Research*eu results magazine. No 22, May 2013.
Date: 2013-06-18
Institutions: CORDIS, Publications Office of the European Union
Subjects: research, research and development, research project, serial publication

ISSN 1977-4028

research eu

R E S U L T S   M A G A Z I N E

No 22  May 2013

In this issue:

Special feature: 

‘Rare diseases and genetic disorders under the microscope’.
Interviews: 
Gloria Gonzàlez of FIMA on 
‘New hope for Acute intermittent porphyria’, page 6
and Charles Redwood on 
‘EU project goes to the heart of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy’, page 9 

Other highlights:

Enriching European humanities, page 14
The road to greater SME involvement, page 18
Infrastructure recycling hits the road, page 23
Advanced radio technologies for fairer 4G communications, page 29
Researchers help develop next-generation bio-plastic materials, page 36
Advancing engine technologies for space exploration, page 41

2

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

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research eu

R E S U L T S   M A G A Z I N E

No 21  April 2013

research eu

R E S U L T S   M A G A Z I N E

No 20  March 2013

research eu

R E S U L T S   M A G A Z I N E

No 19  February 2013

In this issue:

Special feature: 

‘Water of life: desertification, access to clean water’.
Interviews: 

Roberto Ronson of CMCC on ‘Preventing water-related conflict 
in the Mediterranean’ and Peter Wyn-Jones on ‘Is bathing in lakes 

and rivers a thing of the past?’, pages 21 and 28

Other highlights:

Doctor in a cell, page 6
Climate change, water conflicts and human security, page 13
Testing a hydrogen-fuel-based transport infrastructure, page 17
A boost to your mobile signal, page 30
Collecting water from thin air, page 35
Keeping an eye on rising sea levels, page 40

In this issue:

Special feature: 

‘Women in science — and research to improve women’s lives’.
Interviews: 
Sheena Laursen of Experimentarium on ‘Breaking down stereotypes 
towards more women in science’ and Clara Menéendez on ‘Better 
understanding of malaria infection during pregnancy.’

Other highlights:
Innovative bomb-proof luggage container 
to improve aviation safety,  page 16
Cleaner water for a safer future, page 24
TV and the internet: 
a marriage made in entertainment heaven, page 29
Planning for a sustainable plastic future, page 37
How to look young when you are not – 
stars reveal the secret of ageing well, page 42

In this issue:

Special feature: 

‘Biodiversity: supporting vital ecosystems’.
Interviews: 
Dr Elke Schüttler on keeping the peace between Chilean wild cats 
and landowners, page xx

Other highlights:

Giving stroke patients new reason for hope, page x
Reduce energy consumption by 30 % through ICT, page x
‘Beam me to my meeting!’, page x
Employing virtual reality technology 
to revolutionise manual work, page x

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ISSN 1831-9947

ISSN 1831-9947

research eu

R E S U L T S   M A G A Z I N E

No 18  December/January 2012

research eu

R E S U L T S   M A G A Z I N E

No 17  November 2012

research eu

R E S U L T S   M A G A Z I N E

No 16  October 2012

In this issue:

Special feature: 

‘Natural disasters and climate change: 
how science expects the unexpected’
Interview: David Vaughan of the British Antarctic Survey on 
‘Reducing uncertainty in forecasting sea-level rises’, page xx
Other highlights: 
 Improved treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, page x
Drinking water from the sea using solar energy, page xx
Early warning of potential ‘desertification’, page xx
Search technology that can gauge opinion 
and predict the future, page xx
Removing hazardous substances from the air, page xx

In this issue:

Special feature:

‘Power up! The Future of Energy’
Interview: Dimitrios Mendrinos of the Greek Centre for Renewable Energy
Sources and Saving on ‘Rethinking energy from the ground up’, page 12

Other highlights:

New study on genetics of autism, page 6
Modelling land surface and atmosphere interactions, page 24
Ahead in the cloud, page 33
Metal-mediated polymerisation for smart materials, page 40

In this issue:

Special feature: 

‘Natural disasters and climate change:  
how science expects the unexpected’
Interview: David Vaughan of the British Antarctic Survey on  
‘Reducing uncertainty in forecasting sea-level rises’, page 21 
Other highlights: 
 Improved treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, page 6
Drinking water from the sea using solar energy, page 13
Early warning of potential ‘desertification’, page 23
Search technology that can gauge opinion  
and predict the future, page 32
Removing hazardous substances from the air, page 40

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European Commission

No 11  October 2011

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research eu

F O C U S   M A G A Z I N E

No 13  May 2012

research eu

F O C U S   M A G A Z I N E

No 12  February 2012

F O C U S

● A strategy for the Danube 4
● The Innovation Union ﬂ agship initiative 6
● Innovation on the Danube 7
● River transport 10
● Environment matters 12 
● Energy links 17 
● Socio-economic research 20 
● RTDI on the Danube 22

Green innovation
solutions

for sustainable

build 
connect
grow

The Danube 
A river of innovation

European Commission

European Commission

European Commission

No 9  December 2010

ISSN 1831-1903

No 9  May 2011

ISSN 1831-1903

No 8  September 2010

ISSN 1831-1903

F O C U S

● Introduction to RSFF 4
● How does RSFF work? 8
● RSFF progress & fi nance needs 18
● RSFF stories 24
● Other RDI instruments 32
● Key challenges & conclusions 38

F O CU S

● FET overview 5
● Projects in focus 11
● FET community 37
● Publications and info 39

Pilot Flagship 
Initiatives 
pull-out 

F O C U S

● Mobile communications 7
● Micro- and nanoelectronics 10
● Safety critical systems 13
● Digital media 16
● Photonics 19
● Broadband communications 22
● ICT and healthcare 25
● ICT on the roads 28
● Robotics 31
● Information management 34

Future and Emerging 
Technologies

Risk-Sharing 
Finance Facility 
Innovative loans for 
innovative ideas

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research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

Increasing cooperation to tackle rare 
diseases

3

EDITORIAL

ISSN 1831-9947
ISSN 1831-9947

research eu

R E S U L T S   M A G A Z I N E

No 22  May 2013

Although health issues symptomatic of our societies, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, 
neurodegenerative disorders or HIV, tend to remain the centre of attention, there are many other 
conditions — often considered as rare — which can affect people in sometimes extreme ways. In 
Europe, 30 million citizens suffer from one or more of these rare diseases, which currently total 6000 
to 8000.

Two major problems are typical of rare diseases: first, symptoms can vary among patients suffering 
from the same condition. In other words, making a correct diagnosis can be a major challenge. 
Secondly, within the Union, resources are currently fragmented across Member States. It is this issue 
that the EU set out to tackle, notably through increased cooperation in research.

In this issue:

Special feature: 

‘Rare diseases and genetic disorders under the microscope’.
Interviews: 
Gloria Gonzalez of FIMA on 
‘A new treatment for Acute Intermittent Porphyria’, page 6
and Charles Redwood on 
‘EU project goes to the heart of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy’, page 9 

Other highlights:

Enriching European humanities, page 14
The road to greater SME involvement,  page 18
Infrastructure recycling hits the road, page 23
Advanced radio technologies for fairer 4G communications, page 29
Researchers help develop next-generation bio-plastic materials, page 36
Advancing engine technologies for space exploration, page 41

Under the first six calls of the Seventh Framework Programme (2007-2012), the EU has funded 
some 100 projects relevant to rare disease research, with a budget of close to EUR 500 million. And on the occasion of the Rare Disease Day in 
February, it announced EUR 144 million of new funding for 26 research projects on rare diseases.

To highlight these continued efforts, this issue of research*eu results magazine puts ‘Rare diseases and genetic disorders under the microscope’ 
by showcasing the latest findings from EU-funded projects in the regular ‘biology and medicine’ section. We interviewed Dr Gloria González, 
principal researcher in the AIPGENE project which is looking into a new treatment for Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP), as well as Dr Charles 
Redwood from the University of Oxford who coordinated the BIG-HEART project. The latter looks into hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, one of 
the main causes of death among athletes.

Following ‘biology and medicine’, the ‘social sciences and humanities’ section opens on page 14 with ‘Enriching European humanities’. The ‘energy 
and transport’ section starts on page 18 with ‘The road to greener SME involvement’, followed by the ‘environment’ section which kicks off with 
‘Infrastructure recycling hits the road’ on page 23.

‘IT and telecommunications’ begins with ‘Advanced radio technologies for fairer 4G communications’ on page 29, followed by the ‘industrial 
technologies’ section with a story entitled ‘Researchers help develop next-generation bio-plastic materials’, on page 36. Finally, ‘space’ reveals how 
the EU is on track for ‘Advancing engine technologies for space exploration’, on page 41.

The issue ends, as usual, with a list of events and upcoming conferences.

We look forward to receiving your feedback on this issue and on the research*eu publications in general. Send questions or suggestions to: 

cordis-helpdesk@publications.europa.eu 

The editorial team

Want more information on the contents of this issue? 
For online versions or information about the contributors in this issue 

of research*eu results magazine:

- CORDIS: http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace

- Research Information Centre: http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre

Watch this space!

Coming up in issue 23 of research*eu results magazine — a special dossier called
 ‘Preparing the advent of smart cities’.

 
4
4

TABLE OF CON TENT S

BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

6

New hope for Acute intermittent porphyria patients .................................................................................6

A united front to tackle rare diseases ................................................................................................................8

Advancing our understanding of Addison’s disease ...................................................................................8

EU project goes to the heart of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy ............................................................9

Gene therapy for CNS disorders ......................................................................................................................... 10

Improved diagnosis of paediatric mental retardation............................................................................ 11

New hope for treating a rare, lethal skin condition ................................................................................. 12

Single molecule important in many brain diseases ................................................................................ 12

New global initiative to tackle neurodegenerative diseases .............................................................. 13

SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES 

14

Enriching European humanities .......................................................................................................................... 14

Turning the volume down in Europe’s cities ................................................................................................. 15

The privatisation of war .......................................................................................................................................... 16

Exploring culture-speciﬁ c responses to crises ............................................................................................ 16

Unravelling the mysteries of migration ......................................................................................................... 17

ENERGY AND TRANSPORT 

18

The route to greater SME involvement ........................................................................................................... 18

Industrial crops to bloom in Europe ................................................................................................................. 19

Detecting defects in mass transit vehicle panels ..................................................................................... 19

Natural gas-burning diesel engines for marine ﬂ eets ............................................................................ 20

Safer roads on the horizon .................................................................................................................................... 21

An even more ideal fuel cell ................................................................................................................................. 21

Solar energy’s new star ........................................................................................................................................... 22

Establishing the basis for intelligent transport systems ...................................................................... 22

ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY 

23

Infrastructure recycling hits the road .............................................................................................................. 23

Observing the ocean under Arctic ice .............................................................................................................. 24

Treating wood wisely ................................................................................................................................................ 24

Earth system models predict the climate ..................................................................................................... 25

Zoos for science communication — with public input ........................................................................... 25

Microbes provide answer to heavy-metal contamination .................................................................... 26

Minimising viral infection of stone-fruit trees ............................................................................................ 27

 
research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

55

TA BLE OF CONTENT S

Say goodbye to swine fever .................................................................................................................................. 27

Forests: a renewable resource for everyday materials ......................................................................... 28

IT AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS 

29

Advanced radio technologies for fairer 4G communications ............................................................. 29

Satnav innovation beneﬁ ts Europe ................................................................................................................... 30

Micro-imaging, analysis and machining in one device .......................................................................... 31

Make light work for medicine ............................................................................................................................... 32

A boost for Czech research in communications ......................................................................................... 33

Public transport for all ............................................................................................................................................. 34

Advancing research collaboration with GÉANT's high-speed infrastructure ............................. 34

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES 

36

Researchers help develop next-generation bio-plastic materials ................................................... 36

Keeping European electronics competitive globally ................................................................................ 37

High-power ﬁ bre lasers with unprecedented accuracy .......................................................................... 38

Using nanotechnology to detect food contaminants .............................................................................. 38

Packing ‘peanuts’ made of starch and water..............................................................................................39

Sorting increases recyclation and reuse of paper .................................................................................... 40

SPACE 

41

Advancing engine technologies for space exploration ...........................................................................41

A European space exploration roadmap ........................................................................................................ 42

Solar sails help remove orbiting space junk ................................................................................................ 42

Avoiding a solar-induced, global black-out .................................................................................................. 43

Forecasting the weather in space ...................................................................................................................... 44

Improved models of orbiting objects in the Universe ............................................................................ 45

EVENTS 

46

6

BIOLOGY  A ND  ME DI CINE

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

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New hope for Acute intermittent 
porphyria patients

Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is a rare genetic disease which can result in irreversible nerve damage, liver cancer and 
kidney failure. Until now, no cure has been available. But a new gene therapy developed by the AIPGENE project could soon 
make patients’ lives much easier. 

According  to  the  American  Porphyria 
Foundation, one person in 20 000 is at risk 
of contracting AIP. This rare genetic disease, 
in which mutations in the porphobilinogen 
deaminase gene (PBGD) result in insuﬃ  cient 
activity  of  a  protein  necessary  for  heme 
synthesis, leads to an accumulation of toxic 
intermediates. Common symptoms include 
acute, severe abdominal pains, psychiatric 
and neurological disorders, as well as mus-
cular weakness and acute porphyric attacks, 
and can also be life-threatening. 

For patients, this rare disease is o(cid:3) en synony-
mous with long-term suﬀ ering and little hope 
of  being  cured,  as  the  therapies  currently 
available are simply palliative and do not pre-
vent the symptoms or consequences of acute 
porphyric attacks. The only curative therapy is 
liver transplantation, but ﬁ nding a compatible 
donor can be a real challenge.

