Nuclear fusion could be the perfect solution to the world's energy problems - but first, we have to work out how to produce fusion power cost-effectively. Research is getting closer, and the advances it is delivering could also be useful in other areas. An EU-funded project has highlighted the potential of technology transfers to industry.
Remote diagnosis systems such as the one developed by the DRIVEN project can enhance responsiveness in emergency and disaster incidents, providing a significant time-advantage within that critical hour following an incident.
Imagine your favourite football team entering a stadium. An army of wireless cameras is following the players to give you the best possible view - of the whole pitch, of the chanting crowd, of each footballer, from the tip of his head to the grass blades he treads with his cleats. Thanks to Prof. Leif Oxenløwe's research, this kind of wireless ultra-high definition television broadcasting can one day become a reality.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Europe. Prevention relies on measuring traditional risk factors such as age, gender, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and smoking. However, many individuals, apparently at low-risk, still develop CVD. Improving predictions beyond the traditional risk factors is the challenge undertaken by Prof. Olle Melander with his EU funded research project - CARDIOPREVENT.
An EU-funded project has made it easier to develop an effective mix of interlocking policies that will help the EU meet its climate change and energy targets. The methodology includes applying real-world analysis and modelling to policy instruments.
Rigorous wind tunnel tests have shown that a new flexible deformable aircraft wing concept developed by EU-funded researchers can increase lift during take-off, achieve greater efficiencies in flight and reduce noise.
EU-funded research is helping to improve the relevance of future climate change scenarios by developing a way to account for aerosols - minute particles in the atmosphere - and their effect on global warming.
While on court, beach volleyball players need to act as a whole in order to prevent the ball from touching the sand: in a fraction of a second - just before the opponent's hand spikes the ball - the passer has to predict and adjust to the attacker's action as well as to their teammate's block position.
At the supermarket, do you always know where you parked your car? Can you remember what you came to buy, if you haven't written it down? And can you do so without having to rack your brain? If so, you're lucky. Most of us occasionally struggle, and will struggle even more as we get older. EU-funded research has analysed how age affects our memory.
ISOLDE, CERN's transformer of elements, is about to be itself transformed: a major upgrade is under way. A large share of the R&D underpinning this overhaul was conducted by young researchers who contributed as part of the EU-funded CATHI project. This training network enabled 21 applicants to gain hands-on experience in their chosen field.
New materials can make aircraft greener and quieter. But how would these planes behave in an emergency water landing? An EU-funded project's experiments and computer simulation tools are contributing to better understanding of the complicated phenomena involved in developing even safer and more cost-effective designs.
A fast, accurate and easy-to-use test for detecting high explosives, toxic chemicals and other small molecules is providing security services with a potentially life-saving tool in the fight against terrorism. Developed by EU-funded researchers, the innovative detection system has undergone successful field trials and is ready for widespread deployment.
What is the lifespan of a sun-like star? Well, it may not be quite what we thought. The outcomes of EU-funded asteroseismology research conducted by Professor Conny Aerts and her team show that the cores of red giants don't spin nearly as fast as expected - and this, in turn, means that our understanding of the future of our sun was flawed.
European researchers have designed brain-like artificial neural networks capable of numerical and spatial cognition and written language processing without any explicit training or pre-programming. Their work, based on the machine-learning approach of generative models, significantly advances the development of self-learning artificial intelligence, while also deepening understanding of human cognition.
Europe relies on natural gas and fossil fuels from a limited number of countries. These energy sources generate harmful greenhouse gases that accelerate climate change and its devastating impacts. The EU-funded HYDROSOL-PLANT project supported by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint undertaking (FCH JU) has developed a technology that has the potential to produce hydrogen on a large-scale, cost-effectively. This renewable energy could slow climate change and create a sustainable future.
The EU-funded TelliSys project has designed a new, environmentally-friendly, volume-optimised, intermodal transport system for the European transport sector. It is already available on the market.
Remote sensing is widely used for security surveillance, military reconnaissance and environmental monitoring. An EU-funded project's signal processing system improves images and range information from the collected data using smaller, lighter recording devices than traditional systems. Two prototypes are already available.
The EU-funded SOLARH2 project has established a pan-European research network that is tapping into the potential of solar fuel, a clean energy source that could one day replace fossil fuels.
From insect and plant specimens to slides of fossil samples and microscopic life forms, Europe has an unparalleled wealth of natural history resources. Maintained by museums and institutes, collections are now being made accessible both physically and digitally by an EU-funded project that is helping democratise research and preserve these treasure troves of taxonomic data.
Should we back the world's freedom fighters? If we are sympathetic to their cause, we may consider it a moral duty, even if others see them as terrorists. There is certainly nothing new about countries providing support to non-state armed groups (NAGs). But it is not a successful strategy in the long run, according to EU-funded research.
