From talking plants to smarter insulin pumps: young scientists shine in 2026

Electric motors power everything from cars to household appliances. EU-funded researchers are developing advanced materials that could make them more efficient, saving both energy and resources.

Scientists are turning to AI to analyse millions of images and sensor readings, spotting changes in oceans and rivers faster than ever before.

Sleeping sickness once killed tens of thousands of people every year. Now, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, EU-backed researchers are testing a simpler way to find and treat the last remaining cases and eliminate the disease for good.

Researchers are studying dogs’ ability to control and change their voices in the hope of shedding light on one of evolution’s biggest mysteries: the origins of human speech.

Scientists across Europe are combining AI, human cells and mini-organs to predict chemical harm, reducing the need for testing on animals.

With housing costs surging across Europe, EU-funded researchers are showing how tackling energy poverty and inequality together could fix fragmented housing policy.

Heatwaves, floods and other climate extremes are exposing the limits of Europe’s ageing buildings and infrastructure. Researchers across the continent are exploring how cities can adapt to a changing climate.

Centuries of drainage have turned many of Europe’s wetlands from carbon stores into sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Now EU-funded researchers are exploring how restoring wetlands could benefit both climate and local economies.

Inspired by the microbes that make kombucha tea, EU-funded researchers are developing a living patch that could detect and treat eczema flare-ups while opening the door to a new generation of smart materials containing living cells.

European researchers are developing new ways to preserve microscopic communities from soils, oceans and bodies, paving the way for sustainable farming, healthier ecosystems and personalised medicine.

For millions of people living with chronic hepatitis B, long term treatment has been the only option. EU funded researchers are joining forces to develop combination therapy that could one day free patients from lifelong medication.

Researchers are using Malta’s harsh weather conditions to test solar panels on the ground, train technicians and develop tools that could help keep panels running longer across Europe.

EU-funded researchers are uncovering how music shapes the brain, paving the way for advances in medicine, education and brain-computer technologies.

EU-funded researchers have developed a 3D bioprinting technique to grow living bone, fat and muscle tissue in the lab, opening doors to applications ranging from leukaemia research to cultivated meat.

Diabetic foot ulcers can lead to serious health complications. EU-funded researchers have developed a new therapy to tackle the runaway inflammation that makes these wounds so hard to heal.

Researchers are developing new ways to measure progress that go beyond economic growth, helping policymakers create happier, healthier and more sustainable societies.

Farmland birds have declined dramatically across Europe, signalling wider ecological problems. Researchers are using satellite data and AI to identify where conservation efforts could have the greatest impact.

Hidden hearing loss affects millions, but has no diagnosis or treatment options. EU-funded researchers have developed tools that could change both.

AI-assisted brain surgery, a reusable space capsule and a mission to clean up global supply chains. The winners of the 2026 EU Prize for Women Innovators are tackling some of society’s biggest challenges while inspiring the next generation of female entrepreneurs.

EU-funded researchers are using silk-based bone marrow “factories” to grow platelets in the lab, helping to lower our dependence on limited donor blood supplies.