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Additive manufacturing is re-defining what can or cannot be accomplished in the production of parts, and research continues to redefine what can and cannot be accomplished with additive manufacturing. An EU-funded project has set out to break new ground for the 3D printing of complex ceramic components.
The world's cities account for less than 3% of its land surface, but they are already home to much of its population. By 2050, two-thirds of us are projected to live in urban areas, where joined-up management of food, water and energy will be increasingly important. A wave of partly EU-funded projects is about to explore this sustainability issue.
If flaws in infrastructure - a ship or a bridge for example - are spotted early, the damage can be repaired before anyone gets hurt, and before the costs mount. It's a nice theory, but there are currently many uncertainties in ensuring structural safety, as well as a lack of specialists. An EU-funded project is addressing both problems.
To stay safe on the roads, we need good infrastructure, alert road-users and effective technology. But what about a general safety culture? A team of researchers from countries with very different approaches to road-use is developing a cultural approach to road safety with the ultimate objective of cutting traffic accident numbers.
The EU-funded SWEETOOLS project aims to improve our understanding of the role of sugars in human biology. Exploring optimised versions of biosynthesised proteins combined with chemically synthesised drugs could help the development of novel biomedicines and vaccines targeting, for example, influenza.
Worldwide, we waste around 1.3 billion tonnes of food a year, while nearly a billion people go hungry. An EU-funded project has created an online community to tackle the problem by sharing knowledge and redistributing food.
So much waste ... what could we do with it, beyond producing energy and compost? EU-funded researchers are looking into ways to turn biowaste generated in our cities - notably by homes, restaurants and shops - into a number of bio-based products by means of integrated biorefineries.
Radio waves, microwaves, X-rays - electromagnetic radiation that we can't actually see is exploited in a number of familiar technologies. But there is still a lot of potential to unlock, notably in the terahertz part of the spectrum. An EU-funded project is conducting research into innovative semiconductors that could open up exciting new possibilities.
From understanding earthquakes to medical imaging, wave-based imaging is already extremely valuable. If the imaging could be done at an even higher resolution, it would be even more valuable. An EU-funded project is training 15 young researchers in the techniques involved, and creating a truly multidisciplinary network in the process.
Basking in more than 3300 hours of sunlight per year, Cyprus has the highest solar power potential in the European Union but currently imports most if its energy. An EU-funded project is helping the Mediterranean country better harness the power of the sun to meet its growing electricity needs and spur research and innovation linked to this renewable - and clean - resource.
