How AI is helping cities tackle invisible pollution

Inspired by the microbes that make kombucha tea, EU-funded researchers are developing a living patch that could detect and treat eczema flare-ups while opening the door to a new generation of smart materials containing living cells.

European researchers are developing new ways to preserve microscopic communities from soils, oceans and bodies, paving the way for sustainable farming, healthier ecosystems and personalised medicine.

For millions of people living with chronic hepatitis B, long term treatment has been the only option. EU funded researchers are joining forces to develop combination therapy that could one day free patients from lifelong medication.

Researchers are using Malta’s harsh weather conditions to test solar panels on the ground, train technicians and develop tools that could help keep panels running longer across Europe.

EU-funded researchers are uncovering how music shapes the brain, paving the way for advances in medicine, education and brain-computer technologies.

EU-funded researchers have developed a 3D bioprinting technique to grow living bone, fat and muscle tissue in the lab, opening doors to applications ranging from leukaemia research to cultivated meat.

Diabetic foot ulcers can lead to serious health complications. EU-funded researchers have developed a new therapy to tackle the runaway inflammation that makes these wounds so hard to heal.

Researchers are developing new ways to measure progress that go beyond economic growth, helping policymakers create happier, healthier and more sustainable societies.

Farmland birds have declined dramatically across Europe, signalling wider ecological problems. Researchers are using satellite data and AI to identify where conservation efforts could have the greatest impact.

Hidden hearing loss affects millions, but has no diagnosis or treatment options. EU-funded researchers have developed tools that could change both.

AI-assisted brain surgery, a reusable space capsule and a mission to clean up global supply chains. The winners of the 2026 EU Prize for Women Innovators are tackling some of society’s biggest challenges while inspiring the next generation of female entrepreneurs.

EU-funded researchers are using silk-based bone marrow “factories” to grow platelets in the lab, helping to lower our dependence on limited donor blood supplies.

Europe has the science. Now it needs the scale. An EU-backed start-up summit is trying to close that gap.

Aviation has an emissions problem. Researchers in four EU-funded projects are betting that hybrid-electric engines could solve it, and aim to demonstrate it by 2030.

Thousands of teenagers across Europe have tracked plastic pollution in rivers, and the data they collected is starting to make waves.

Forests across Europe are struggling with drought, fire and disease. Researchers working to future-proof them say one of the answers lies in their diversity.

European shipyards are under pressure to cut costs and clean up. A new EU-funded initiative aims to help them do both, with digital tools and better tracking of energy use and materials to improve their environmental footprint and reduce waste.

AI systems are learning to listen to and decode the sounds of nature, helping scientists to track species and spot ecosystem changes much faster than traditional field surveys.

EU-funded researchers are helping schools and universities put sustainability into practice by giving students and communities the tools to make real environmental change.

More than 30 years ago, Europe made a decision: back researchers, trust their curiosity, and see where it leads. The results have been remarkable.