About 400 kg per square kilometre: this, according to estimates, is the amount of mostly plastic waste littering European seas. Some of it can be upcycled into high-quality clothing, claimed a Spanish SME, which carried out an EU-funded feasibility study to work out the details. And indeed, such garments are now available in its shops.
Tiny particles in vehicle exhaust are damaging to human health, but some of these emissions have been too small to accurately measure until now. An EU-funded project is developing innovative technologies to achieve real-time analysis of emissions of ultrafine particles smaller than 23 nanometres.
An EU-funded project is helping to green the railway sector and promote the circular economy by using sleepers made from recycled plastic and old tyres, which can also incorporate solar panels and smart technology.
Lightweight electric vehicles capable of being stacked together are to be trialled in three cities by a ground-breaking EU-funded project. The objective is to distribute car-sharing vehicles more effectively at low operating costs and to promote intermodal public transport. This would cut congestion and reduce environmental impact.
An EU-funded project is creating a global online communication platform as well as digital standards for weather reports, nautical charts and other aids to improve communications and safety at sea.
An EU-funded project is developing a way of measuring polluting particles smaller than 23 nanometres - the smallest size covered by current legislation.
Taking inspiration from nature, an EU-funded project is developing smart airplane wings that can sense changes in pressure and adapt their shape instantaneously. These airplanes of the future will be more energy efficient and silent: more bird-like, in effect.
Increase capacity, reduce fuel consumption, curb pollution? If they were based on a box-wing design, aircraft of any given wingspan could achieve more with less, say EU-funded researchers who are preparing this technology for take-off. The concept they are proposing is referred to as a 'PrandtlPlane'.
An EU-funded consortium is developing technology to measure ultrafine particles in vehicle exhaust under real driving conditions, supporting the implementation of future EU emissions standards.
EU-funded scientists hope to achieve significant resource efficiencies in the aviation sector by manufacturing lightweight components with less material.
