Sowing the seeds of greater food diversity in Africa

Food system labs across Africa are analysing the nutritional value of less-used crops and their potential to tackle malnutrition. © HealthyDiets4Africa, 2024

Diversifying food sources and developing underused, nutrient-rich crops could help combat malnutrition and enhance food security in Africa. By Andrew Dunne When crop scientist Michael Frei grew up in Germany in the 1980s, television screens were filled with scenes of poverty, drought and destruction in Africa. The 1984 Ethiopian famine brought home to millions the … Read more

Looking to the skies to navigate icy waters

Using satellite data to monitor sea ice and icebergs will significantly improve safety for ships navigating the Arctic region. © Nicolas Dubreuil, 2025

With sea traffic set to rise in a warming Arctic, EU-funded researchers are helping sailors plot a safer course through sea ice and icebergs thanks to more reliable satellite-based forecasts. By Andrew Dunne Nicolas ‘Niko’ Dubreuil, a veteran polar explorer with over three decades of experience in the Arctic, knows first-hand the dangers of navigating … Read more

From sunlight to stored power: how hot air could solve solar energy’s biggest challenge

Combining concentrated heat from the sun and stored compressed air could help solve solar energy’s supply and demand issue. © Alex Tihonovs, Shutterstock.com

EU-funded researchers are looking to hot air to overcome the supply and demand issues faced by solar energy and ease the clean energy transition. By Michael Allen As the world shifts toward renewable energy, one major challenge remains: efficient energy storage. An EU-funded research team is exploring the use of compressed air to store excess energy collected … Read more