Enzymes could make many chemical conversions more efficient, more sustainable and more affordable - and marine microbes produce an abundant variety of these biological catalysts, say EU-funded researchers who set out to find new ones for use in industry. A vast collection, new knowledge, four patents and a start-up are the result.
Ocean research is a traditionally male-dominated field but the EU-funded project Baltic Gender has been inspiring change by helping scientists in five Baltic countries to better understand how a more gender-equal institute can benefit their work.
Across the EU, women account for just 13 % of the information science technology and digital workforce. In a bid to improve the gender balance, EU project EQUAL-IST has developed tools to boost female inclusion in university research careers across the sector.
An EU-funded project has researched lesser-known and not industrially farmed pig breeds in a bid to help Europe's pork industry diversify and become more sustainable. This could help save endangered breeds, benefit the environment and result in new, high-quality meat options for consumers.
An EU-funded project is improving the methodology and the tools required for rapid response to emergencies at nuclear power plants. Combined with a reference database of accident scenarios and a common methodology, these tools will enable emergency centres to better protect citizens.
A leading challenge to Holocaust research is that archival source material tends to be dispersed across Europe and beyond. To remedy this, an EU-funded project created an online database and collaborative network for Holocaust researchers.
Co-funded by the EU and Europe's National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), the GÉANT network provides computing infrastructure and high-speed data connections between EU countries and beyond, enabling researchers to quickly and securely transfer large amounts of data all over the world.
An EU-funded project aims to further the work of the OpenAIRE platform in supporting open access to scientific knowledge. The project is also contributing to the development of the EU's European Open Science Cloud, which provides unlimited access to publicly funded research output in Europe.
The heavy vehicles used in forestry operations could become more energy efficient and kinder to the environment, thanks to technical innovations being developed by the EU-funded Forwarder2020 project. The innovations could also boost the forestry industry's global competitiveness.
Special fatty acids from tropical crops are used in many chemical products derived from vegetable oils. As a result, EU manufacturers are exposed to import price fluctuations. We could source these acids from home-grown crops instead, say EU-funded researchers whose work could help boost competitiveness.