Featured projects

More than three million people in Europe are diagnosed with some form of cancer every year, and despite the advances in science, there is still much to learn about this disease. The European Union (EU)-funded research project ENTERVISION is developing a new way of harnessing radiotherapy, using 3D digital imagery, to provide earlier tumour detection and more effective treatments.

The EU-funded DORIS project has developed highly accurate uses for newly available Earth-observation satellite technologies to monitor and warn of potential ground movements, such as landslides, which could save billions in clean-up costs and thousands of lives. With predicted strong market demand, the technologies look set to have a long-term and sustainable impact across Europe.

Historically a target for earthquakes, Italy has also become an epicentre in the search for ways to reduce or prevent the loss of life and property when these sudden and unpredictable events occur.

Many large, multi-storey buildings, particularly residential and office spaces, are built using precast concrete components and then assembled on-site. While generally rapid and economic to build, the performance and stability of such buildings in earthquake zones is poorly understood. The European Union (EU)-funded project SAFECAST has investigated how to make them safer and developed new construction guidelines which are expected to be implemented in the regions at risk in Europe.

Most start-up enterprises face growing pains in their early years as scarce resources limit their ability to scale up fast enough, forcing them to operate at the periphery of the market. The European Union (EU)-funded project OrgGrowth is currently addressing this issue by finding ways for new ventures to better manage their scarce resources in the current economy, thus helping improve their chances of success.

In most European countries migration is particularly managed at the national level. The European Union (EU)-funded project, MIGRATION POLICY, has challenged the way in which research on migration studies is almost exclusively focused on national models and perspectives. The Marie Curie research fellow has shown that regional and city authorities are taking more responsibility in managing migration, thus helping change the way Europeans relate to their governments.

Boosting your activity levels and doing strength and balance exercises significantly reduces your risk of fractures and falls if you are over 60, according to experts of the ProFouND project - the Prevention of Falls Network for Dissemination, a European Commission-funded network aiming to provide the best falls prevention advice to help prevent falls among older people across Europe.

Conclusions of RoboLaw project on Regulating Emerging Robotic Technologies in Europe: Robotics facing Law and Ethics have been presented at the workshop 'Upcoming issues of EU law', organised by the JURI Committee of the European Parliament

In the food industry, a cold chain is a temperature-controlled supply chain that ensures and extends product shelf life. This chain is vital as 60% of the food we eat needs to be kept in cool temperatures to stay fresh. Despite its obvious need, refrigeration uses 8% of all energy and is responsible for 2.5% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Reducing this energy use and its resulting emissions is crucial.

How much can we really predict about the impact of climate change on groups of animals, plants, and natural habitats? The EU-funded Ecochange project turned to fossil records to investigate how species respond to even minor changes. Scientists can use this research to design ways to protect biodiversity from climate change.

Research on stem cells is providing great hope for alleviating a wide range of previously untreatable diseases and injuries. However, in this rapidly evolving field it can be difficult for patients, teachers and the public at large to find reliable, up-to-date information.

As far as medical research has come towards treating illness and injury, doctors and technicians have yet to develop an artificial hand that can give amputees the sensation of having a natural hand. This could be on the verge of changing. A team of EU-funded researchers has invented a prosthetic hand that has all the basic features of a real hand, and that amputees can actually feel.

Just like humans, plants have an internal 24-hour clock known as the circadian rhythm. This innate timer helps them regulate their different metabolic processes by synchronising them with the Earth’s day and night cycle. It is also of the utmost importance for healthy plant growth, the European Union (EU)-funded project TiMet (or ‘Linking the clock to metabolism’) has now shown.

Europe is home to a high proportion of the world's leading animal breeding organisations. Research being carried out by an EU-funded QUANTOMICS project is helping these breeders to remain competitive in global markets.

In a first-of-its-kind study, an international team of neuroscientists and robotics engineers have demonstrated the viability of direct brain-to-brain communication in humans. Recently published in PLoS ONE, the highly novel findings describe the successful transmission of information via the internet between the intact scalps of two human subjects located 5,000 miles apart.

The motor industry is constantly re-inventing itself with new and innovative solutions aimed at providing consumers with the ultimate driving experience. Now though, the focus is on letting the vehicle do all the work.

While the aeronautics industry tends to be dominated by major corporations, hundreds of specialised small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from across Europe provide the sector with essential applications and bespoke technologies.

Freshwater is necessary for life, but climate change is adding pressure on this vital resource. The EU-funded PolarClean project has successfully tested new types of materials to remove stubborn pollutants so that wastewater can be safely reused.

In February 2010, Atlantic storm ‘Xynthia’ swept across Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, causing around 60 deaths and extensive damage to property due to flooding. As this and more devastating examples have shown, we are no longer able to rely on engineering alone to protect us from storm hazards.

An EU-funded research project has developed a practicable natural-gas fuelling system for current diesel-powered ship engines. The breakthrough is good for the environment and people – while helping the shipping market meet more stringent EU rules on sulphur emissions.