In  this  context,  the  seven  partners  in 
the  AIPGENE1  project  set  out  to  develop 
the  clinical  use  of  the  new  orphan  drug 

AAV5-AAT-PBGD  in  the  treatment  of  AIP.  
research*eu magazine interviewed Dr Gloria 
Gonzalez,  project  coordinator  of  AIPGENE, 
to  discuss  the  great  potential  of  this  new 
therapy.

What are the main objectives of the 
project?
The  main  aim  of  AIPGENE  is  to  allevi-
ate the negative impact of Acute intermit-
tent porphyria (AIP) on the quality of life of 
patients and their families, the duration of a 

 
research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

patient’s life, as well as the socio-economic 
burden of their condition. So, for the last four 
years we have been developing a new gene-
therapy vector which has already been proven 
to  be  highly  efficient  in  preventing  acute 
porphyria attacks in a mouse model. Going 
by the name of AAV5-AAT-PBGD, this vector 
was granted Orphan Drug Designation for the 
treatment of AIP in 2009, by the European 
Medicines Agency.  

The AAV vector is a recombinant adeno-asso-
ciated virus that carries the corrected ver-
sion of the PBGD gene and expresses it into 
the liver. It has been modiﬁ ed to deliver the 
PBGD expression cassette directly into hepat-
ocytes [liver tissue cells]. In a heterozygous 
AIP patient who demonstrates 50 % of nor-
mal PBGD activity, the vector will prevent the 
accumulation of toxic metabolites and thus, 
porphyric attacks. 

Our main objective is to implement a well-
founded and designed clinical trial to assess 
the tolerance and eﬀ ectiveness of this gene 
therapy for patients with AIP, although posi-
tive  results  may  also  immediately  benefit 
other rare genetic disorders.

What is new or innovative about the 
project?
Gene therapy is still in its infancy. Although 
highly promising results have been achieved 
over the last 10 years in preclinical animal 
models,  the  number  of  clinical  trials  —  in 
particular, successful ones — is very modest.  
Similarly, AAV vectors, which are also consid-
ered promising due to their long-term expres-
sion and excellent safety proﬁ le, have hardly 
been  used  in  medical  trials.  Our  AIP  gene 
therapy trial will be a ﬁ rst for the treatment 
of a genetic metabolic liver disorder. 

The second innovation lies in the fact that, 
until now, one of the major drawbacks for the 
clinical application of AAV vectors has been 
the diﬃ  culty of producing large amounts of 
the vector. One of the AIPGENE consortium 
partners, the Dutch company uniQure, has 
solved this problem by developing its own 
production process for AAV serotype 5 using a 
baculovirus production system.

What first drew you to research in 
this area?
The history of this project goes back 10 years, 
with the hospitalisation of an AIP-affected 
patient at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra 
who  was  going  through  a  very  severe  cri-
sis. The absence of a curative option for this 
patient and the poor performance of the pal-
liative treatments available prompted the cli-
nician in charge of this patient to investigate 
new therapeutic options. 

In parallel, researchers in the Department of 
gene therapy and hepatology at the Centre 

BIO LOGY AND MEDICINE

7

Mrs Angeles Guillamon, Dr Jesus Prieto, Dr Fontanellas

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for  Applied  Medical  Research  have  been 
working for many years on new therapeutic 
strategies for liver malignancies and infec-
tious  diseases  based  on  gene  transfer.  So 
we decided to apply our knowledge on liver-
gene transfer to a genetic metabolic disorder. 
Thanks to the involvement of investigators 
and clinicians experts on AIP, and to the par-
ticipation of uniQure, we were ﬁ nally able to 
develop a vector treatment. 

What difficulties did you encounter 
and how did you solve them?
One of the main difficulties for the smooth 
progress  of  this  project  is  the  scarcity  of 
patients suﬀ ering from a very severe form of 
AIP. Since gene therapy for AIP represents a 
very innovative therapeutic option, the inclu-
sion criteria for an AIP patient to enter the 
phase I trial are very stringent, and not many 
AIP patients fulﬁ l them. Furthermore, not all 
the patients suﬀ ering from a severe form of 
AIP are willing to be test subjects for a new 
therapeutic product. Thus, we had to contact 
many patients and clinicians from Spain and 
abroad to ﬁ nd patients willing to participate 
in the trial. 

Originally, the trial was designed as a phase I/II 
trial to test both the safety and eﬃ  cacy of the 
gene-therapy vector. However, the absence of 
a therapeutic treatment to compare it with 
made establishing a therapeutic end point 
very diﬃ  cult.  A(cid:3) er several meetings to dis-
cuss  this  between  AIPGENE  partners  and 
the consortium’s expert advisory board , we 
switched to a phase I clinical trial to deter-
mine the safety of the therapy and the best 
doses to administer. 

What are the concrete results from 
the research so far?
As well as being able to produce clinical grade 
AAV5-PBGD vector in sufficient amounts to 
treat the patients taking part in the phase I 
trial, we already have some encouraging trial 
results. The vector showed no relevant toxicity 
in preclinical animal models, and no adverse 
events have been observed so far in the six 
human patients who have already received 
the treatment.

What are the next steps in the 
project, or next topics for your 
research?
We started phase I of the AIP clinical trials in 
December 2012, so naturally for us the next 
step is to design the next phases of the clin-
ical trial. We are currently in contact with AIP 
clinicians all over Europe to help us with this. 
Furthermore, we will explore new target dis-
eases that could beneﬁ t from the same type 
of treatment.

1  

 ‘Augmenting PBGD expression in the liver as a novel 
gene therapy for Acute intermittent porphyria’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme ‘Cooperation’ 
under the research theme ‘Health’. 
For further information, see: http://www.aipgene.org/

 
8

BIOLOGY  A ND  ME DI CINE

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

A united front to tackle rare diseases

Collaboration  among  13  European  countries  has  resulted 
in  the  generation  of  a  project-building  platform  to  help 
researchers in the field of rare diseases. The consortium has 
set  up  efficient,  multi-disciplinary  teams  to  tackle  research 
challenges.

Diseases that aﬀ ect one in 2000 
people  are  considered  to  be 
‘rare’. They are o(cid:3) en life-threat-
ening  or  chronically  debilitat-
ing disorders and most of them 
have a genetic origin.

The  very  small  numbers  of 
patients  affected  by  a  spe-
cific rare disease often results 
in  fragmentation  of  research 
efforts and in limited potential 
for commercial development of 
medicinal  products.  However, 
patients with rare diseases are 
entitled to the same level and 
quality of health care.

For  this  reason,  cooperation 
among  research  groups  work-
ing on rare diseases with clinical 
teams  and  biotech  companies 
is urgently required in order to 
convert scientiﬁ c developments 
in the ﬁ eld into diagnostic tools 
and therapies.

T h e   E U - f u n d e d   p r o j e c t 
RAREDISEASEPLATFORM1 aimed 
to create a set of tools intended 
to facilitate collaboration among 
academic  teams,  small  and 
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) 
and even major companies in the 
ﬁ eld of rare diseases. These tools 

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will  help  to  speed  up  research 
and  development  by  support-
ing the cooperation of experts, 
researchers  and  companies. 
The ultimate goal is to generate 
and share diagnostic tools and 
medical products.

research and funding in the ﬁ eld 
of rare diseases. The work of the 
consortium culminated in a ﬁ nal 
report on the state of the art of 
research  and  development  in 
Europe in the field of rare dis-
eases and orphan drugs.

Partners  constructed  a  pub-
licly  available  website  (http://
www.rdplatform.org/) highlight-
ing  the  scope  and  activities  of 
the project. Any information on 
expert groups in Europe, ongoing 
funded research projects, techno-
logical platforms, databases and 
biobanks  relevant  to  rare  dis-
eases research was published on 
the existing Orphanet website.

A  new  multiple-criteria  search 
engine was set up to facilitate 
accessibility  to  information 
regarding rare diseases research 
and availability of orphan drugs. 
In  addition,  a  new  Orphanet 
report series was published to 
present  the  rare  disease  net-
works  in  Europe,  alongside 
reports on patient registries and 
databases in Europe.

The information collected during 
the project was disseminated in 
two workshops, providing a clear 
picture of the current status of 

The  RAREDISEASEPLATFORM 
project  worked  to  bring  all 
stakeholders in the ﬁ eld of rare 
diseases  closer  so  as  to  inte-
grate  related  research.  The 
Orphanet website is seen as a 
valuable step towards achieving 
that goal.

http://asso.orpha.net/
RDPlatform/upload/ﬁ le/
RDPlatform_ﬁ nal_report.pdf

The project was coordinated by 
the National Institute of Health 
and Medical Research (INSERM) 
in France.

1  

 ‘A European platform of integrated 
information services for researchers in 
the field of rare diseases and orphan 
drugs’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Health’.
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 5712

Advancing our understanding of Addison’s disease

Leading  European  investigators  teamed  up  to  study  the 
pathogenesis  and  natural  course  of  the  rare  autoimmune 
adrenal  insufficiency  disease  (Addison’s  disease).  Overall, 
the work enhanced present knowledge of disease genes and 
autoreactive immune cells and paved the way for the design 
of new therapies for this debilitating disorder.

Autoimmune  Addison’s  disease 
(AAD) is a rare endocrine disease 
resulting from the destruction of 
hormone-producing  cells  in  the 
adrenal  cortex  by  the  immune 
system. It is found more often in 
women than men and frequently 
occurs with other autoimmune dis-
eases such as diabetes mellitus.

enhance  our  understanding  of 
the  disease  pathophysiology. 
Based on a European network of 
patient registries and biobanks, the 
Euradrenal consortium followed a 
translational approach in order to 
improve diagnosis and treatment, 
as well as to offer strategies for 
future disease prevention.

The  key  aim  of  the  EU-funded 
EURADRENAL1  project  was  to 

Studies  of  over  2800  patients 
identified reduced bone mineral 

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research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

BIO LOGY AND MEDICINE

9

density and a higher number of 
fractures. Despite the lower levels 
of androgens, sexuality was nor-
mal  but  AAD  patients  exhibited 
higher  frequency  of  premature 
ovarian insufficiency (POI) and a 
lower birth rate.

Scientists conducted single nucleo-
tide polymorphisms (SNPs) geno-
typing on six pedigree dog breeds, 
which showed increased risk for 
canine hypoadrenocorticism, and 
identiﬁ ed a number of novel genes. 
This line of work could be extrapo-
lated to humans and may prove to 
be relevant to the onset of AAD.

Using a candidate gene approach, 
the Euradrenal consortium asso-
ciated  new  susceptibility  genes 
such as NALP1, PD-L1, CLEC16A, 
CD226, CYP27B1, STAT4, Rel and 
GATA3  with  AAD,  extending  the 
number  of  potential  loci  to  14. 
Deep sequencing of AAD patients’ 
DNA is expected to discover rare 
variants  important  in  disease 
pathogenesis.

Investigation into the mechanism 
of  immune-mediated  destruc-
tion of adrenocortical cells iden-
tiﬁ ed a T lymphocyte component 
directed  against  the  enzyme 

21-hydroxylase that is involved 
in cortisol and aldosterone bio-
synthesis. Further dissection of 
this process revealed two distinct 
immune-dominant epitopes in the 
21-hydroxylase molecule, towards 
which  immune  responses  were 
directed.

The  EURADRENAL  project  also 
succeeded in developing replace-
ment  therapy  in  the  form  of 
subcutaneous  hydrocortisone 
infusion.  Using  this  approach, 
partners  managed  to  reconsti-
tute the normal diurnal cortisol 
rhythm, thereby oﬀ ering improved 

quality of life and ability to work 
for many patients.

The project was coordinated by the 
University of Bergen in Norway.

1 

 ‘Pathophysiology and natural course 
of autoimmune adrenal failure in 
Europe’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Health’.
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10506

EU project goes to the heart of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Although, generally speaking, sport is good for our health, it can also have dramatic consequences for those suffering from 
inherited heart diseases. One such disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death 
among athletes.  The BIG-HEART project is playing a major role in better understanding this condition.

With  well-known  events  such 
as  the  death  of  Hungary’s 
Miki  Fehér  and  Scotland’s  Phil 
O'Donnell, who both died from 
h y p e r t r o p h i c   c a r d i o m y o p a -
thy  (HCM)  in  2004  and  2007, 
respectively, the football world 
is no stranger to this disease. In 
fact, the condition is one of the 
most important causes of death 
among athletes across all disci-
plines. On average, around one in 
500 people suﬀ er from HCM — 
that is, about 1 million people in 
the European Union. 

HCM  can  cause  shortness  of 
breath, chest pain, palpitations, 
abnormal fatigue, fainting and, 
in the worst cases, sudden car-
diac  death.  Due  in  part  to  the 
death of high-profile athletes, 
HCM has received considerable 
attention in the medical press 
over the last 10 years. However, 
in light of the variety of symp-
toms leading to clinical presen-
tation, prognostic advice in the 
absence of a genetic diagnosis 
is not an easy task. 

In this context, the BIG-HEART1 
project  set  out  to  use  human 
genetics  to  dissect  the  mech-
anisms  of  HCM.  Started  in 
January 2010 and involving ﬁ ve 
academic  centres,  the  project 
is  very  close  to  its  completion 

at  the  end  of  June  this  year. 
Dr  Charles  Redwood,  project 
coordinator  of  BIG-HEART,  has 
granted research*eu results mag-
azine  an  exclusive  overview  of 
the project results.

