usually 1/4 to 1/3 of the maximum, and at an ideal torque, whereas in real-life driving cycles the motor operates at a wider range of speeds and at partial load, resulting in much lower efficiency.

Enhancing sustainability by unlocking the secrets of wood
If the world is to live within its environmental limits, the need to make the most sustainable use of its raw materials will become ever more vital. Increasingly, this will require us to focus on making maximum use of all the components of those raw materials, right down to the waste products. In today's world, everything has to be used.

A European Flood Alert System to protect Europe's cities
In August 2002 Europe was struck by a disastrous flood when the Elbe and Danube overflowed, affecting the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Croatia. The cities of Dresden and Prague particularly suffered extensive damage. In response to this disaster, the European Commission's in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), launched the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS).

Ensuring that 'green paradoxes' are understood when defining climate action policy
Applying advanced economic analysis to climate change policies and the efficient use of resources can sometime lead to surprising and counter-intuitive outcomes. Indeed the longer term impact of some well-intentioned policy initiative may end up having a negative impact.

Innovative infrared testing device set to reduce aircraft development costs
To make modern aircraft ever lighter, faster and more fuel efficient, manufacturers are continually introducing new advanced materials, composites and super lightweight structures. Before using them on a plane, the integrity and performance of these materials have to be tested in a non-destructive way, to see how they would perform in the real-life pressure and temperature conditions of flight. Among the techniques aero-space testing facilities currently rely on are two important tests: one using laser beams and one using thermal imaging to see inside the material under stress and detect problems in structures caused by hidden defects. European researchers have found a way to replace these two with a single test.

How to save historic buildings from climate change
From Roman temples and Gothic churches to Greek theatres and medieval castles, Europe is peppered with historic buildings that reflect its rich cultural heritage. But these monuments all need to be preserved, a task complicated by age, pollution, tourist demands and climate change. Now science is lending a hand in this task, with a new European Union research project developing measures to reduce energy loss from within old buildings.

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