Automated technologies are expected to help make driving both safer and more efficient. EU-funded research has been laying the groundwork for adapting to automated driving both technologically and through driver behaviour.
An EU-funded project promoted knowledge and skills exchange between Europe and China in the field of robotics. As a result, researchers have come up with a prototype smart rescue robot that could improve cooperation between humans and robots in disaster situations - helping to save lives.
The problem of plastic pollution has grown to devastating proportions. EU-funded research is supporting the development and large-scale production of an eco-friendly replacement for plastic bags that should help significantly reduce plastic waste.
Extremely efficient to use, bringing about improvements in several industries and products, giving industry a tool to enhance performance... and all of this from sustainably sourced trees. Microfibrillated cellulose, a remarkable natural material that can replace oil-based products in industries as diverse as construction, cosmetics and agriculture, is now entering commercialisation thanks to a pioneering EU and industry-funded project. Microfibrillated cellulose has arrived to out-compete additives from petrochemicals.
Coastal waters around the world are under threat from land-based pollutants that affect water quality, marine ecosystems and tourism. An EU-funded project is creating an IT-based platform to support applications that use earth observation (EO) to monitor coastal waters.
The European Union has established stringent requirements for the monitoring from space of man-made greenhouse gases (GHGs). An EU-funded project is developing a miniaturised spectrometer to be mounted on small satellites. This will enable scientists to meet the specifications for GHG monitoring and ultimately help us to better understand climate change.
Conventional methods of mapping the sea floor are slow and expensive. EU-funded researchers used satellite-derived techniques combined with crowd-sourced depth soundings to map large areas quickly and at lower cost.
Researchers from Germany and the United Kingdom have been recognised for cutting-edge innovations that could help make fusion power a commercial reality - a highly stress-resistant metal and robots with mini yet mighty laser heads.
Protecting large crowds is a key public safety priority. An EU-funded project has developed an evacuation platform to support responders in guiding crowds away from danger should an emergency arise, thereby saving lives.
An EU-funded project is looking to increase the capacity of robots to set themselves goals and develop skills autonomously. This could boost EU competitiveness in the field of artificial intelligence and advance understanding of learning processes.