What are the main 
objectives of the project?
BIG-HEART  is  focused  on  gain-
ing  a  greater  understanding 
of  the  inherited  heart  disease 
hypertrophic  cardiomyopathy 
(HCM),  which  is  characterised 
by  left  ventricular  hypertrophy 
and  myocyte  disarray.  It  was 
the first inherited heart disease 
to be characterised at the mo-
lecular  genetic  level,  with  the 
demonstration that it is caused 
by  mutations  in  genes  that 
encode diﬀ erent components of 
the  cardiac  contractile  appar-
atus. Existing in vitro and mouse 
model  studies  have  suggested 
that  HCM  mutations  enhance 
heart-muscle  contractility  and 
impair  its  relaxation.  We  have 
hypothesised that these changes 
may  result  in  energetic  com-
promise, due to inefficient ATP 
utilisation  [Adenosine  triphos-
phate — used in cells to transfer 
energy], and also in altered cal-
cium ion (Ca2+) handling. If val-
idated in the human heart, these 
hypotheses will identify tractable 
therapeutic targets that suggest 

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Incorporation of a HCM mutant protein (red) into the myofilament 
structure of a cardiomyocyte with the individual contractile units 
(sarcomeres) separated by the protein alpha-actinin (green).

that  HCM,  perhaps  more  than 
any other cardiomyopathy, will 
be amenable to disease-modify-
ing therapy. 

With this project, we have set out 
to collect and genotype a large 
collection of both affected HCM 
and appropriate control human 
myocardium, and to measure the 
diﬀ erences in protein expression, 
contractility, protein phosphoryla-
tion and sarcomeric structure. We 
have  tested  novel  therapeutic 
strategies  to  address  aspects 
of HCM pathogenesis in several 
mouse  models  and,  finally,  we 
have  employed  patient-based 
studies to interrogate aspects of 
disease progression and to test 

specific  intervention  based  on 
existing hypotheses. This multi-
disciplinary approach should help 
us gain further understanding of 
HCM in order to yield improved 
therapeutic strategies.

What is new or innovative 
about the project and the 
way it addresses these 
issues?
Due  to  our  collaborative  inter-
action, we have collected sam-
ples  of  heart  tissue  from  over 
160  HCM  patients  along  with 
over  20  control  samples.  We 
have  coordinated  the  sharing 
of  this  unique  and  extremely 
powerful resource to allow 
analyses to be undertaken 

>

 
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BIOLOGY  A ND  ME DI CINE

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

at the diﬀ erent partner laborato-
ries. We have used it to system-
atically measure the diﬀ erences 
in contractile parameters, protein 
expression and phosphorylation, 
electrophysiology and sarcomeric 
structure  between  normal  and 
aﬀ ected samples.

What first drew you to 
research in this area?
My background is in protein bio-
chemistry, and during my PhD I 
studied structure-function rela-
tionships of caldesmon, a pro-
tein  involved  in  the  regulation 
of  smooth  muscle  contraction. 
I was interested in which speciﬁ c 
amino  acids  of  this  multifunc-
tional protein were responsible 
for  a  given  function.  When  it 
became apparent that missense 
mutations causing single amino 
acid substitutions in cardiac con-
tractile proteins can cause car-
diomyopathy, this immediately 
presented  as  an  exciting  new 
ﬁ eld in which to investigate how 
these mutations alter contractil-
ity and to give insight into the 
molecular mechanism of disease.

What difficulties have you 
encountered and how have 
you solved them?
Some of our work has used mouse 
models of HCM. In more than one 
instance,  the  particular  mouse 
model held by one of the partner 
laboratories did not sufficiently 
replicate aspects of the human 
disease. We have overcome this by 
the transfer of transgenic mouse 
lines between partners.

What are the concrete 
results from the research 
so far?
We  have  made  significant  pro-
gress on many fronts and I will 
give  two  illustrative  examples. 

First, the work led by Lucie Carrier 
in  Hamburg  has  explored  the 
use  of  ‘Spliceosome-mediated 
RNA trans-splicing’ (SmaRT), an 
emerging  tool  for  RNA-based 
therapy  of  genetic  diseases. 
[Ribonucleic  acid  (RNA)  is  vital 
for a number of roles in coding 
or expression of genes — mes-
senger RNA (mRNA), for example, 
can convey genetic information]. 
SmaRT  is  very  attractive  since 
trans-splicing  occurs  by  using 
the  endogenous  spliceosome 
machinery  in  the  nucleus  and 
does  not  require  the  introduc-
tion of the complete target gene. 
Trans-splicing  occurs  between 
an engineered ‘pre-trans-splicing 
molecule’ (PTM) and the target 
pre-mRNA  precursor.  Neonatal 
cardiomyocytes  were  isolated 
from  mice  in  which  a  Mybpc3 
mutation results in exon skipping. 
Transfection of the cardiomyo-
cytes with adeno-associated virus 
containing  different  PTM  con-
structs resulted in production of 
full-length mRNA and protein in 
which the mutation had been cor-
rected. This is an important proof 
of principle for this strategy, and 
gives encouragement for the use 
of  this  or  similar  gene-therapy 
approaches in the treatment of 
HCM.

Then, clinical work led by Iacopo 
Olivotto  in  the  Florence  group 
has  focused  on  differences 
between HCM patients with sar-
comeric  gene  mutations  and 
those in which no mutation has 
been  detected.  HCM  patients 
with  sarcomeric  gene  muta-
tions are characterised by more 
severe  impairment  of  micro-
vascular function and increased 
prevalence of myocardial fibro-
sis, compared to genotype-neg-
ative individuals. These ﬁ ndings 

suggest  a  direct  link  between 
sarcomere gene mutations and 
adverse  remodelling  of  the 
microcirculation in HCM, account-
ing for the increased long-term 
prevalence  of  ventricular  dys-
function and heart failure in gen-
otype-positive  patients.  These 
findings emphasise the clinical 
relevance of systematic genetic 
screening  in  HCM  populations, 
potentially guiding surveillance 
strategies  and  early  medical 
intervention aimed at preventing 
disease  progression  in  predis-
posed individuals.

How and when do you 
expect BIG-HEART findings 
to help HCM patients?
I hope that the diﬀ erent aspects 
of  our  broad  approach  to  the 
understanding of HCM will yield 
significant  benefits  for  HCM 
patients.  The  clinical  inves-
tigations  and  the  testing  of 
novel  therapeutic  strategies  in 
mouse models are likely to have 
the  more  immediate  impact. 
Furthermore, our basic science 
work — led by Jolanda van der 
Velden  (Amsterdam),  Corrado 
Poggesi  (Florence)  and  Steven 
Marston  (London)  —  on  gain-
ing a fuller understanding of the 
eﬀ ect of HCM mutations on heart 
muscle  function  is  resulting  in 
changes to our models of HCM 
pathogenesis.  This  will  prompt 
further modiﬁ cations of existing 
strategies and suggest investiga-
tions into additional new transla-
tional approaches.

What are the next steps in 
the project, or next topics 
for your research?
The closing months of the grant 
will  allow  us  to  complete  our 
BIG-HEART  work,  including  the 
study of the eﬃ  cacy of the drug 

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Dr Charles Redwood

perhexiline in reversing aspects 
of  the  HCM  phenotype  in  a 
mouse model. In future, we will 
continue to deﬁ ne the functional 
alterations in cardiac muscle in 
HCM, both at the clinical and ex 
vivo levels, and develop mouse 
models  of  the  disease  to  test 
therapeutic  strategies.  We  will 
also study the mechanism of dis-
ease caused by HCM mutations 
in genes which encode non-sar-
comeric proteins. The strong col-
laborations established between 
the  centres  will  continue  in 
future joint research projects.

1 

 ‘Bench-to-bedside integrated 
approach to familial hypertrophic 
cardiomyopathy: to the HEART of the 
disease’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under the 
research theme ‘Health’. 
For further information, see: 
http://www.big-heart.eu/

Gene therapy for CNS disorders

Gene therapy entails the specific transfer of genetic information into affected cells and tissues  
to restore function in diseased areas. European scientists aimed to apply this approach to 
neurological disorders where no alternative treatments are available.

Significant  progress  has  been 
made  over  the  last  decade  in 
understanding mechanisms and 
principles of both normal brain 

function and central nervous sys-
tem  (CNS)  disorders.  Although 
this  information  makes  new 
treatments for nervous system 

diseases  more  realistic,  cur-
rent pharmacological treatment 
strategies for neurodegenerative 
diseases oﬀ er only symptomatic 

relief and cannot influence the 
course of the disease.

Although  still  an  experimental 
approach,  gene  therapy  pre-
sents  a  promising  strategy  for 
permanently  correcting  a  gen-
etic phenotype. Several proteins 
and regulatory RNAs have been 

 
research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

BIO LOGY AND MEDICINE

11

identified  to  regulate  normal 
brain  function  and  affect  dis-
ease progression. Targeting these 
molecules directly through gene 
therapy may be more time- and 
cost-eﬀ ective compared to medi-
cations developed through clas-
sical pharmacology.

specifically  delivered  thera-
peutic genes to astrocytes and 
to the main target cell popula-
tion aﬀ ected by Parkinson’s dis-
ease. Through speciﬁ c promoters 
and  regulatory  protein-based 
approaches,  partners  achieved 
targeted transgene expression.

Seeking  to  treat  major  neu-
rodegenerative  disorders,  the 
EU-funded NEUGENE1 initiative 
worked  to  overcome  existing 
limitations of current gene ther-
apy vectors for safe and eﬃ  cient 
approaches. The consortium used 
Parkinson's disease as a model, 
the  goal  being  to  target  viral 
vectors to specific cell types of 
the brain and achieve regulated, 
efficient and safe expression of 
therapeutic molecules in either 
neurons or glia.

Vectors  based  on  adeno-asso-
ciated  virus  (AAV)  and  lentivi-
rus  (LV)  were  developed  that 

With  respect  to  safety  of  the 
developed vectors, the consor-
tium showed that existing immu-
nity  towards  AAV  serotype  2 
could  compromise  the  effi-
ciency of transfer and transgene 
expression. The use of alternative 
vectors based on ‘equine infec-
tious  anaemia  virus’  (EIAV),  to 
which humans are not naturally 
immunocompetent, argued for a 
superior safety proﬁ le.

NEUGENE  vectors  were  func-
tionally  validated  in  a  mouse 
model  for  Parkinson’s  disease, 
d e m o n s t r a t i n g   r e s t o r a t i o n 
of  motor  performance.  Also, 

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neurotrophin-expressing vectors 
were patented and put forward 
for clinical development.

The project was coordinated by 
the  University  Medical  Center 
Göttingen in Germany.

Overall, the NEUGENE research 
solved signiﬁ cant issues regard-
ing  the  gene  therapy  of  CNS 
disorders. The newly developed 
vectors  boasted  efficient  yet 
cell-restricted  and  regulated 
transgene expression, setting the 
basis for gene therapy for CNS 
disorders.

1 

 ‘Advanced gene therapy tools for 
treatment of CNS-specific disorders’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Health’.
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 6481

Improved diagnosis of paediatric mental retardation

An  interdisciplinary  Eastern  Europe  and  Central  Asia  (EECA)  consortium  carried  out  an  extensive  study  on  patients  with 
intellectual disability to identify the genetic origin of the disease. Project results could lay the basis for a significant improvement 
in clinical and educational developments.

Intellectual  disability  (ID)  is  a 
neurodevelopmental  disorder 
that aﬀ ects 1-3 % of the popu-
lation  and  is  characterised  by 
a substantial limitation in cog-
nitive  functioning.  Nearly  half 
of the cases are of genetic ori-
gin  and  retardation  manifests 
before the age of 18 years.

Any  possibility  for  early  diag-
nosis or prevention is depend-
ent  on  the  identification  of 
gene defects and chromosome 
abnormalities  associated  with 
this disorder. Based on this, the 
EU-funded  CHERISH 1  project 
aimed to contribute to the diag-
nostic investigation of aﬀ ected 
children  in  countries  involved 
using genetic testing.

By  means  of  an  interdiscip-
linary  consortium  of  experts, 
the overall goal of the project 
was to develop a standardised 
approach  for  clinical  diagno-
sis of ID and, through a clinical 

biobank,  to  identify  cryptic 
chromosomal  rearrangements, 
mutations  and  genes  respon-
sible  for  the  disorder.  To  this 
end,  researchers  performed 
‘whole  genome  array-compar-
ative  genomic  hybridisation’ 
(CGH)  and  single  nucleotide 
polymorphism  (SNP)  analyses 
on blood samples from patients 
and family members.

M a n y   c r y p t i c   r e a r r a n g e -
ments  were  detected  by  CGH 
in patients where conventional 
karyotyping, targeted FISH, mo-
lecular tests and investigations 
for  metabolic  disorders  had 
previously failed to reveal any 
causative anomalies. This clearly 
indicated  that  the  Cherish-
proposed  technologies  could 
significantly  improve  current 
molecular diagnosis of ID.

Copy number variations (CNVs) 
were  screened  against 
d a t a b a s e s   o f   n a t i o n a l 

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BIOLOGY  A ND  ME DI CINE

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

general  populations,  and  the 
potential  clinical  significance 
of  CNVs  not  present  in  non-
aﬀ ected individuals was evalu-
ated using OMIM and DECIPHER 
databases.  With  respect  to  ID 
causative  genes,  two  genes 
involved  in  small  interstitial 
deletion  (CADPS2  on  chromo-
some  7q31  and  PCDH18  on 
chromosome  4q28)  were  con-
sidered excellent candidates and 
were used for further studies.

Affected individuals from fam-
ilies  with  ID  were  selected  for 
whole exome sequencing (WES) 
to analyse almost all the known 
exons (protein-coding gene por-
tions) of ID-causing genes. This 
method oﬀ ers the advantage of 
speeding up the molecular diag-
nosis of heterogeneous genetic 
disorders such as ID.

