EU-funded researchers are using silk-based bone marrow “factories” to grow platelets in the lab, helping to lower our dependence on limited donor blood supplies. By Hannah Docter-Loeb Every day, hospitals rely on platelet transfusions to stop bleeding, support cancer treatment and help patients recover from surgery and serious illness. Yet one of medicine’s most essential … Read more
Europe has the science. Now it needs the scale. An EU-backed start-up summit is trying to close that gap. By Tom Cassauwers In a conference space at the edge of Brussels, networking reaches a crescendo as a DJ plays music in the background. On the floor, everyone is showcasing their work – from semiconductor chips … Read more
Aviation has an emissions problem. Researchers in four EU-funded projects are betting that hybrid-electric engines could solve it, and aim to demonstrate it by 2030. By Tom Cassauwers Hybrid cars are a regular sight on European roads today. Sitting between internal combustion engines and fully electric vehicles, they run on fuel for some of the … Read more
Thousands of teenagers across Europe have tracked plastic pollution in rivers, and the data they collected is starting to make waves. By Tom Cassauwers Along a small stream in Spain, groups of teenagers are at work. One hovers around a black tarpaulin covered in wet pieces of plastic. Another stands on a small bridge, fishing … Read more
Forests across Europe are struggling with drought, fire and disease. Researchers working to future-proof them say one of the answers lies in their diversity. By Hannah Docter-Loeb In the village of Suonenjoki, the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) stands surrounded by a forest of pine trees. The local soils are not fertile and pine is … Read more
European shipyards are under pressure to cut costs and clean up. A new EU-funded initiative aims to help them do both, with digital tools and better tracking of energy use and materials to improve their environmental footprint and reduce waste. By Anthony King In September 2026, naval architect Thomas Koch is bringing his firm’s virtual … Read more