More efficient, longer-lasting machine and vehicle components, improved medical implants and novel fluid control technologies are just a few of the potential applications emerging from an EU-funded project inspired by the unique ways in which the skins of some animals interact with water.
The EU-funded ENACT project has used a combination of computer simulation and experimental validation to develop more efficient and sustainable chemical processes for the energy and pharmaceutical sectors - good for the environment, health, and the EU's competitiveness.
A EUR 12-million loan backed by the InnovFin-EU finance for innovators initiative under the EU's Horizon 2020 programme and extended by the European Investment Bank (EIB) is helping Finnish firm Canatu to further develop its materials for flexible and foldable touch sensor display screens used in consumer electronics and motor vehicles.
Millions of tonnes of plastic waste enter the world's oceans each year, posing a threat to marine ecosystems and contaminating the food chain with toxic compounds. EU-funded researchers are deploying cutting-edge technologies to prevent and mitigate this growing environmental hazard.
An EU-funded project is developing a new battery cell technology for electric vehicles based on innovative materials. With better performance at lower cost, this will support the development of a strong and competitive European battery industry.
Although rare-earth magnets are vital to many modern devices, from cell phones and electric cars to hospital equipment and wind turbines, few of these essential metal alloys are produced in Europe. An EU-funded consortium is revolutionising production, enabling these super-strong permanent magnets to be fully recycled and manufactured sustainably.
Green chemistry is helping industry produce widely-used industrial chemicals more efficiently and with lower impacts on the environment. An EU-funded project has developed nitrogen fixation and hydrogenation processes that are faster, more productive and less polluting than current methods.
