In the busy Port of Oxelösund, south of Stockholm, a small orange pilot boat braves the waves and the weather to help incoming vessels manoeuvre into port. Beneath its unassuming deck, the future of shipping is being put to the test. The boat’s claim to fame is its new engine, powered not by the usual […]
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Whenever you have a scan at a hospital, both you and the operators are exposed to a small amount of radiation. For hospital staff, this means a slow trickle of exposure every day, slightly increasing their risk of serious diseases like cancer. “We are talking about thousands of people exposed every day in most hospitals,” […]
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To prevent smart household devices from being hacked, researchers are developing ultra-fast, energy-efficient brain-like chips that can detect threats in real time, right on our devices. From smart fridges and TVs to internet-connected toothbrushes, more and more household gadgets are now part of the Internet of Things. That makes it easier to analyse usage data […]
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The Douro River is one of Portugal’s best-known waterways. It flows through the region that produces the famous port wines, and attracts a growing number of tourists each year. That brings economic benefits, but also problems. “Passenger ships are becoming more popular as tourists discover the area,” said Filipe Martins from APDL, the organisation that […]
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As Europe ramps up efforts to transition to a greener economy, hydrogen is taking centre stage as a clean energy solution, particularly for decarbonising sectors like transport and heavy industry. But turning hydrogen into a reliable, large-scale energy source depends on something deceptively simple: the ability to measure it accurately as it moves through the […]
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At the Las Matas train station in the town of Las Rozas, just north of the Spanish capital Madrid, life is going on as usual. The sound of a highway can be heard in the background as a train pulls in. On the roundabout in front of the station, a churros vendor is selling his […]
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In 1990, Fried Vancraen visited a German trade show and was captivated by a 3D printer displayed there – so much so that he bought one for his new company, Materialise. Two years later, with the help of EU funding, he took his small Belgian start-up on a journey that would change the world of […]
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The festive season can be a lonely time for many, and too much time spent online can add to the feeling of isolation. “We have this fantastic tool with the internet, which is really changing the way the people interact,” said Pieter van der Linden, co-founder of French digital solutions company Vivitnet. But the way […]
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A human brain-on-a-chip sounds like something from a science fiction film, a gadget powering its cyborg villain. But chemical and biological engineer Dr Raquel Rodrigues at the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) in Braga, Portugal, believes that such a device will be key to developing more effective treatments for serious neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s. […]
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When brothers Svilen and Konstantin Rangelov first set up a small start-up called Dronamics in their native Bulgaria in 2014, their ambition was to democratise cargo deliveries in Europe and make affordable next-day delivery of packages a reality for even the remotest regions. Remote access They had spotted a major sticking point in the global trade system: the […]
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