Environmental imperatives aside, healthy ecosystems and rich biodiversity are essential to human populations too! This is especially true in developing countries, where more people rely directly on 'ecosystem services' for their livelihoods. But little is known about the complex links between human well-being and the state of biodiversity and ecosystems. An EU-backed international study takes up the challenge principally in Tanzania and Kenya.from EUROPA - Syndicated Research News Feed https://ift.tt/2LIsM5f
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An EU-funded project has developed an integrated IT platform to identify and manage threats to the air traffic management system. This is helping to build a comprehensive and harmonised European framework to make air transport safer for everyone.
EU-funded researchers have shown how nanoparticles can deliver drugs directly to the site of an infection. This preclinical research promises more effective treatments and the prospect of bypassing the threat of antimicrobial resistance.
An EU-funded study is exploring agricultural practices and EU policies related to drinking water quality and the use of pesticides and nitrogen. Results will inform an integrated EU response to a major environmental and health challenge.
What is conscious awareness? An EU-funded study went looking for answers to this eternal question using advanced technology. The findings provide insight into what motivates or interests people, and the perception process behind powerful neurological drivers of human behaviour.
Part of tomorrow's optical transmission networks may no longer require repeaters to boost the signal every 60 km or so. An EU-funded project has identified cost-effective ways to increase the capacity of optical networks using unrepeatered links, a potential boost to industry's competitiveness.
The Orkney Islands' entire electricity needs are met from renewable sources but further generation is hampered by grid constraints. EU-funded researchers are looking at how to overcome this and how to transfer the solutions to other regions.
The power of a painting to trigger myriad emotional and cognitive responses has been recognised throughout history. But how and why art has such a profound effect on our brains is a mystery that is only now starting to be unravelled, thanks to EU-funded research.
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.
Active rehabilitation has emerged as a powerful tool in cancer care. However, its full potential to help restore survivors' functional capacity, boost their quality of life and possibly even reduce the risk of recurrence has yet to be tapped. EU-funded researchers are looking into e-health solutions to take the technique another step further.
Could holistic flood risk assessment have mitigated the 'Great Flood' that hit Thailand in 2011? The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) - in Thailand - is on the case. The project team hopes to reduce the likelihood of coastal areas around the world experiencing the catastrophic flooding that wiped out 20 000km2 of farmland.
Salty effluents from the food and drink industry are difficult and expensive to clean. An EU-funded project is using a combination of bacteria and algae to treat waste water effectively and economically while generating commercially valuable biomass.
Logistics processes typically involve a multitude of actors, all of whom are likely to use different IT systems and solutions to organise the relevant tasks. Enabling these systems to connect across Europe would help boost efficiency, productivity and sustainability, say EU-funded researchers who are working to make this happen.
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.
Many consider renewable energy systems to be the way forward. However, before such systems can power the future, they first need to demonstrate their viability. Researchers from Europe and Morocco have teamed up to make one specific energy system a reality - dispatchable concentrating solar plants.
An EU-funded project has established a European standard that promotes the sharing of data across partners, stakeholders and customers - safeguarding the region's status as a global leader in safety-critical systems used for the aerospace, automotive, healthcare and rail sectors.
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.
The EU is confronted by numerous conflicts in neighbouring regions and further afield, from the Middle East to Mali. An EU-funded project is examining whether the bloc's response is sensitive to the political and social context in each of these complex crises, and aims to ensure future interventions are efficient and sustainable.
An EU-funded project explored how political, spatial and social factors shape segregation and mobility in two contrasting national contexts: Sweden and Israel. A new transport modelling tool, published findings and a film are helping to inform policymakers.
Would you be willing to add 1 EUR to your online purchases to support charity projects? EU-funded Worldcoo makes this possible with a simple click, by adding a widget - a small application - on a commercial website and offers you to chip in for charity or environmental projects run by NGOs, just before you check out your online shopping basket.
"It's very rare that computer scientists think about the definition of 'resilience', or get to work with the users of a tool," says Shadrock Roberts of the Kenyan non-profit social enterprise Ushahidi, a partner in the COMRADES project. But this is precisely what happened when a diverse consortium of researchers got together to create a platform to support community resilience during a crisis.
An EU-funded project has developed simulation software in a bid to save money and reduce the impact dredging has on the built environment. Being able to simulate water and soil interactions is a game changer for Europe's EUR 7 billion industry which provides jobs for a quarter of a million people.
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.
What do we mean by randomness? EU-funded researchers have come up with new insights into the nature of randomness that could ultimately have application in fields as diverse as lotteries and cryptography.
Cloud computing infrastructure is critical to the modern economy, but its increasingly widespread use for storing and processing sensitive personal data is raising privacy and security fears. An EU-funded consortium is redesigning cloud architectures to put privacy at the heart of distributed data management.
Thanks to the algorithms that are being developed by an EU-funded project, scientists have an easier time finding the information they need to more efficiently design new proteins that can be used, for example, in the development of new medicines.
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.
Need to retrieve a few tonnes of cargo from Mars? Send some seriously heavy gear into deep space? Fly out sufficient mass to deflect an asteroid? Current spacecraft would not be nearly big or powerful enough, say EU-funded researchers who have looked into a possible next-generation design based on nuclear electric propulsion.
EU-funded research is ensuring that new policy tools supporting the renewable energy sector - such as auctions - deliver on their promise to provide cost-efficient, carbon-free energy for consumers, helping Europe meet its environmental and economic targets.
By developing gender-inclusive guidelines and criteria for schools, museums, science centres and industry, an EU-funded project aims to attract more young people, especially girls, to careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa still suffer from high rates of malnutrition, despite international efforts to address the issue. An EU-funded project brought together African researchers and stakeholder organisations to define research priorities that could improve results and strengthen the continent's capacity in this field.
An EU-funded project developed and commercialised an innovative device for safely removing so-called space junk, inoperable and defunct satellites and other debris cluttering up Earth's orbit.
Novel testing and maintenance methods for oil and gas pipelines developed by EU-funded researchers are helping to ensure the reliability and safety of the extensive pipeline networks that are critical to Europe's energy security.
An EU co-funded research network is working on pioneering assistive technologies which can support independent living and enable choice among those diagnosed with intellectual disabilities and/or autism, in a bid to improve their quality of life.
Building materials produce a significant volume of waste which, in turn, creates a sizeable environmental impact. EU-funded research and innovation is exploring how the construction sector can embrace the circular economy, as well as increase the reuse and recycling of materials, components and building functionalities.
Voice-recognition technology can play a valuable part in preventing and solving crimes, including terrorist acts. The EU-funded project SIIP is developing software to reliably identify speakers in legally intercepted phone calls and social media. The database will be accessible to enforcement authorities through Interpol.
How can new technologies be used most effectively in crisis response? How can responders be better coordinated, damage mitigated and lives saved? An EU-funded project has sought to answer those questions and many more through far-reaching research into networked crisis management.
Corruption in public spending wastes taxpayers' money and erodes trust in governments. The EU-funded project DIGIWHIST aims to make public procurement more efficient and transparent with online tools that use big data and empower citizens to report abuses.
Researchers from Europe and Australia have joined forces to improve our understanding of forest wildfires. The EU-funded project promises to deliver new knowledge and develop software tools that will help emergency services deal with wildfires more effectively.
The EU and Turkey each face internal, regional and global challenges. The EU-funded FEUTURE project is examining the dynamics of these challenges. Its recommendations will help policymakers make informed decisions on future relations between the EU and Turkey.