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Using satellite data from the EU’s Sentinel missions along with other data is helping scientists figure out how to improve shipping safety. Copyright 2016 EUMETSAT
ict | open science | policy | space | environment
10 November 2016

New trends identified by computers that scour web, satellite data

Highly sophisticated computers are mining vast amounts of data from the web, digital maps and satellite imagery to pick out trends in areas like demographics, transport and the environment.

European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič is charge of ensuring that Europe has secure, affordable and climate-friendly energy. Image courtesy of the European Union, 2015
interview | energy | policy | open innovation
08 November 2016

We could turn energy transition into a revolution – Vice-President Šefčovič

The energy sector could see a revolution along the same lines as the digital sector, but we first need to scale up breakthrough technologies and train more experts in areas such as smart grids, storage and renewables, according to Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President of the European Commission, in charge of Energy Union.

Today’s scientists build on the work Marie Skłodowska-Curie and her husband Pierre carried out in the field of radiation. Image credit: ‘Pierre and Marie Curie’ is in the public domain
policy
03 November 2016

What did Marie Skłodowska Curie ever do for us?

One hundred years ago, Marie Skłodowska-Curie was using her scientific knowhow to organise fleets of radiology cars to carry portable X-ray equipment to wounded soldiers on the front line during World War I. Today, thousands of scientists working in fields as diverse as cancer treatment, archaeology and astrophysics continue to build on her work on radiation. As the European funding programme carrying her name celebrates 20 years of operation, Horizon takes a look at her scientific and personal legacy.

The Quito Declaration strengthens the role of science in sustainable urbanisation, according to Dr Niki Frantzeskaki. Image courtesy of Dr Niki Frantzeskaki
interview | environment | policy | open to the world
20 October 2016

UN Quito Declaration puts citizens, scientists at heart of city planning - Dr Niki Frantzeskaki

The United Nation’s declaration on the future of the world’s cities, known as the Quito Declaration, will mean that citizens’ needs are placed at the heart of the urban development process, according to Dr Niki Frantzeskaki, an associate professor at the Dutch Research Institute for Transitions (DRIFT) at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Science, Research and Innovation, said the public is no longer willing to accept scientific advice on trust in a time when contradictory information is available at the touch of a button. Image courtesy of the European Union/ Jennifer Jacquemart, 2016
policy | open science
04 October 2016

Science advisers need to explain the evidence – EU research commissioner

People no longer take science advice on trust, and science advisers need to provide evidence for their recommendations, according to Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Science, Research and Innovation.

Text and data mining uses software that can sift through large quantities of material to find connections and contradictions that would otherwise be impossible to uncover. Image credit: Flickr/ Christiaan Colen
policy | ict | open science
14 September 2016

Copyright shift would put Europe ahead in ‘future of research’ data mining

In today’s digital age, it can feel as though we are drowning in a deluge of data, and the scientific field is no different. According to a 2014 study, one paper is published every 30 seconds, and more than 70 000 papers have been published on a single protein, a tumour suppressor called p53. 

French search engine start-up Qwant has received an EU-backed loan to expand across Europe. Image courtesy of Qwant
policy | ict | open innovation
18 August 2016

Could there be a European Google?

You’ve heard of Google, but you probably haven’t heard of Qwant…. yet. This French search engine, based around the concept of privacy, is just one of a number of companies to receive growth finance from the EU to promote innovation and help European companies compete with their American rivals.

A Swedish SME is making eye-tracking systems that can see if a driver is paying attention behind the wheel. Image courtesy of Smart Eye
policy | ict | open innovation
02 August 2016

Eye tracking in cars from next year as EU SME scheme accelerates

Eye-tracking systems will be available in cars from next year thanks to an EU initiative to back loans to Europe’s high-tech small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Carlos Moedas, said that the public needs to trust scientists to help determine fact from fiction. Credit: Matt Wilkinson for ESOF 2016
policy | open science
28 July 2016

Public should be at heart of 21st-century science – Commissioner Moedas

Enhancing trust in science through public engagement and open, transparent research is vital if we are to avoid descending into a 'post-factual society', according to Carlos Moedas, the European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science.

The EU has dedicated more money for migration research in its updated 2016-2017 work programme. Image credit: ‘Wien - Westbahnhof, Migranten am 5 Sep 2015’ by Bwag is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
social sciences | policy | open science
27 July 2016

EU targets migration with 2017 research budget

The EU has adjusted its 2017 research funding plans to help bring science to bear on Europe's migration problem, enhance open science and increase innovation. 

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