By  applying  different  state-
of-the-art  methodologies,  the 

CHERISH consortium succeeded 
in  characterising  the  genetic 
basis  of  various  forms  of  ID 
while providing novel means for 
diagnosis. The work is expected 
to  increase  awareness  on  the 
possible genetic origin of ID and 
the  beneficial  implications  of 
novel therapeutic strategies.

The  project  was  coordinated 
by the University of Bologna in 
Italy.

1 

  ‘Improving diagnoses of mental 
retardation in children in central 
eastern Europe and central Asia 
through genetic characterisation and 
bioinformatics/statistics’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Health’.
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10810

New hope for treating a rare, lethal skin condition

There  is  light  at  the  end  of  the  tunnel  for  sufferers  of  a 
rare, autoimmune blistering condition known as pemphigus 
vulgaris.  EU-funded  scientists  and  clinicians  have  joined 
forces  to  find  out  how  the  disease  develops  so  they  can 
identify potential targets for therapies.

Without  treatment,  pemphigus 
vulgaris  sores  could  become 
so  infected  that  the  condi-
tion  becomes  fatal.  Although 
well  characterised,  there  are 
still no specific therapies avail-
able  to  treat  this  potentially 
lethal  disease.  Unfortunately, 
current  treatments,  like  the 

administration of steroids, have 
many side eﬀ ects.

Researchers  already  know  that 
the characteristic lesions on the 
skin  and  mucous  membranes 
are  caused  by  an  autoimmune 
response: the body’s own immune 
system  destroys  desmoglein 

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(Dsg), the ‘glue’ that keeps adja-
cent skin cells together. What they 
do not know is how and why this 
happens,  which  is  the  question 
that EU-funded scientists wanted 
to answer with the PEMPHIGUS1 
project.

The scientists used three diﬀ er-
ent mouse models to character-
ise the body’s immune response 
to Dsg3. They found that CD4+ 
T  cells  sensitive  to  Dsg3  are 
n e c e s s a r y   fo r   t h e   i m m u n e 
response. The CD4+ T cells and 
B-cells interact to create antibod-
ies speciﬁ c to Dsg3.

When  these  antibodies  then 
interact with the skin cell mem-
brane,  the  cell  relays  informa-
tion about the antibody through 
various molecules right down to 
its own DNA to turn genes on or 
oﬀ  in response. By characterising 
this signalling pathway, project 
researchers were able to identify 
a number of new potential ther-
apy targets.

The  insights  gained  into  how 
the immune system responds to 
Dsg3 can be used to create more 
specific diagnostic tests, which 
will enable doctors to monitor a 
patient’s condition more effect-
ively. Better diagnostic tools and 
potential  targets  for  therapies 
will also allow doctors to improve 
treatment  and  prevent  side 
eﬀ ects and comorbidity. In future, 
Pemphigus  vulgaris  sufferers 
should  be  able  to  live  longer, 
happier and healthier lives.

The project was coordinated by 
Philipps-Universität Marburg in 
Germany.

1  

 ‘From autoimmunity to disease’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Health’.
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 6121

Single molecule important in many brain diseases

European  scientists  studied  a  molecular  mechanism  that 
may underlie a variety of neurodegenerative brain diseases 
including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and a form of dementia.

Changes  in  brain  function  are 
mediated  predominantly  by 
changes in the structures of neu-
rons (cells of the nervous system 
including the brain) rather than in 
their number. While a very small 

population of neurons may retain 
the ability to divide into adulthood, 
increased functionality is primarily 
due to an increase in the number 
of contacts among already existing 
neurons.

Although neurons have a spheri-
cal, water balloon-type cell body 
characteristic of many other cells, 
they also have specialised signal-
receiving and -sending structures 
extending in opposite directions. 
The dendritic tree (receiving struc-
ture)  is  literally  like  the  many 
branches of a tree and provides 
a huge surface area over which 
axons (transmitting structures) of 

other neurons can make contacts 
(synapses).

Very specialised tiny mushroom-
like bumps on the dendrites (den-
dritic spines) are the actual sites 
of signal transmission. The mech-
anisms underlying the formation 
of synapses on the spines are a 
very important area of research. 
Normal  learning  and  memory 

 
 
 
 
research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

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rely on dendritic spine formation. 
Dysfunction  of  spine-formation 
processes  is  involved  in  cogni-
tive decline in normal ageing as 
well  as  in  pathological  condi-
tions  such  as  AD  and  ‘familial 

fronto-temporal dementia’ (FTD), a 
type of dementia.

European  scientists  studied  the 
rapid movement and reorganisa-
tion via microtubule (MT)-mediated 

BIO LOGY AND MEDICINE

13

transport of the building blocks of 
spines. In particular, they focused 
on the molecule GSK-3 that con-
trols, in part, the phosphate groups 
bound to the MT-associated pro-
tein  tau  and  tau's  associated 
activity.  With  EU  funding  of  the 
NEURO. GSK31 project, scientists 
developed  preclinical  models 
(transgenic mice and transfected 
cultured  neuronal  cells)  of  tau-
related AD and FTD.

Enhanced  understanding  of  the 
role of molecular transport dys-
function  in  synaptic  spine  for-
mation  could  help  explain  the 
similarity in mechanism of clini-
cally  diverse  neurodegenera-
tive diseases. Identification of a 
similar mechanism could make the 

possibility of a single treatment for 
numerous debilitating diseases a 
reality.

The project was coordinated by the 
University of Leuven in Belgium.

1  

 ‘GSK-3 in neuronal plasticity 
and neurodegeneration: basic 
mechanisms and preclinical 
assessment’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Health’.
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10071

New global initiative to tackle neurodegenerative diseases

European  countries  and  research  teams  have  joined  forces, 
pooling national expertise and resources to wage battle against 
debilitating  neurodegenerative  diseases  such  as  Alzheimer's. 
Neurodegenerative disorders are incurable debilitating conditions 
that lead to progressive degeneration or death of nerve cells. 
Today, in Europe, over 7 million people suffer from Alzheimer's 
disease and related disorders. This figure is expected to double 
by 2020 as the European population ages.

In 2010, to tackle this challenge, 
22 EU countries launched the ﬁ rst 
Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) 
on combating neurodegenerative 
diseases (JPND) – http://www.jpnd.
eu. JPND is a completely new col-
laborative approach to European 
health  research  between  coun-
tries, with a shared vision to speed 
up progress towards new treat-
ments, identify preventive strat-
egies and improve patient care. In 
September 2010, a three-year co-
ordination action in support of the 
implementation of JPND, entitled 
JUMPAHEAD1, was established to 
help achieve this vision.

JUMPAHEAD partners carried out a 
mapping exercise of the combined 
resources  and  current  research 
status  in  neurodegeneration  in 
Europe.  The  resulting  mapping 
data estimates that EUR 370 mil-
lion is spent annually on research 
into  neurodegenerative  disease 
across Europe, but several areas 
are notably underfunded, particu-
larly clinical research and research 

into  healthcare  and  social  care. 
JPND is looking to build capacity in 
the research areas of most need 
particularly in clinical and health-
care/social research with the aim of 
ﬁ ghting the fragmentation of fund-
ing in Europe.

In 2012, JPND countries launched 
a  common  strategic  research 
agenda (SRA) for the next five to 
10 years, with ﬁ ve scientiﬁ c priori-
ties identiﬁ ed as key areas of need 
in order to address the challenge in 
its totality. The strategy establishes 
a platform for future EU-wide activ-
ity and a reference point for devel-
oping national and organisational 
strategic plans. 

Through JUMPAHEAD, and together 
with all JPND partner organisations, 
standard procedures for common 
joint activities have been developed; 
over EUR 45 million has been made 
available since 2011, through a 
number of joint transnational calls 
for proposals. Four collaborations, 
including 82 sub-projects, are being 

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funded under the first joint trans-
national call for European research 
projects  for  the  optimisation  of 
biomarkers and harmonisation of 
their use between clinical centres, 
launched in May 2011 with a total 
budget of about EUR 15 million. The 
ﬁ rst phase of SRA implementation 
(2012-2014) has already begun, 
with the total projected investment 
from participating JPND countries 
over the next three years expected 
to be over EUR 100 million in cash 
contributions (importantly, this does 
not include in-kind resources).

JPND  has  worked  to  communi-
cate and disseminate the beneﬁ ts 
of  participation  to  both  internal 
and external audiences, and has 
engaged in strategic relationship-
building  with  key  stakeholders. 
They have also published articles 
in relevant publications, such as 
Lancet Neurology, Nature magazine 
and the EU's Parliament Magazine. 
Other activities include the creation 

of  a  stakeholder  database  and 
monitoring exercises to track pro-
gress and measure the project's 
impact. Options for future engage-
ment  and  partnership  with  key 
stakeholders are being considered 
to address the huge challenge that 
neurodegenerative diseases pose to 
health and society across Europe.

The  project  was  coordinated  by 
the  National  Institute  of  Health 
and Medical Research (INSERM) in 
France.

1  

 ‘Coordination Action in support 
of the implementation of a Joint 
Programming Initiative for Combating 
Neurodegenerative Diseases, in 
particular Alzheimer’s disease’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Health’.
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10222

 
 
 
 
14

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

SOCI AL SCIEN CES A N D  HU MA N IT IES

Enriching European humanities

Two new humanities-related themes under the European Research Area will probe cultural dynamics and creativity through a 
myriad of projects in a cross-European context.

The  humanities  are  a  complex  set  of  aca-
demic disciplines that include language, liter-
ature, philosophy, religion and history. Critical 
and/or speculative approaches are used in 
humanities research.

While  a  main  EU  focus  is  on  scientific 
research and technology, the Union is also 
interested  in  advancing  the  humanities  in 
diﬀ erent ways. The EU’s HERA JRP1 recently 
established  two  themes  that  help  further 
humanities across Europe. One is ‘Cultural 
Dynamics: Inheritance and Identity’, and the 
other is ‘Humanities as a Source of Creativity 
and Innovation’.

The  two  themes  are  set  to  address  major 
social, cultural, and political challenges facing 
the continent. HERA JRP is bringing together 
13 national funding organisations to create 
collaborative research opportunities across 
the EU. Together, partners from diﬀ erent EU 
nations developed common research priori-
ties, created a national funding mechanism 
and pooled much of their funding.

Projects  under  these  themes  were  then 
opened  to  scholars  in  Austria,  Croatia, 
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, 
Luxembourg,  the  Netherlands,  Norway, 
Slovenia, Sweden and the UK, regardless of 
their nationality. To apply for project fund-
ing (a total of EUR 16.5 million) under these 
grants, interested scholars and researchers 
formed consortia with members from three 
diﬀ erent HERA JRP countries.

The project proposals were evaluated by two 
international, independent HERA JRP review 
panels. A pleasingly high number of proposals 
were submitted for the two humanities ﬁ elds, 
and the budget was eventually awarded to 
the 19 most successful proposals. The two 
theme-speciﬁ c launch conferences, referred 
to above, took place in Vienna during June 
2010.

In parallel, the HERA JRP formulated a knowl-
edge-transfer strategy aimed at increasing 
awareness of the impact of funded research 
beyond  academia.  Already,  knowledge 

transfer and networking are bringing together 
academic and non-academic partners from 
more than one HERA JRP project, extending 
the study of humanities to diﬀ erent sectors. 
Thought-provoking results as well as diﬀ er-
ent approaches to subjects such as philoso-
phy, history, sociology, law and politics will 
undoubtedly enrich Europe in novel ways.

The project was coordinated by NWO in the 
Netherlands.

1 

 ‘Joint Research Programme on Humanities in the 
European Research Area’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme ‘Cooperation’ 
under the research theme ‘Socio-economic sciences and 
humanities’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 
6338

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research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

15

S OC IAL S C IENC ES  AND  HUMA NIT IES

Turning the volume down in Europe’s cities

Millions  of  European  city  dwellers  endure  urban  noise 
pollution  every  day.  Apart  from  its  nuisance  value,  noise 
in  Europe  has  health  risks,  with  stress  and  cardiovascular 
issues  being  particular  concerns,  according  to  the  World 
Health Organization (WHO). The social costs of traffic noise 
in  Europe  have  been  estimated  at  0.4 %  of  total  economic 
output, mainly from road transport.

This phenomenon has now been 
recognised by the EU as an en-
vironmental issue. The European 
Commission  unveiled  plans  in 
December  2011  to  cut  vehi-
cle  noise  in  the  coming  years. 
And the 2002 EU Environmental 
Noise  Directive  already  placed 
heavy obligations on city author-
ities to address the problem. To 
support  them,  the  Commission 
has invested millions of euros in 
research projects to ﬁ nd new ways 
of reducing urban noise. 

Until recently, research into noise 
reduction focused mainly on insu-
lating  buildings  against  urban 
noise.  Little  attention  has  been 
given to quietening the urban en-
vironment itself, although this is 
now changing. 

‘Urban  noise  can  be  tackled  in 
two  ways.  If  we  can  do  some-
thing with the source of the noise 
ﬁ rst, we will. A(cid:3) er that, we look 
at the way sound is propagated 
and  perceived,’  explains  Jens 
Forssén of Chalmers University 
of  Technology,  Gothenburg, 
and  the  project  coordinator  of 
HOSANNA1, an EU-funded project 
tasked with investigating urban 
noise. 

