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Physicists, mathematicians and economists have been sharing their research before publication for several decades but Covid gave a shock to biomedicine, where preprints had not been used as widely. Image credit - Sigmund / Unsplash
policy
01 April 2021

How pandemic-driven preprints are driving open scrutiny of research

Covid-19 has changed the way many people live and work. It has also had an impact on the ways many scientists collaborate and carry out their research – and how they release their findings.

Europe needs to see green tech breakthroughs in three areas: air, water and soil, says Dr Matteucci. Image credit - Francesco Matteucci
interview | environment | energy | policy
18 March 2021

Q&A: We need non-critical raw materials for green tech to flourish

Developing new, green technologies has been hailed as a way to both achieve Europe’s environmental goals and support its economic recovery following the coronavirus pandemic. But what type of green technologies do we need and how do we get them scaled up to a point where they can have a real impact?

Commissioner Gabriel says she is proud of the way European scientists and innovations have worked together to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Image credit - European Union
interview | policy
08 October 2020

In the hotseat: 5 questions for Commissioner Gabriel

The only way for Europe to recover from the coronavirus crisis and build a better future is to work together and the pandemic has made that clearer than ever, according to EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel. She told Horizon about the biggest impacts of the pandemic on research and innovation and her vision for where EU-funded research is headed.

Having the euro means that many EU countries are no longer in control over their own currencies and the European Central Bank will play a critical role in Europe’s post-coronavirus recovery, says Prof. Stephanie Kelton. Image credit - European Commission
policy
25 September 2020

Coronavirus recovery: Europe needs investment on a ‘wartime footing’

European governments need to provide investment on a ‘wartime footing’ to stimulate a post-coronavirus economic recovery, but also need to redefine economic success to incorporate climate and social goals, the European Research and Innovation Days conference has heard.

Prof. Sunetra Gupta spoke of her hopes for a pan-coronavirus vaccine at the European Research and Innovation Days conference. Image credit - European Commission
coronavirus outbreak | frontier research | policy
24 September 2020

We ultimately should be able to make a pan-coronavirus vaccine, says theoretical epidemiologist

The world’s pressing need is a vaccine to fight the current threat of Covid-19, but ultimately we may be able to develop a pan-coronavirus vaccine, Sunetra Gupta, a professor of theoretical epidemiology at the University of Oxford, UK, said at the European Commission’s annual research event.

Leuven, Belgium won the 2020 €1 million iCapital cash prize. Image credit - Wouter Hagens/ Wikimedia, licenced under CC BY-SA 3.0
policy
24 September 2020

Leuven named the 2020 European capital of innovation

Leuven, Belgium, has been named the 2020 European Capital of Innovation for its use of innovation to improve residents’ lives.

Following the mission reports handover to Commissioner Gabriel, a final decision on how they can be implemented is expected by the end of 2020. Image credit - European Commission
policy
22 September 2020

Proposals for Europe’s bold 10-year R&I missions officially handed to Commissioner Gabriel

Five ‘mission reports’ outlining ambitious 10-year plans to tackle some of the major challenges faced by Europe were officially handed over to EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel on 22 September at the opening session of this year’s European Research and Innovation Days.

Hydrogen-powered planes are still in their infancy but the first commercial versions could enter the European market by 2035 according to a new report. Image credit - DLR/CC BY-3.0
energy | transport | environment | policy
08 July 2020

Quiet and green: Why hydrogen planes could be the future of aviation

Today, aviation is responsible for 3.6% of EU greenhouse gas emissions. Modern planes use kerosene as fuel, releasing harmful carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. But what if there was another way?

On Bornholm, 80% of homes are heated with a water system fuelled by the burning of waste, straw, biogas, and woodchips. Image credit - Lilly M/Wikimedia commons, licenced under CC BY-SA 3.0
environment | energy | policy
28 April 2020

How to go carbon neutral: Lessons from a Danish island

When fish stocks crashed in the Baltic in the late 1990s, the islanders of Bornholm, Denmark, realised they had to reinvent themselves. Their rocky outcrop, some 200km east of Copenhagen, had been in decline for years. Its 40,000-plus inhabitants needed a new path, and they chose to pursue sustainability.

The science that made smartphones possible was done in the 1940s and 1950s. Image credit - Pixabay/ 7721622, licensed under Pixabay license
frontier research | policy
26 September 2019

Basic research to world-changing applications can take 6 months – or 50 years

All technology and innovation have a science base but to get there requires patience, as the journey from curiosity-driven basic research to a world-changing technology can take six months or 50 years, a panel of Nobel and Kavli prize laureates has said.

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