Crowded cities aren't exactly optimal environments for plants to thrive. However, a team of EU-funded researchers is using robotics to help plants automatically grow into the unnatural shapes, sizes, and configurations that urban environments demand. As a result, cities could soon benefit from a robust green infrastructure used for everything from food production to climate control.
Renovating energy-inefficient buildings is crucial if Europe is to reduce its carbon footprint. That is why an EU-funded project is making renovations faster and easier, helping homes to save energy - for the benefit of the general public and the planet.
With some 210 million buildings in Europe, most of them energy inefficient, the scope for sustainability gains is huge. How would Europe deal with the cost of all those renovations? An EU-funded pilot scheme that already involves 65 banks is proposing incentivised mortgages as a way to leverage the necessary funds, fast.
EU-funded researchers behind a breakthrough solar-energy technology have also laid the material foundations for a new generation of digital displays that could surpass latest-generation OLED screens in brightness, colour range and energy efficiency.
Plug-and-play smart cities? An open source platform jointly developed by Japanese and EU-funded researchers is facilitating the deployment of smart city technologies in urban centres worldwide to tackle urban challenges ranging from air quality and energy use to traffic congestion and infrastructure upkeep.
Air pollution is a major risk factor for health in Europe. EU-funded research is helping to find innovative, inexpensive and green solutions for improving air quality, particularly in urban environments.
The fashion industry has been linked to pollution, waste, and modern slavery. In light of this, an EU-funded project led a series of successful experiments designed to spark radical, sustainable change while, at the same time, uniting Europe's textile and clothing businesses.
Around 40% of EU energy consumption and 36% of its CO2 emissions come from buildings. EU-funded researchers have developed easy-to-install eco-panels to place on the outside of the buildings to dramatically cut both.
Even the most modern buildings can use far more energy than the designers intended. EU researchers have created an open source energy management system that can pinpoint where energy is being wasted and indicate possible solutions.
When disaster strikes, it is crucial to locate and rescue trapped victims as quickly as possible. EU-funded research is helping to optimise the use of new technologies by urban search-and-rescue teams to minimise loss of life.