HOSANNA provided a toolbox to 
reduce road and rail noise pollu-
tion that goes beyond traditional 
solutions  such  as  sound  barri-
ers and speed limits. ‘We looked 
at a range of solutions that can 
help with urban noise reduction. 
For example, sound barriers that 
exploit so(cid:3)  materials, vegetation 
or  possibly  recycled  materials 
could achieve significant reduc-
tion  in  noise  compared  to  the 
straight-sided  sound  barriers 
commonly  used  now,’  Forssén 
says.  ‘The  perception  of  the 
sound scope overall is very im-
portant, which is why we applied 
a range of assessments, includ-
ing  questionnaires  and  even 
physiological measurements of 
stress, to assess the effective-
ness  of  the  measures  we  will 
ﬁ nally recommend.’

The 13 project partners involved 
in HOSANNA, which ran for three 
years  until  November  2012, 
were  supported  by  a  EUR  3.9 
million  EU  grant.  The  project’s 
wide-ranging  proposals  have 
already attracted interest from 
architects, city planners, acous-
tic  consultants,  noise  control 
engineers,  and  various  other 
decision-makers. 

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One  success  story  supported 
by  HOSANNA  focused  on  Lyon 
in  France,  where  research-
ers showed that a natural plant 
sound  shield  could  deliver  sig-
nificant  noise  reduction.  A  bar-
rier just 15m long, 1m high and 
40cm thick was set up in front 
of  the  Church  of  St  George  on 
Lyon’s busy Quai Fulchiron.  The 
wall was made of recycled mater-
ials, including coconut ﬁ bres, lava 
stones and around 1200 diﬀ erent 
plants.

‘Although it is low in height, it is 
able to muﬄ  e sounds,’ says Bruno 
Vincent, a director at Acoucité, a 
Lyon-based  urban  noise  obser-
vatory  that  worked  on  the 
HOSANNA  project.  The  acoustic 
performance of the barrier was 
measured before and a(cid:3) er it was 
erected, with pedestrians asked 
to assess the sound environment. 
‘The prototype was able to stop 
sound waves and create a quiet 
acoustic zone: the noise reduction 
behind the wall was estimated at 
between four and eight decibels,’ 
Vincent says. 

Vincent, who has a PhD in envir-
onmental psychoacoustics, says 
the barrier was also successful in 
raising interest among politicians 
and city engineers. ‘It addressed 
a  real  problem  with  a  solution 
that  is  both  practical  and  vis-
ually pleasing. And being acous-
tically efficient and aesthetically 
attractive  it  is  good  for  us  and 
for  our  quality  of  life,’  Vincent 
concludes. 

Reducing  noise  at  source  is  an 
obvious place to start when tack-
ling noise pollution. While tyres 
are widely acknowledged as the 
biggest  source  of  noise  in  the 
urban  environment,  noise  from 
cooling systems in vehicles such 
as cars and trains can come close. 

E C O Q U E S T 2,   s u p p o r t e d   b y 
a  EUR  2.4  million  EU  grant, 
addressed  the  issue  by  looking 
into vehicle cooling systems. The 
project,  which  runs  until  mid-
2013, has developed innovations 
that could lead to cooling units 
with reduced noise profiles and 
decreased CO2 emissions. 

The project has focused on cooling 
systems in trains and cars, design-
ing new compact layouts, innova-
tive heat-management strategies 
and low energy/noise components. 
‘We developed methodology for 
tools to make predictions about 
more eﬃ  cient and quieter systems. 
And we have been applying these 
tools to fans,’ says Manuel Henner, 
one of ECOQUEST’s researchers. 

Henner, who is also an expert on 
fan systems and airﬂ ow manage-
ment at French car-parts maker 
Valeo, says ECOQUEST has already 
written  some  patents  from  its 
research on how to use the fan 
system  to  counter  downswings, 
and adapt to the real conditions of 
the engine. ‘This will reduce costs, 
weight  and  electrical  consump-
tion, which improves fan-system 
efficiency, and therefore the per-
formance of the engine,’ Henner 
explains. A prototype of the system 
was planned for the end of 2012 
to test the research and show the 
various eﬃ  ciency gains. ‘It is about 
reducing 1 or 2 % of engine con-
sumption.  That  might  not  seem 
much,  but  it  matters  when  you 
talk about the entire European car 
market,’ he says. 

Henner  says  that  the  project 
arrived at the right time, just as 
the economic downturn was hit-
ting. ‘Without this project, we prob-
ably  would  not  have  been  able 
to  learn  what  we  did,’  he  says. 
‘Sometimes, you are shooting in 
the dark, so you need a framework 
of  a  project,  with  a  budget  and 
partners. ECOQUEST gave us the 
consistency to carry on. This pro-
ject was an opportunity to invest, 
continue and learn.’

1 

2  

 ‘Holistic and sustainable abatement 
of noise by optimised combinations 
of natural and artificial means’, 
coordinated by Chalmers in Sweden.
 ‘Efficient Cooling Systems for QUieter 
Surface Transport’, coordinated by the 
University of Siegen in Germany

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under the 
research theme ‘Transport’.
http://ec.europa.eu/research > 
Information Centre > search > 29353

 
 
 
 
 
16

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

SOCI AL SCIEN CES A N D  HU MA N IT IES

The privatisation of war

An  EU-funded  project  conducted  a  comprehensive  study  of  the  privatisation  of  war  and 
its  regulation.  Researchers  also  examined  the  role  of  the  EU  in  ensuring  compliance  with 
international humanitarian law and human rights in related events.

The PRIV-WAR1 project was initi-
ated to assess the impact of hir-
ing  private  military  companies 
and  private  security  contrac-
tors (PMCs/PSCs) and outsourc-
ing  preventive  maintenance 
checks  and  services  (PMSCs), 
in situations of armed conflict. 
The research was motivated by 
concerns  that  such  companies 
effectively  operate  in  a  legal 
vacuum.  This  has  implications 

for  the  employees  involved, 
human  rights  issues,  and  indi-
vidual approaches of EU Member 
States.

In seeking to promote a greater 
understanding of this phenom-
enon, the project achieved con-
siderable  success  across  its 
many and varied objectives. For 
example,  a  database  of  com-
panies  was  created  to  gather 

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information  on  the  main  char-
acteristics of PMSCs. Workshops 
encouraged dialogue on the use 
of  such  organisations,  and  a 
report was produced that iden-
tified the risks of ‘outsourcing’ 
international security to private 
entities.

T h e   l e g a l   s t a t u s   o f   P M S C 
employees  under  international 
humanitarian  law  (IHL)  was 
researched,  with  a  number  of 
points being highlighted for clari-
ﬁ cation of their status as either 
combatants or civilians.

Protecting  human  rights  is  the 
core  concern  of  the  PRIV-WAR1 
project, as was made evident in 
the book War by contract and in 
working papers published on the 
project website. Private military 
activities can impact human rights 
— a thorough overview was pro-
vided of applicable regional and 
universal instruments. The project 
also shed light on the role of obli-
gations and remedial processes in 
regulating PMSCs, and highlighted 
their  accountability  in  cases 
determined to be in violation of 
human rights.

Partners  further  analysed  the 
international  responsibility  of 
Member States and the account-
ability  of  PMSCs,  and  exam-
ined  existing  regulations  at 
national and EU levels. The latter 
prompted discussions leading to 
proposals  for  ways  the  EU  can 
adopt regulatory measures and 
approach  essential  objectives, 
means and legal bases.

In  addition,  a  series  of  events 
contributed  to  the  creation  of 
a wider network of experts with 
varied  backgrounds,  lending  a 
clear interdisciplinary character 
to the PRIV-WAR project.

The project was coordinated by 
the European University Institute 
in Italy.

1 

 ‘Regulating privatisation of ‘war’: 
the role of the EU in assuring the 
compliance with international 
humanitarian law and human rights’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under the 
research theme ‘Socio-economic science 
and humanities’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10134

Exploring culture-specific responses to crises

Do people across cultures respond differently in times of crisis? An international consortium 
sought  to  answer  this  question  from  a  number  of  perspectives,  with  a  view  to  improving 
communication during emergency situations.

that  the  type  of  event  experi-
enced inﬂ uenced later psycholo-
gical impact.

Funded under the EU's Seventh 
Framework  Programme,  the 
BESECU 1  project  investigated 
cross-cultural and ethnic diﬀ er-
ences  in  human  responses  to 
crisis  situations.  The  aim  was 
to  generate  evidence  support-
ing better security-related com-
munication,  instructions  and 
procedures.  Advances  in  this 
area  will  improve  evacuation 
procedures  and  public  protec-
tion.  Partners  also  sought  to 
oﬀ er information useful to ﬁ rst 

responders,  building  designers 
and  developers  of  emergency 
operating procedures.

On  the  heels  of  more  than  a 
decade of major disasters and 
terrorist incidents, the interna-
tional  consortium  considered 
key questions concerning human 
behaviour  during  emergency 
events. BESECU followed a two-
pronged  research  strategy:  a 
cross-cultural  survey  of  indi-
vidual  experiences  of  disaster 

survivors,  workers  and  first 
responders,  and  those  in  the 
community aﬀ ected; and experi-
mental  trials  simulating  real-
time  evacuation  scenarios  in 
standardised settings.

Analysis  of  almost  150  inter-
views with disaster survivors in 
various countries indicated that 
one set of psychological instru-
ments can be used to cross-cul-
turally assess diﬀ erent types of 
incidents. Results also revealed 

Reports by survivors facilitated 
the development of a standard-
ised  psychological  instrument, 
t h e   B E S E C U - S ,   fo r   a s s e s s -
ing  responses  from  cognitive, 
b e h a v i o u r a l   a n d   e m o t i o n a l 
standpoints. The crisis situations 
were domestic ﬁ res, ﬁ res in pub-
lic buildings, floods and earth-
quakes, and terrorist attacks.

Project  partners  also  devel-
oped  BESECU-FR,  a  standard-
ised  psychological  instrument 
for  first  responders.  This  tool 

 
 
 
 
 
research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

17

S OC IAL S C IENC ES  AND  HUMA NIT IES

was developed using interviews 
conducted with emergency per-
sonnel in participating national 
centres.

o f   i n fo r m a t i o n   u s e f u l   fo r 
informing  future  research  and 
developments  aimed  at  better 
communication and evacuation.

T h e   p r o j e c t ' s   e x p e r i m e n t a l 
component,  involving  unan-
nounced  building  evacuations 
in  the  Czech  Republic,  Poland 
and Turkey, produced response-
phase data for comparison with 
data generated from a similar 
exercise  carried  out  in  the 
United Kingdom.

Study results suggest that dif-
ferences in human behaviour in 
crisis  situations  are  based  on 
cultural inﬂ uences on behaviour 
in the response phase. BESECU 
outcomes thus provide a wealth 

The project was coordinated by 
the University of Greifswald in 
Germany.

1 

 ‘Human behaviour in crisis situations: 
a cross-cultural investigation to tailor 
security-related communication’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under the 
research theme ‘Security’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 5720

Unravelling the mysteries of migration

The reasons behind migration to Europe and the dynamics that govern it have become less 
clear in recent years. An elaborate EU programme is well on the way to addressing the topic 
and improving relevant policy-making.

Migration  is  on  the  rise  and  is 
changing the face of Europe as 
we know it. While, on one hand, 
this  makes  Europe  more  mul-
ticultural  and  dynamic,  it  also 
presents  challenges  such  as 
xenophobia,  social  exclusion 
and higher unemployment. The 
EU-funded programme NORFACE 
PLUS1  is  investigating  all  the 
social,  economic,  cultural  and 
policy-related  challenges  con-
verging on Europe in the wake of 

increasing migration. The multi-
disciplinary programme is aim-
ing to produce valuable data for 
policy-makers both in Europe and 
abroad  to  manage  socio-eco-
nomic issues related to human 
migration.

Armed with a budget of almost 
EUR 30 million, the programme is 
funding 12 transnational projects 
that  are  collaborating  through 
w o r k s h o p s   a n d   fo r u m s   t o 

address the migration challenge. 
In more detail, the projects are 
tackling a myriad of hot topics 
such as migrants' choices, chil-
dren of immigrants, residential 
segregation,  temporary  migra-
tion, social integration and the 
impact of migration.

In the meantime, NORFACE PLUS 
is working diligently on collecting 
qualitative and quantitative data 
on key migration issues. It has 
launched a rich, comprehensive 
website  on  migration  research 
that  outlines  the  12  projects, 
in addition to featuring related 
conferences,  publications  and 
news. The website now acts as a 
powerful platform that highlights 
research ﬁ ndings, engages stake-
holders,  and  raises  awareness 
on key migration issues among 
stakeholders  and  concerned 
parties.

In  April  2011,  NORFACE  PLUS 
hosted  its  first  international 
conference  on  migration  stud-
ies  in  London.  This  attracted 
300 scholars from a wide var-
iety of disciplines and probed the 
often contradicting approaches 
to  migration  studies.  It  also 

highlighted funding possibilities 
for researching migration issues 
and encouraged joint academic 
discussions.  A  plethora  of  new 
partnerships, projects and pub-
lications have already emerged 
from the event.

By the time the project ends in 
early 2014, Europe will possess 
a  much  deeper  understand-
ing of migration-related issues. 
This  will  enable  policy-makers 
to design better migration pol-
icies and connect with countries 
abroad, allowing governments to 
eﬀ ectively balance the needs of 
European citizens and those of 
migrants. The results of such an 
ambitious programme can only 
be a fairer, more knowledgeable 
and more tolerant Europe.

The project was coordinated by 
the Suomen Akatemia in Finland.

