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Robot co-workers could help out with repetitive jobs and heavy lifting by reacting to human actions. Image credit - Italian Institute of Technology
ict | industry
18 August 2017

Digital symbiosis lets robot co-workers predict human behaviour

Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk fear that the robotic revolution may already be underway, but automation isn’t going to take over just yet – first machines will work alongside us.

Prof. Nicolosi uses Ireland's most powerful microscope that can picture the materials she makes with atomic resolution. Image credit – Amber, Trinity College Dublin
frontier research | energy | industry | interview
26 July 2017

Nanomaterials are closest thing we have to real-life ‘superheroes’ – Prof. Valeria Nicolosi

Utilising the superhero properties of materials around an atom thick could revolutionise how we store energy in electronic devices, according to Valeria Nicolosi, professor of nanomaterials and advanced microscopy at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

Tiny capsules embedded in clothes can release essential oils when they come into contact with bacteria that cause skin infections. Image credit: Pexels/ Valeria Boltneva
health | industry
20 July 2017

Clothes intertwined with nanotech will treat eczema

Tiny capsules embedded in the clothes we wear could soon be used to counteract the rise of sensitive skin conditions.

Mining deep under sea affects ecosystems like the Beehive at the Snake Pit hydrothermal vent field. Credit: Ifremer/Victor6000, Bicose cruise (2014)
environment | industry
27 April 2017

Underwater debris is clouding hopes for sustainable deep-sea mining

Treasure troves of raw materials are resting on the ocean floor and their potential abundance is driving the emergence of deep-sea mining, and throwing up concerns about the environmental impact.

Modestas Gudauskas won a prize for creating a bacteria that produces two substances which could be used to develop alternatives to plastics. Image courtesy of the European Union
interview | industry
15 March 2017

Visualise your goals and never give up – EU young scientist winner Modestas Gudauskas

Taking part in science projects while at school plus a healthy dose of persistence is the key to making your mark in research at a young age, according to 19-year-old Modestas Gudauskas from Lithuania, winner of the first European Union Contest for Young Scientists award for projects in the bio-based industries.

Harvesting rubber from dandelions is a way to reduce the reliance on imports from Southeast Asia. Image credit: Pixabay/ starbright
agriculture | industry
06 March 2017

Rubber dandelions and nickel-eating flowers

Fields of yellow flowers across Europe could soon be producing a harvest of rubber and nickel for use in industry, helping to reduce reliance on imports by creating a home-grown source of raw materials.

A 'Made in Europe' tag would show that a product meets social and environmental standards. Image credit: Pixabay/ Unsplash
industry | policy
01 March 2017

‘Made in Europe’ label could help EU competitiveness

European products could be stamped with a recognised ‘Made in Europe’ tag to help stimulate growth in the continent, the first European industry conference heard.

A new type of 3D printing can produce bigger and more complex structures. Image courtesy of KRAKEN
industry
27 February 2017

3D-printed houses and cars on the horizon as manufacturing goes large

Housebuilders and makers of car parts in a few decades time may need nothing more than a large robotic arm, some raw ingredients and a programmable design, thanks to the next-generation of 3D printing machines which are opening up the technique to large-scale industry.

Vladimir Baulin has demonstrated how nanoparticles cross a lipid membrane and says we need to find out how exactly they affect living organisms.
industry | health | interview
25 January 2017

Nanotechnology is like the early days of radioactivity when it comes to knowing the risks – Dr Vladimir Baulin

When radioactive materials were first introduced into society, it took a while before scientists understood the risks. The same is true of nanotechnology today, according to Dr Vladimir Baulin, from University Rovira i Virgili, in Tarragona, Spain, who together with colleagues has shown for the first time how nanoparticles can cross biological - or lipid - membranes in a paper published in the journal Science Advances.

University of Nottingham researchers have created a reactor capable of producing over 1 000 tonnes of nanoparticles a year. Image courtesy: Prof Ed Lester
industry | frontier research
18 January 2017

The microscopic industrial revolution is underway

The current cost of making whisker-like electronic tactile sensors is around EUR 1 million per kilogram.

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