Outside the mountain town of Sabiñánigo in northern Spain, an abandoned chemical factory stands on land still scarred by decades of Lindane production – a pesticide now banned worldwide – which left behind thousands of tonnes of toxic waste. Production ended in the 1980s, but the pesticide’s main by-product, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), continues to leach into […]
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In March 2025, a low-budget independent animation made history by becoming the first Latvian film to win an Oscar. Flow took home the award for Best Animated Feature, beating Hollywood giants Disney and DreamWorks. Co-produced across several European countries on a fraction of a typical Hollywood budget, the film delivered a powerful message about solidarity and acceptance. […]
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In a factory in Waregem, north-west Belgium, a unique piece of machinery accessible only by fingerprint to trusted staff, is transforming old clothing and textiles with the utmost precision, away from prying eyes. Stretching 170 metres, the machine gently untwists woven and knitted fibres, preparing them for reuse. These fibres are at the heart of […]
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In one of Europe’s most forested nations, Estonia, a quiet revolution is transforming the way we think about wood. For centuries, timber has shaped everyday life. It’s used for building homes, crafting furniture and fuelling fires. Now, a lesser-known wood product is taking centre stage. This natural substance is opening new doors for replacing fossil-based […]
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The rolling hills of Umbria present an idyllic view of some of Italy’s finest and oldest olive groves. Now these ancient orchards are helping to combat food fraud, a problem that is costing the EU between €8 and €12 billion every year. Umbrian olive oil producers are providing a group of EU-funded researchers and food […]
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In an industrial quarter outside Buenos Aires, a hummingbird hovers over a vibrant bed of plants and flowers. Two years ago, the area was a stretch of grey streets and factory units. Today, EU-funded researchers are bringing nature to urban Argentina, in a collaboration between European and Latin American cities. The pavements of San Martín, […]
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Professor Didier Plassard is a leading scholar in theatre studies and puppetry at Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3 University in France. He has spent the last five years exploring the rich history of puppet theatre in Europe and its contribution to the development of a common European cultural identity. “Puppets have helped to build a shared cultural […]
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The common perception is that archaeologists spend their time crawling around a dusty dig on all fours, but Serbian researcher Nenad Jončić could not be more different. He uses drones and digital technology to document archaeological sites at risk of disappearing. In January 2016, Jončić, then a postgraduate archaeology student at the University of Belgrade, […]
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With all the fanfare of the Eurovision Song Contest in May this year, it is possible that many missed another European song contest that was taking place at around the same time – the Polifonia Song Contest. Organised by Polifonia, an EU-funded research initiative aimed at protecting and promoting Europe’s musical heritage, the competition sought to […]
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