1 

 ‘Norface transnational programme on 
migration in Europe’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under the 
research theme ‘Socio-economic science 
and humanities’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10104

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18

ENERG Y AND TR AN SPORT

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

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The route to greater SME 
involvement

There  is  a  need  to  find  effective  ways  of  involving  small  and  medium-sized  enterprises  in  surface  transport  projects.  An 
EU-funded  initiative  worked  to  respond  to  this  ahead  of  the  upcoming  European  Commission  Horizon  2020  research 
programme, which calls for ‘smart, green and integrated transport’.

The  SMART 1  project  brought  together  a 
diverse  range  of  stakeholders  in  the  area 
of surface transport. These included private 
technology-transfer companies, public innov-
ation agencies, regional small and medium-
sized  enterprise  (SME)  clusters,  and  large 
enterprises linked to regional clusters.

Services  supporting  SME  participation  in 
research  and  technological  development 
(RTD)  under  the  European  Transport  Work 
Programme  should  include  regional  clus-
ters from different countries, and facilitate 
networking and the creation of partnerships 
between  SMEs  and  larger  organisations. 
SMART sought to provide a basis for provid-
ing such services through a number of activ-
ities, and was largely successful in achieving 
its objectives.

A website was launched as the main plat-
form oﬀ ering project services and a means of 
maintaining contact among network partici-
pants. It also provides information that can be 
used to exploit project results and encourage 

the community to go beyond the scope of the 
project. This takes the form of databases of 
organisations and funding opportunities, as 
well as related tools.

sharing ideas and projects, and fostering open 
innovation. Furthermore, such tools can be 
used to support SMEs in putting forward their 
ideas and joining large projects.

Various lessons learnt during the SMART pro-
ject can be applied for increased and more 
eﬀ ective SME participation in European sur-
face transport research. Online events proved 
to be very useful in involving organisations in 
project activities, since attending international 
events is prohibitive for many SMEs’ budg-
ets. Although SMEs in surface transport show 
a high degree of innovativeness in terms of 
research project ideas, the challenge lies in 
matching these with specific calls. As such, 
a shi(cid:3)  to bottom-up funding schemes would 
enable greater participation within the spe-
ciﬁ c transport area. This would also help SMEs 
to access networks of large enterprises and 
generate interest among them of the added 
value of SME involvement in RTD projects.

SMART activities highlighted the eﬀ ectiveness 
of online collaborative tools and networks for 

Results of the SMART project and their stra-
tegic exploitation have the potential to boost 
research activities that will bring signiﬁ cant 
beneﬁ ts for citizens as surface transport con-
tinues to expand and impact daily life.

The project was coordinated by Ciaotech in 
Italy.

1 

 ‘Services for SMEs in collaborative transport research 
projects’.

Funded under FP7 specific programme ‘Cooperation’ under 
the research theme ‘Transport’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 
10156

 
 
research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

ENER GY AND TRANSPORT

19

Industrial crops to bloom in Europe

In a bid to enhance sustainable development and reduce its dependence on imports, the EU is 
growing crops that are used to manufacture a variety of products or to make biofuel.

Crops are not only valuable as 
a food source. They provide an 
amazing  variety  of  renewable 
non-food products such as fuels, 
fibres,  chemicals,  lubricants 
and  construction  materials. 
Such crops can reduce depend-
ence  on  fossil  fuels,  diversify 
agriculture,  boost  agricultural 
feedstock markets and promote 
sustainable  development.  In 
this vein, the EU-funded project 
CROPS2INDUSTRY 1  looked  at 

how these crops could be grown 
within  EU  Member  States  to 
reap the rewards.

The  project  considered  sup-
ply,  consistency,  quality,  en-
vironmental  impacts,  market 
demands and price competitive-
ness  in  exploring  crop  growth. 
It reviewed a number of appli-
cable crops and outlined chal-
lenges in large-scale cultivation, 
focusing  on  those  that  have 

traditionally been grown on the 
continent. Importantly, the con-
cept of growing non-food crops 
was based on exploiting surplus 
land, i.e. land where food crops 
are not currently grown.

With  particular  focus  on  oils, 
fibres, resins, pharmaceuticals 
and feedstock, the project team 
surveyed industry partners and 
analysed input, costs and out-
put, facilitating the assessment 
of  socio-economic  impacts. 
It  also  simulated  production 
and  environmental  impacts  of 
selected crops, calculating emis-
sions  and  organic  carbon  in 
topsoil.

CROPS2INDUSTRY  published 
several strategies and papers on 
non-food use of plant biomass 
to help develop crops-to-indus-
try  schemes.  The  project  also 
published  all  its  results  on  a 
dedicated website, in addition to 
conducting three workshops and 
initiating twinning activities such 
as conferences and workshops 
with other countries.

Lastly,  the  project  mapped 
out  research  priorities  for  the 
future, such as identifying new 
technologies, improving yields, 
exploiting  genomic  advances 
and creating a ranking system 
for non-food cropping. The lat-
ter would be based on technical 
performance, economic viability 
and  environmental  impact  to 
boost bioenergy crop-production 
schemes in a given region. The 
implications  of  such  research 
are pivotal for several sectors of 
the economy and could lessen 
our  dependence  on  imports, 
literally  enriching  the  EU  with 
'home-grown'  products,  from 
fuels to pharmaceuticals.

The project was coordinated by 
the Centre for Renewable Energy 
Sources and Saving in Greece.

1 

 ‘Non-food crops-to-industry schemes 
in EU27’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Food, agriculture and fisheries, and 
biotechnology’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10378

Detecting defects in mass transit vehicle panels

Scientists  have  developed  vital  testing  techniques  for 
components of mass transportation vehicles. Application of 
these  methods  should  enhance  safety  and  reliability  while 
decreasing operating costs.

Composite materials, those made 
of more than one individual type, 
are increasingly used for surface 
transportation applications. They 
are typically low-weight and high-
strength materials, a combination 
that provides durability and safety 
together  with  reduced  fuel  con-
sumption  and  greenhouse  gas 
emissions. However, increased use 
of composites has not been paral-
leled by increased development of 
testing and monitoring techniques 
for both manufacturing and main-
tenance phases.

Non-destructive  testing  (NDT) 
refers to techniques that enable 
assessment of a component with-
out destroying any part of it. No 
samples are taken, no instruments 

are inserted and no chemicals are 
applied. Continuous health moni-
toring or structural health moni-
toring refers to methods by which 
the state of constituent materials, 
components and the whole struc-
ture are monitored continuously.

The  transportation  industry  has 
identified  a  need  for  faster  and 
more accurate NDT techniques to 
meet current and future inspec-
tion requirements. In response, the 
EU-funded COMPAIR1 project devel-
oped a novel system for continuous 
health monitoring and NDT of com-
posite panels in trains, buses, trucks 
and trams. Scientists also initiated 
guidelines for certiﬁ cation to foster 
cost-eﬀ ective manufacturing 
and maintenance.

>

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20

ENERG Y AND TR AN SPORT

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

Two technologies were exploited. 
For in situ NDT, scanning based on 
transient thermography and near 
infra-red  (NIR)  technology  was 
implemented.  Continuous  moni-
toring combined acoustic emission 
(AE)  technology  and  long-range 
ultrasonic (LRU) guided waves.

A flexible robot scanner equipped 
with the NDT technology provided 
rapid on-site in situ inspection of 

reinforced plastic panels. So(cid:3) ware 
enables the interface with the op-
erator. Continuous monitoring tech-
niques for in-service assessments 
were shown to facilitate high sen-
sitivity to changes in components, 
with software identifying defects 
at the time and date they exceeded 
acceptable limits.

COMPAIR  technology  employed 
several assessment techniques, 

reducing the likelihood of false 
positives and, perhaps more im-
portantly,  of  false  negatives. 
Enhancing the reliability and ser-
vice life of composite materials 
will have wide-reaching benefits 
for manufacturers, operators and 
consumers.

The  project  was  coordinated 
by  TWI  Limited  in  the  United 
Kingdom.

1 

 ‘Continuous health monitoring and 
non-destructive assessment of 
composites and composite repairs on 
surface transport applications’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Transport’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 6438

Natural gas-burning diesel engines for marine fleets

Scientists are developing technology for greener marine fleets. Diesel engines that utilise natural gas will significantly reduce 
the emissions and pollutants produced by ships.

Dual-fuel  engines  have  been 
around for years, primarily for 
use  in  diesel  generators.  They 
are diesel engines ﬁ tted to burn 
natural gas as well. Their uptake 
in the transport market has been 
rather limited until recently.

Technology  is  now  available 
to  convert  conventional  road 
transport engines to dual-fuel 
ones using compressed natural 
gas (CNG) or liquefied natural 
gas (LNG). Many consumers and 
transport companies are taking 
advantage of this.

Adapting dual-fuel technology 
for marine transportation could 
make  a  sizeable  contribution 
to the reduction of emissions, 
given that 99 % of the commer-
cial fleet is currently powered 
by diesel engines. Thus, a sim-
ple retrofit of existing engines 
would make a huge impact.

To  do  so,  they  developed  a 
number  of  tests  related  to 
engine  function,  compliance 
with emissions legislation and 
fuel economy. Simultaneously, 
they are developing guidelines 
for  the  installation  of  the  gas 
tank  and  distribution  systems 
on-board.

European  scientists  initiated 
the HELIOS1 project to create a 
research platform for develop-
ing a marine gas-diesel engine 
concept.

Preliminary  performance  and 
emissions tests on a prototype 
retrofitted  gas  engine  dem-
onstrated  higher  efficiency 
a n d   l ow e r   e m i s s i o n s   t h a n 
achieved with diesel fuel. With 

confirmation  of  the  concept's 
beneﬁ ts, testing and optimisa-
tion  will  be  intensified  in  the 
coming months.

Aside from a ﬁ nal deliverable of 
a dual-fuel marine engine run-
ning  on  diesel  and  CNG/LNG, 
HELIOS  has  already  produced 
a  novel  hand-held  calibration 
device, and a sensor system for 
online analysis of gas mixture 
composition is being developed.

Commercialisation  of  HELIOS’ 
concepts  should  thus  have 
far-reaching eﬀ ects on marine 
transport,  engine  design  and 
calibration,  and  gas  sensor 
technology, too.

The  project  was  coordinated 
by  MAN  Diesel  &  Turbo  SE  in 
Germany.

1 

 ‘High pressure electronically controlled 
gas injection for marine two-stroke 
diesel engines’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Transport’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10055

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research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

ENER GY AND TRANSPORT

21

Safer roads on the horizon

If  car  tyres  and  road  conditions  can  be  improved,  skidding 
and rolling would be minimised, making road transport safer, 
more eco-friendly and quieter.

As  the  EU  upgrades  its  road 
transport systems with a strong 
focus on safety and eco-friendli-
ness, it is striving to ﬁ nd ways to 
raise and harmonise road stand-
ards across the continent. One 
important area being addressed 
looks at minimising the skidding 
of  cars  to  enhance  safety  and 
promote greener transport.

the two, which would increase 
safety  for  drivers,  reduce  CO2 
emissions and minimise noise. 
In  particular,  it  outlined  cut-
ting-edge technical and scien-
tific advances in the field and 
mapped  future  research  pri-
orities that advance skid resist-
ance,  rolling  resistance  and 
noise.

T h e   E U - f u n d e d   p r o j e c t 
TYROSAFE 1  brought  together 
stakeholders  from  Belgium, 
G e r m a n y ,   F r a n c e ,  
t h e 
Netherlands,  Austria,  Slovenia 
and  the  United  Kingdom  to 
achieve this aim.

The  project  studied  tyre  and 
road  dynamics  to  establish 
b e t t e r   i n t e r a c t i o n   b e t w e e n 

TYROSAFE then produced an in-
depth assessment of all the ele-
ments involved (tyres, skidding, 
noise, safety) and their interaction 
with  the  environment.  It  filled 
knowledge  gaps  and  produced 
recommendations  to  manage 
critical road surface properties, 
unveiling how best to standardise 
assessment methods and harmo-
nise design and safety policies.

An even more ideal fuel cell

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This  has  provided  a  wealth  of 
knowledge  to  the  car  industry, 
road  transport  administrations 
and  government  authorities.  If 
exploited and applied, the results 
of  the  project  will  enable  EU 
Member States to reduce acci-
dents and road fatalities, in add-
ition to promoting greener road 
transport  and  reducing  noise 
pollution.

The  project  was  coordinated 
by  the  Austrian  Institute  of 
Technology (AIT) in Austria.

1 

 ‘Tyre and road surface optimisation 
for skid resistance and further effects’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Transport’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 5896

While  the  world  struggles  to  kick  its  fossil  fuel  ‘habit’,  scientists  scramble  to  invent  and 
improve clean, alternative energy sources. The hydrogen fuel cell is one such alternative and, 
luckily for the oil-addicted globe, new EU-funded science has found a possible solution.

Four  years  ago  top  European 
scientists  began  developing  a 
new kind of fuel cell dubbed the 
IDEAL-CELL. Now, their new tech-
nology retains all the good of the 
old and none of the bad.

In existing ‘solid oxide fuel cells’ 
(SOFCs)  and  ‘proton  conduct-
ing  fuel  cells’  (PCFCs),  oxygen 
and  hydrogen  react  to  create 
electricity and water. This water 
by-product collects at the cell's 
oppositely  charged  electrodes, 
resulting in corrosion and a low-
ering of the cell's eﬃ  ciency.

Coming  together  under  the 
IDEAL-CELL1 project, a team of 
Europe's top researchers in the 
field  have  developed  a  way  to 
prevent this collection of water. 
Their new system uses the posi-
tive electrode of a PCFC with the 

negative  electrode  of  a  SOFC. 
The water by-product forms in a 
porous membrane between the 
two  electrodes  and  is  quickly 
removed.

