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Interview

Concrete display screens could be integrated into the walls of buildings. ©Dupont Lightstone
interview | science in society
24 June 2014

Concrete screens, the next big thing in outdoor advertising? - Bo Jacobsen

Digital screens made from concrete could mean displays are integrated into the sides of buildings, and make advertising billboards resistant to vandalism, according to Bo Jacobsen, the chief executive of Dupont Lightstone, the driving force behind the EU-funded DIGISTONE project. The project is displaying its first prototype at the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) in Copenhagen from 21 to 26 June.

Eric Dautriat, chief executive of Clean Sky. The Clean Sky JTI is working to reduce the environmental footprint of aviation.
public–private partnerships | interview | environment
20 June 2014

Research can reduce emissions and spur European aerospace innovation – Eric Dautriat

Rethinking aircraft engines and new wing designs have the potential to cut carbon emissions and noise, as well as to boost Europe’s aerospace industry, according to Eric Dautriat, chief executive of the Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative (JTI).

Europe needs strong action, in which private and public investors get together, in order to keep ahead in the global electronics market, according to Dr Andreas Wild, executive director of the ECSEL initiative.
public–private partnerships | interview | industry
13 June 2014

Pooling funding to accelerate the move to smart electronics – Dr Andreas Wild

If we want Europe to gain market share in developing technology for smart devices like phones and tablets, we must embrace public–private partnerships, according to Dr Andreas Wild, executive director of the EU’s new Electronic Components and Systems for European Leadership (ECSEL) Joint Technology Initiative.

Dr Olivier Rabin, science director at the World Anti-Doping Agency, explained that anti-doping is a constant fight to try to detect new substances and methods. ©EC/CE
interview | health
02 June 2014

Gene doping: sport’s next big challenge – Dr Olivier Rabin

The idea that an athlete could change their genes to grow bigger muscles, or increase their body’s production of red blood cells, may sound like the stuff of fantasy, but halting the development of ‘gene doping’ technology is one of the main research priorities of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), according to Dr Olivier Rabin, the organisation’s science director.

Florian Guillermet, the executive director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking, believes there needs to be a fundamental change in the way air traffic is managed.
public–private partnerships | interview | transport
30 May 2014

Europe needs to modernise its sky - Florian Guillermet

European pilots will be able to fold away their maps and free up their radio frequency in favour of more advanced technologies to communicate their trajectories with air traffic control, said Florian Guillermet, the executive director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking. These are just some of the ways in which SESAR, a public-private R&D partnership, is contributing to Europe’s goal of modernising its air traffic management (ATM) system and joining up its fragmented skies.

Hydrogen could make renewable energy a more attractive alternative to fossil fuels, according to Bert De Colvenaer, executive director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking.
public–private partnerships | interview | energy
23 May 2014

Hydrogen could help secure Europe’s energy supply – Bert De Colvenaer

The ability to store electricity using hydrogen could make wind and solar power a secure energy source, freeing Europe from its dependency on imported fossil fuels, according to Bert De Colvenaer, executive director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, a public-private partnership.

Professor Riccardo Valentini, a leading author of the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, believes climate data could be used to help us better adapt to climate change. Photograph courtesy of IISD/Earth Negotiations Bulletin
interview | environment | policy
14 May 2014

We must get more from climate data – IPCC’s Prof. Riccardo Valentini

Climate information should be used not only to address impacts, but also to make agriculture more resource efficient and profitable, starting from regional climate services, according to Professor Riccardo Valentini, a leading author of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report. He explained his ideas in an interview with Horizon on the sidelines of Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, an event on 6 May in Brussels to discuss the implications of the IPCC report.

Anne-Marie Imafidon, the founder of Stemettes, believes that promoting female role models and celebrating their achievements is one way to change attitudes.
interview | science in society | women in science
12 May 2014

Attitudes must change to get more girls to study science – Anne-Marie Imafidon

If more girls are to study science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects at university, then attitudes among parents and society at large must change – that’s according to Anne-Marie Imafidon, a speaker at the EU’s Innovation Convention in March 2014. She passed an A level in computing aged 11, and at 20, she obtained a master’s degree. She is the founder of Stemettes, an organisation which encourages girls to get into STEM subjects by connecting them with women working in the field.

Intellectual property strategist Joren De Wachter believes that copyright law will struggle to be relevant for 3D-printed material.
interview | policy | ict
22 April 2014

Copyright is no protection for 3D-printed goods – Joren De Wachter

Copyright law will struggle to be relevant for 3D-printed material, according to Joren De Wachter, an intellectual property strategist who advises companies and investors on the best way to use, understand and value the intellectual property of 3D­-printed goods.

Dr Saskia Biskup, the first-prize winner of the EU Prize for Women Innovators 2014.
interview | women in science | innovation convention
11 April 2014

Being your own boss benefits career, family – Dr Saskia Biskup

The freedom of running your own company can make it easier to combine work with family. That’s according to human geneticist and entrepreneur Dr Saskia Biskup, the first-prize winner of the EU Prize for Women Innovators 2014. She is the co-founder of CeGaTGmbH, a leading German biotech company that conducts diagnostic testing for genetic diseases.

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