Scientists race to understand the health risks of microplastics

From city air to drinking water, microplastics are becoming impossible to avoid. EU-funded researchers are now exploring how these tiny particles interact with our bodies and assessing their long-term health impact. By Anthony King Visitors to Utrecht’s Wilhelmina Park in the summer of 2023 may have come across an unusual sight: volunteers on stationary exercise … Read more

From floods to wildfires, new ideas are helping Europe adapt to climate extremes

From wildfire-resistant landscapes in Spain to flood warning systems in Denmark, researchers are working with local communities to find, test and deploy practical ways to live with climate change – and to share what works across borders. By Bárbara Pinho Many people expect a raging wildfire to leave a blackened, lifeless landscape in its wake. … Read more

Turning the tide on plastic in Europe’s rivers

From drones and smart cameras to biodegradable packaging, EU-funded researchers are working to remove plastic from rivers before it ever reaches the sea. By Tom Cassauwers From his bedroom desk in the Belgian town of Dendermonde, Gert Everaert used to watch the river Scheldt flow past. Barges and small boats drifted by. Birds fished. But the … Read more

From storms to sensors: how cross-border research with UK partners shapes safer and greener technologies

In one project with UK partners, researchers test automated vehicles to improve safety. © Maikol Funk Drechsler, THI/CARISSMA, 2025

Since the UK rejoined Horizon Europe in 2024, EU-funded cross-border research with UK partners has been delivering safer, smarter, more sustainable technologies for everyday life. By Ali Jones On a test track in southern Germany, engineers watch as an automated vehicle drives through simulated heavy rain. As the vehicle pushes through sheets of water and … Read more