In 2008, the researchers started 
with  intensive  modelling  and 
testing, and in 2010 they dem-
onstrated  the  operation  of  a 
sample in front of two European 
Commission experts. The experts 
felt  the  team  had  a  valid  idea 
and advised them to focus the 
next two years on improving the 
performance of the cell, rather 
than its design.

Now,  in  addition  to  solving  the 
water  problem,  the  team  has 
established  that  the  cell  can 
be  fabricated  using  standard 
processes and that it performs 
as  well  as  existing  cells.  The 

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chemical  reaction  that  takes 
place  within  the  cells  is  also 
completely reversible, so it could 
become very useful when cou-
pled with intermittent renewable 
energy sources.

The vision behind the IDEAL-CELL 
project has the potential to help 
power  the  world  to  a  greener 
future.

The project was coordinated by 
ARMINES in France.

1 

 ‘Innovative dual membrane fuel cell’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Energy’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10086

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
22

ENERG Y AND TR AN SPORT

Solar energy’s new star

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

Photovoltaic solar cells are proving their value as viable renewable energy sources, but more 
needs to be done to enhance their efficiency. Designing novel silicon crystals at the nanoscale 
is making great strides in this area.

by the consortium, which brings 
together six partners from six EU 
Member States.

Climate change and dwindling fossil 
fuel supplies is fuelling innovation 
in  the  renewable  energy  sector, 
including solar power. This, in turn, 
is stimulating innovation in the ma-
terials sector, as researchers look 
for more efficient and cost-effec-
tive ways of capturing renewable 
energy, such as solar rays.

When  it  comes  to  photovoltaic 
solar  cells,  silicon  nanocrystals 

can help enhance the efficiency 
of various architectures, such as 
multi-junction solar cells, or low-
cost,  optimised,  thin-film  solar 
cells.

Equipped with EU funding from the 
Seventh Framework Programme, 
the SNAPSUN1 project is seeking 
to develop fully tailored and opti-
mised silicon nanoparticles and to 
incorporate them in a wide-band 

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gap material, such as silicon car-
bide  or  transparent  conductive 
oxides (TCOs). This will enable high 
conversion eﬃ  ciency of over 25 %.

To  date,  the  three-year  project, 
which  began  in  June  2010,  has 
produced  silicon  nanoparticles 
using three distinct and original 
techniques: chemical vapour de-
position, physical vapour depos-
ition,  and  chemical  synthesis. 
Nanocomposite materials based 
on these silicon nanoparticles were 
produced using a wide-band-gap 
semiconductor matrix.

In  addition,  an  advanced  char-
acterisation  method  known  as 
transmission electron microscopy 
tomography was developed and 
validated  for  the  three-dimen-
sional  distribution  of  silicon 
nano-particles  inside  the  nano-
composite  materials  prepared 

SNAPSUN technology is increasing 
the efficiency of energy produc-
tion  from  renewable  resources. 
As  such,  it  will  be  possible  to 
reduce dependence on fossil fuels 
supplies.

The  project  was  coordinated  by 
the  French  Atomic  Energy  and 
Alternatives Energy Commission 
(CEA) in France.

1 

 ‘Semiconductor Nanomaterial for 
Advanced Photovoltaic Solar cells 
Using New concept of nanocrystal and 
conductive host’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, 
materials and new production 
technologies’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10336

Establishing the basis for intelligent transport systems

An EU-funded initiative has worked to provide the information 
needed for making decisions on transport systems in Europe's 
busy cities. Efforts thus address the continuing challenges of 
urban sprawl and citizen mobility.

The main aim of the CONDUITS1 
project was to develop a robust 
system  of  key  performance 
indicators  (KPIs) to be used by 
decision-makers for projects on 
intelligent  transportation  sys-
tems (ITS). In addition, the con-
sortium sought to promote the 
exchange of best practice expe-
riences  between  municipalities 
with experiences in the topic.

highlighting the most promising 
areas and research avenues for 
urban  ITS,  and  facilitating  the 
decision-making  process  with 
a  standard  means  of  measur-
ing the beneﬁ ts of new systems. 
Also,  partners  recognised  that 
by working to lower the risk and 
uncertainty  of  ITS  application, 
more  private  high-tech  invest-
ment could be attracted.

Other areas of activity deemed 
central to achieving the project's 
objectives included a review of 
ITS  in  Europe's  cities,  examin-
ing  anticipated  developments 
in ITS, and linking performance 
indicators with the current traf-
fic  situation.  Work  focused  on 

Project  efforts  resulted  in  the 
launch of the CONDUITS website 
and the formation of a network 
of  34  cities  ('city  pool').  These 
span  Europe  and  five  interna-
tional  cities.  City  context  was 
analysed  and  the  background 
set up for reviewing ITS in cities, 

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in  Europe  and  internationally. 
Also, scenarios were deﬁ ned for 
studying  future  needs  and  ITS 
applications.

The project was coordinated by 
the Institute of Studies for the 
Integration of Systems (ISIS) in 
Italy.

CONDUITS  brought  together 
transport  authorities  from  five 
European  cities,  three  univer-
sities, a private small business 
active  in  systems  integration, 
and the networking organisation 
Polis. The KPI system has been 
scheduled  for  testing  through 
case studies in London (United 
Kingdom),  Paris  (France)  and 
Rome (Italy).

1 

 ‘Coordination of network descriptors 
for urban intelligent transportation 
systems’.

Funded under the Joint Technology 
Initiatives contributing to research 
themes of the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 6547

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

23

ENVIR O NMENT AND S OCIETY

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Infrastructure recycling hits the road

The  latest  research  from  European  nations  on  recycling  of  material  such  as  asphalt  from  old  roads  will  contribute  to  the 
sustainability of road infrastructure and promote a cleaner environment.

With over 5 million kilometres of road net-
works, the EU is exploring ways to recycle 
old road infrastructure and materials once 
they are decommissioned. Often, tonnes of 
rejected materials are discarded in a way that 
compromises the environment and litters the 
landscape, calling for a reliable, environmen-
tally sound end-of-life strategy for disused 
infrastructure. This was the objective of the 
recent EU-funded project DIRECT_MAT1.

Primarily, the project aimed to disseminate 
knowledge and recommendations on disman-
tling and recycling of road and road-related 
materials.  It  gathered  20  project  partners 
from 15 European countries to document the 
latest data, technologies and practices in the 
ﬁ eld. From this information, the project team 
built a highly authoritative and informative 
website  that  outlines  practices  about  dis-
carded materials such as concrete, steel and 

tar.  In  addition,  it  published  best  practice 
guides and benchmarked the diﬀ erent recyc-
ling methods involved.

As well as enabling correct reintroduction of 
road-related waste products back into new 
roads, the project provided a tool for keeping 
daily records of sites where road dismantling 
was ongoing. Monitoring these job sites helps 
the EU to refine its standards and technical 
information to improve recycling even further.

Although half the reclaimed asphalt pave-
ment is recycled in the Union, each country 
has its own laws and practices, calling for 
better  harmonisation  of  strategies  across 
the EU-27. With free online access to best 
practice guides and useful case studies, pol-
icy-makers  and  stakeholders  can  upgrade 
the recycling of road materials signiﬁ cantly. 
Researchers and scientists will also be able 

to inform their research and feed their ﬁ nd-
ings back into the project website, positioning 
the EU as a leader in recycling road materials. 
This represents yet another victory in ecology 
and sustainability for Europe.

The project was coordinated by the French 
institute of science and technology for trans-
port, spatial planning, development and net-
works in France.

1 

 ‘Dismantling and recycling techniques for road materials 
- Sharing knowledge and practices’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme ‘Cooperation’ 
under the research theme ‘Transport’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 
10301

 
 
24

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

ENVI RONMENT  AN D  SOC IE TY

Observing the ocean under Arctic ice

Scientists are developing new technology to study the Arctic 
Ocean under and through the ice that covers it.

In recent years, numerous research 
projects  have  addressed  moni-
toring of the Earth's oceans. While 
efforts have proved quite fruitful 
in technological developments for 
monitoring open oceans, ice-cov-
ered areas in polar regions have 
been severely under-sampled due 
to technical limitations.

Deployment of gliders and floats 
under the ice as well as ‘advanced 
ice-tethered  platforms’  (AITPs) 
are being exploited. Technologies 
to facilitate data collection and 
analysis  include  acoustic  tech-
niques  and  communications 
technology for use between under-
water and surface platforms.

The lack of data makes develop-
ment of predictive models diﬃ  cult 
if  not  impossible.  Thus,  under-
standing of ocean and ice inter-
actions and detection of climate 
change signals from polar regions 
has been limited.

EU funding of the ACOBAR1 pro-
ject should facilitate significant 
improvement  in  understanding. 
Scientists are developing and test-
ing new technologies to observe 
systems in the polar oceans.

Results  include  the  ability  to 
determine  the  internal  Arctic 
Ocean temperature with an ac-
curacy  of  0.01  degrees  Celsius 
over  a  range  of  200  km  via 
acoustic thermometry and tomog-
raphy. Gliders complemented the 
excellent temporal resolution of 
acoustic technology with greater 
spatial  resolution  between  the 
surface to a depth of 1 km.

A  cluster  of  AITPs  provided 
regional acoustic navigation for 

Treating wood wisely

Sustainable forest practices could help save our planet, yet 
this  vision  requires  strong  EU  funding  to  support  the  best, 
most innovative projects in the sector.

The European forest-based indus-
try is becoming more sustainable 
overall and providing a variety of 
eco-friendly  solutions  to  envir-
onmentally  conscious  consum-
ers. However, to ensure that the 
sector's sustainability flourishes, 
it is vital to strengthen relevant 
business models or value chains 
by  ensuring  that  the  smartest 
industry  projects  are  properly 
funded.  The  EU-funded  project 
WOODWISDOM-NET21 set out to 
achieve this objective.

Primarily, the project helped steer 
the European forest-based indus-
try  from  a  resource-intensive 
one to a competitive, innovative, 
value-added  and  knowledge-
driven one based on using renew-
able raw materials. It launched 
two calls for EU-funded project 

proposals  that  propelled  the 
industry to new heights.

Under the banner of ‘Sustainable, 
competitive processing and end-
use  concepts  for  forest-based 
industries’, the first call encour-
aged projects on applied research 
and  development  that  brought 
the research community closer to 
product development. This resulted 
in  the  funding  of  nine  projects 
worth a total of EUR 13 million.

The second equally important call 
was entitled ‘Sustainable forest 
management and optimised use of 
ligno-cellulosic resources - bridging 
gaps between research disciplines, 
producers, consumers and society’. 
It  aimed  to  improve  the  use  of 
trees and forests through innova-
tive research and cooperation, and 

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gliders and floats under the ice. 
A high-resolution ice and ocean 
model  was  then  applied  using 
data collected from the observa-
tion platforms together with sat-
ellite data.

ﬁ sheries and the living conditions 
of indigenous people.

The  project  was  coordinated 
by  Nansen  Environmental  and 
Remote Sensing Center in Norway.

The  Arctic  Ocean  is  among  the 
least-explored areas in the world, 
yet among those most affected 
by  global  warming.  Increased 
understanding of its internal envir-
onment made possible by ACOBAR 
will be critical for environmental 
monitoring, offshore oil and gas 
exploration, and preservation of 

1 

 ‘Acoustic technology for observing the 
interior of the Arctic Ocean’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under the 
research theme ‘Environment’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace 
> search > offers > 10058

selected 13 projects to be funded 
from a total of EUR 21 million.

Beyond these key initiatives, which 
supported  the  best  and  most 
promising projects in the industry, 
the project team upgraded the EU 
strategy for the forest-based sec-
tor on a global scale. It achieved 
this through the Union mechanism 
for strengthening non-EU entities 
to work with EU-led projects under 
the European Research Area’s ERA-
NET+ scheme. This is likely to posi-
tively aﬀ ect the forestry sector and 
wood-related  industries  around 
the globe, fostering sustainable 
practices and encouraging foreign 
countries to adopt environmentally 
friendly practices.

The  project  was  coordinated 
by  Nansen,  the  Finnish  Funding 
Agency  for  Technology  and 
Innovation (Tekes) in Finland.

1 

 ‘Networking and integration of national 
programmes in the area of wood 
material science and engineering in the 
forest-based value chains’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under 
the research theme ‘Nanosciences, 
nanotechnologies, materials and 
new production technologies’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace 
> search > offers > 10231

 
 
 
 
research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

25

ENVIR O NMENT AND S OCIETY

Earth system models predict the climate

Accurate climate prognosis requires advanced understanding 
of the role of selected processes for feedback in the climate 
system. The COMBINE project analysed how new processes 
could function as reliable models to predict climate changes.

Changes  to  the  Earth’s  climate 
have a major impact on society 
and  the  economy.  To  mitigate 
climate-related effects, precise 
prediction tools are required that 
could provide a sufficient ‘win-
dow’ for adopting the appropriate 
strategies. To this end, a number 
of  Earth  system  models  have 
been developed.

T h e   g e n e r a l   g o a l   o f   t h e 
EU-funded COMBINE1 project is 
to advance the capabilities of cli-
mate  prediction  and  projection 
based  on  comprehensive  Earth 
system models. To achieve this, 
partners have been incorporating 
additional  processing  in  these 
models, to represent more Earth 
system parameters.

Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 
Fifth  Assessment  Report  (AR5) 
simulations,  the  consortium  is 
performing  research  on  critical 
physical  and  bio-geochemical 
processes  in  the  Earth  system. 
The natural processes which have 
been selected for this project con-
sist of the carbon (C) and nitrogen 
(N) cycles, aerosols coupled with 
clouds  and  chemistry,  strato-
spheric dynamics, and ice sheet 
and sea ice.

