An EU-funded project is pushing the envelope on cancer treatment delivery, through the development of emerging technology based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and high-intensity focused ultrasounds (HIFU).

Researchers are combining MRI-guided HIFU with selective nano-medicine to provide a full spatial and temporal control of the drug-release process, enabling cancer treatments to be delivered exactly... read more

According to She Figures 2012, which analyses gender equality in research, in 2010 women accounted for only 10 % of university rectors in Europe and 15.5 % were heads of institutions of the higher education sector. Although, the research has shown that the number of PhD graduates in general is getting closer to gender balance.

However, engineering, technology, natural sciences and mathematics remain a... read more

European researchers have developed and tested a light-weight device capable of detecting extremely minute quantities of explosives from up to 20 metres away, providing an invaluable law-enforcement tool in the fight against bomb attacks.

The EU-funded OPTIX ('Optical Technologies for the Identification of Explosives') team uses advanced optical technologies that can be mounted on a compact remote vehicle... read more

One of the fundamental challenges in the 21st Century is to achieve a greater understanding of the complex interactions between environment and human society. To meet this challenge, the social and environmental sciences need to be better integrated, to move from disciplinary to multidisciplinary research and close the gap between citizens, scientists and policy makers.

The EU-funded EuroGEOSS project... read more

A cutting edge system is being developed to deploy more solar-based energy plants, enabling the delivery of cleaner power more efficiently, while keeping Europe at the leading edge of energy technologies.

The aim of the EU-funded MACCSOL project ('The Development and Verification of a Novel Modular Air Cooled Condenser for Enhanced Concentrated Solar Power Generation') has been to develop more efficient... read more

Europe's vision for the development of electricity networks, which can significantly reduce the environmental impact and allow consumers to play a part in adjusting the system, has turned a vision into a reality. This is also thanks to the project ADDRESS, which stands for ('Active Distribution Network with Full Integration of Demand and Distributed Energy Resources').

This five-year project, answered... read more

Cancer research has taken a huge leap forward with scientists now able to identify more than 80 genetic markers found to increase the risk of breast, ovarian and prostate cancer. The COGS international research initiative is believed to be the largest of its kind.

Although the results have been widely reported, the cross-border efforts behind this monumental initiative have not. Neither has the EU-funding... read more

The drive to decrease the ecological impact of production machines is leading manufactures to focus on novel ways to incorporate energy efficiency in the designing of new products. One answer is the first-ever badminton playing robot - designed to test a software application that optimises energy efficiency in machine design.

The robot is the result of the ESTOMAD project ('Energy Software Tools for... read more

Cancer treatment is one of the most important areas of research in the medical world today. With research predominately conducted in large pharmaceutical research organisations, it is rather significant to hear of small medium enterprises (SMEs) developing their own innovative treatment for cancer.

Two small research-based pharmaceutical companies BioInvent (the primary coordinator), in Sweden and Thrombogenics... read more

Having hospital visits from a robot may sound like a strange form of therapy, but according to robotics experts, they can be extremely helpful therapeutic devices.

The idea comes from the MOnarCH project (Multi-Robot Cognitive Systems Operating in Hospitals). Coordinated by Lisbon's Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), the consortium of nine European companies and research centres from five countries aims... read more