Connecting many small renewable energy sources to electricity grids is vital for EU environmental and energy goals. EU-funded research has shown how this can be achieved more efficiently through advanced functionalities that ensure grid stability.
Composites are used for a wide array of demanding applications. Planes made mostly of carbon-fibre reinforced polymer have, for example, existed for several years. An EU-funded training network is helping to hone the skills of 12 young researchers who are striving to take composite design another step ahead.
EU-funded research is refining new bio-based protective coatings for marble artworks under constant punishment from weather and pollution. Better, longer-lasting treatments are a sustainable solution to protecting Europe's priceless cultural heritage.
Aluminium is a vital material. Yet its production consumes vast amounts of raw materials and energy. An EU-funded project has developed waste-ore recycling processes and power-saving furnaces that could shrink the industry's environmental footprint while increasing its long-term competitiveness.
Water scarcity in the Mediterranean, South America, Africa... It is a growing global problem, as climate change pressure mounts and inefficiencies in water use and treatment continue, particularly in water-intensive industries. An EU-backed team - working with international partners - has developed an innovative, low-cost inorganic wastewater treatment using agricultural and industrial leftovers.
EU-funded researchers are developing eco-friendly bio-based materials for aircraft. Collaboration with researchers in China and the aviation industry will see these materials replace traditional high-carbon footprint, non-recyclable materials in planes.
Hybrid and electric vehicles are increasingly common on Europe's roads. Now similar clean and quiet technologies are taking to the skies, thanks to an EU-funded project developing and testing innovative aircraft propulsion systems.
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.
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.
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'.