Scientists  are  investigating  the 
natural and anthropogenic factors 
that  determine  climate  change 
and affect these processes. For 
this purpose, new components are 
being developed and incorporated 
in Earth system models.

Following  the  protocols  of  the 
Coupled Model Intercomparison 
Project  for  Intergovernmental 

Using an ensemble of seven Earth 
system models, the COMBINE ini-
tiative is assessing the potential 

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predictability of climate up to a 
decade in advance. An important 
aspect of the project is also to link 
the  climate-simulation  models 
with global and regional impacts, 
focusing on water availability.

Regarding predictions, the use of 
surface temperature has shown 
limited potential, with the excep-
tion of the North Atlantic area. 
The Atlantic multi-decadal oscil-
lation (AMO) appears to be pre-
dictable  in  both  the  short  and 
long term.

The  COMBINE  project  has  suc-
cessfully  generated  a  sub-
stantial  number  of  climate 
simulations  that  could  broadly 
support  international  climate 
research,  and  thus  the  climate 

change  assessment  conducted 
under the IPCC. Overall, the in-
corporation  of  new  processes 
in  the  Earth  system  models  is 
expected to facilitate more ac-
curate predictions for future cli-
mate conditions.

The  project  was  coordinated 
by  the  Max  Planck  Society  in 
Germany.

1 

 ‘Comprehensive modelling of the Earth 
system for better climate prediction 
and projection’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under the 
research theme ‘Environment’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace 
> search > offers > 10057

Zoos for science communication — with public input

A European initiative engaged the active participation of the continent's citizens in helping 
zoos and marine parks find more effective ways of communicating science.

Changes in the set-up and oper-
ation of modern zoos and marine 
parks in Europe have introduced 
the areas of education, entertain-
ment, conservation and research 
for the beneﬁ t of visitors. These 
facilities have great potential for 
communicating  science  to  the 
general public and span all ages. 
They represent a unique vehicle 
for sharing information on scien-
tiﬁ c advances and pending chal-
lenges to life in Europe.

E U   f u n d i n g   o f   t h e   p r o j e c t 
EUZOOS-XXI 1  enabled  scien-
tists  and  researchers  to  take 
advantage  of  such  settings  to 
engage the public in large-scale 
activities  focused  on  nature 
conservation  and  biodiversity. 

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Initially, the focus was on iden-
tifying  available  information 
and resources on topics of bio-
diversity,  endangered  species, 
invasive species and ecological 
connectivity.

General  resources  and  teach-
ing activities can be accessed 
on  the  project  website,  and 
many  other  sources  of  infor-
mation have been gathered on 
each of the four conservation 
topics.  Partners  developed  a 
table  of  contents  and  several 
curricula for a teacher activity 
book that emphasises the use 
of technology in the classroom.

The  project's  major  contribu-
tion  took  the  form  of  pub-
l i c   p a r t i c i p a t i o n   m e e t i n g s 
(PPMs). These public consulta-
tion  workshops  brought 

together particular groups  >

 
 
 
 
26

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

ENVI RONMENT  AN D  SOC IE TY

of zoo visitors to offer sugges-
tions on how zoos and marine 
parks can better communicate 
s c i e n t i f i c   m e s s a g e s   t o   t h e 
public.

The results of each PPM were 
applied  in  a  demonstration 
project  at  selected  facilities. 

Questionnaires were then used 
t o   g a t h e r   fe e d b a c k   o n   t h e 
effectiveness of the project in 
engaging  visitors  with  wild-
life  and  habitat  conservation. 
The PPM approach proved very 
effective,  offering  zoos  and 
marine parks valuable input on 
science communication.

Engaging the public in this way 
has a lot to offer the European 
conservation  landscape  —  to 
the  benefit  of  present  and 
future generations.

The  project  was  coordinated 
by  Nordeconsult  Sweden  in 
Sweden.

1 

 ‘EU zoos and science in the 21st 
century: engaging the public in 
nature conservation’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Capacities’ under the research theme 
‘Science in Society’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10151

Microbes provide answer to heavy-metal contamination

European scientists joined forces to tackle the problem of soil pollution from heavy metals. 
Through  the  extensive  testing  of  various  remediation  techniques,  coupled  with  modelling 
approaches,  the  UMBRELLA  consortium  provided  integrated  tools  for  soil  decontamination 
and future land use.

Heavy-metal contamination con-
stitutes a major environmental 
problem  throughout  the  world. 
Emissions from human activities 
like mining and heavy industry 
are mainly  responsible  for this 
phenomenon. As they are non-
biodegradable, heavy metals can 
persist in the soil, causing severe 
toxicity to entire ecosystems.

Finding  ways  to  extract  heavy 
metals  or  to  stabilise  them  in 
soil minerals preventing wash-
out  was  the  subject  of  the 
EU-funded  UMBRELLA 1  pro-
ject. The aim was to use micro-
organisms as cost-efficient and 
sustainable bioremediation tech-
niques. To achieve this, project 
partners focused their research 
on how microbes could inﬂ uence 

the  bio-geochemical  cycling 
of  metals  and  how  this  could 
be exploited for soil and water 
protection.

Among  the  consortium's  aims 
was  to  model  the  remedia-
tion  processes  and  understand 
their  influence  on  large-scale 
landscapes.  This  would  enable 
adaptation  of  the  developed 
t e c h n o l o g i e s   t o   d i f fe r e n t 
European climatic, geological and 
biological settings.

Researchers performed physio-
logical and molecular characteri-
sation of microbial communities 
and  developed  microbe-medi-
ated remediation processes. The 
heavy  metal  uptake  into  living 
systems was closely monitored 

and led to the identification of 
metal-retention mechanisms.

In addition, the uptake of heavy 
metals by plants was evaluated 
alongside their growth response 
in  the  presence  of  remediat-
ing microbes. The importance of 
heavy metal transport in water, 
essential  for  their  uptake  into 
the bio-path, was also examined. 
Following microbial inoculation, 
mobilisation  by  mineral  disso-
lution and stabilisation via bio-
mineralisation  were  examined 
to  evaluate  processes  respon-
sible for metal availability in the 
water in diﬀ erent climates across 
Europe.

Particular  attention  was  given 
to  the  commonly  occurring 

mycorrhizal fungi, known to colo-
nise the roots of most terrestrial 
plants. Its beneficial effects on 
uptake of immobile soil mineral 
nutrients  and  increased  stabil-
ity of soil aggregates were given 
priority  for  use  in  sustainable 
agricultural systems and ecosys-
tem restoration.

Collectively,  the  information 
obtained during the UMBRELLA 
project  was  incorporated  into 
mathematical models of contam-
inant  dispersion  that  aimed  to 
link local remediation measures 
with their regional consequences. 
Different  models  applicable  to 
key  ecosystem  and  landscape-
scale processes were developed.

The innovation in the project lies 
in the combination of land-site-
specific  knowledge  with  large-
scale modelling. Dissemination 
of these tools to relevant stake-
holders will hopefully provide the 
answer to heavy-metal pollution.

The project was coordinated by 
the Friedrich-Schiller-University 
of Jena in Germany.

1 

 ‘Using microbes for the regulation of 
heavy metal mobility at ecosystem 
and landscape scale: An integrative 
approach for soil remediation by 
geobiological processes’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under the 
research theme ‘Environment’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace 
> search > offers > 10053

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research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

27

ENVIR O NMENT AND S OCIETY

Minimising viral infection of stone-fruit trees

Sharka viral disease severely impairs the productivity and quality of stone-fruit trees such as 
the peach. The development of novel, high-throughput detection systems is helping to identify 
the factors that drive virus infection, spread and diversification.

Sharka,  or  the  plum  pox  virus 
(PPV),  causes  one  of  the  most 
serious viral infections of stone 
fruit  and  the  only  option  of 
virus  eradication  is  to  dispose 
of infected trees. Understanding 
the  mechanisms  of  disease 
onset  and  progress,  combined 
with  sensitive  evaluating  sys-
tems, could help prevent disease 
outbreaks.

The  concept  of  the  EU-funded 
SHARCO1  project  was  to  com-
bine  prophylactic  and  genetic 
solutions  to  prevent  or  limit 
the  spread  of  the  sharka  PPV. 
Research  activities  focused  on 
epidemiology, virology, and gen-
etic and biotechnological aspects.

Using the sequencing informa-
tion from over 700 PPV isolates, 

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SHARCO researchers have devel-
oped new mini oligo arrays for 
future virus detection. In parallel, 
work to understand susceptibility 
to PPV natural infection as well 
as  the  number  and  species  of 
PPV vectors required for infection 
aimed to facilitate the develop-
ment of more accurate assess-
ment methods.

In order to study the biological 
behaviour and epidemiology of 
PPV infectious clones, the con-
sortium established orchards at 
various European locations and 
tested the impact of PPV infec-
tion. The ability of oil treatments 
to limit natural PPV infection was 
also investigated.

Since there are no chemical or 
biological  cures  for  PPV  infec-
tion,  partners  focused  on  the 
identiﬁ cation of genetic markers 
associated with plant resistance 
to the virus. The plan was to use 
these for improving resistance of 
plants cultivated in orchards in 
the future. Coupled with breeding 
programmes aimed at introduc-
ing resistance to PPV in future 
cultivars,  these  SHARCO  activ-
ities  were  designed  to  reduce 
infections in western and eastern 
European countries.

Furthermore,  host  and  viral 
factors  involved  in  plant-PPV 

interactions were identified and 
these  new  resistance  mech-
anisms  were  transferred  to 
stone-fruit  trees  by  screening 
for rare alleles of resistance or 
by silencing host factors indis-
pensable to the virus. Novel host 
genetic determinants leading to 
recessive resistance to PPV infec-
tion were identiﬁ ed and a patent 
submitted.

SHARCO  deliverables  were  put 
forward  for  the  preparation  of 
cultivation guidelines of stone-
fruit  trees  with  reduced  inci-
dence  and  spread  of  sharka 
disease. Implementation of the 
biotechnological approaches pro-
posed by the consortium could 
prove  beneficial  for  stone-tree 
breeders.

The project was coordinated by 
the French National Institute for 
Agricultural  Research  (INRA)  in 
France.

1 

 ‘Sharka containment’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Food, agriculture and fisheries, and 
biotechnology’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10149

Say goodbye to swine fever

Highly advanced diagnostic and vaccination efforts, coupled 
with recommendations on how to manage pig farms and wild 
boar, promise to curb swine fever considerably and eventually 
eradicate it.

Classical  swine  fever  (CSF),  a 
highly contagious disease among 
pigs and wild boar, can decimate 
animal  populations  and  disrupt 
the food chain. Researchers are 
constantly  looking  for  ways  to 

combat  the  CSF  virus  (CSFV), 
including  finding  effective  vac-
cines.  The  EU-funded  project 
CSFV_GODIVA1  is  working  on  a 
CSF vaccine for both domestic pigs 
and wild boar. It is also developing 

diagnostic tests, looking at better 
surveillance methods, and improv-
ing baiting systems for wild boar.

The  project  is  studying  recent 
developments in new-generation 
vaccines and molecular diagnos-
tic tools to eventually approve a 
single-shot live CSF vaccine for use 
in the EU. It is also assessing the 
use of antiviral treatment to reduce 
CSFV transmission, and studying 

immunological reactions connected 
with CSFV infection and vaccination.

Currently, CSFV_GODIVA is working 
on producing a freeze-dried vac-
cine for intramuscular injection of 
domestic pigs and a liquid vaccine 
for oral administration in wild boar, 
focusing on quality, safety and eﬃ  -
cacy. To increase uptake by boars 
in  their  baits,  the  project 

team  recently  determined  >

 
 
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research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

ENVI RONMENT  AN D  SOC IE TY

that oak mast and groundnuts are 
the most attractive flavours for 
these animals.

Interestingly,  the  project  team 
ascertained that fast-acting vac-
cination  was  more  cost  effec-
tive than pre-emptive culling, a 
practice that is harmful to eco-
systems. It also showed that pre-
ventive vaccination of large wild 
boar populations was necessary 
to  control  and  eradicate  CSF, 
especially if this was done in early 
spring.

With respect to surveillance strat-
egies and early-warning systems 
for  CSF,  the  project  team  has 
already identified risk factors and 
shortcomings, recommending risk-
based  approaches  to  fine-tune 

surveillance.  Work  is  now  being 
done on improving detection and 
diagnosis  using  advanced  diag-
nostic tools and newly developed 
methods for antibody detection and 
serological tests. There is also pro-
gress using infra-red thermography 
to easily detect animals suspected 
of carrying CSF based on skin-sur-
face temperature, although more 
work is needed in this area.

Another  project  achievement 
has  been  improved  knowledge 
on  immunological  reactions 
related to vaccine improvement. 
Researchers confirmed the effec-
tiveness  and  reaction  times  of 
specific  vaccines,  in  addition  to 
validating  that  oral  vaccina-
tion had certain advantages over 
intramuscular vaccination. More 

ﬁ ndings and recommendations are 
expected as the project comes to a 
close, bringing science much closer 
to  the  eradication  of  CSF.  This 
augurs well for the pork industry, 
animal  rights  activists  and  the 
food chain in Europe.

The  project  was  coordinated  by 
CODA-CERVA in Belgium.

1 

 ‘Improve tools and strategies for the 
prevention and control of classical 
swine fever’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under the 
research theme ‘Food, agriculture 
and fisheries, and biotechnology’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace 
> search > offers > 10110

Forests: a renewable resource for everyday materials

With non-renewable resources rapidly running out, scientists 
are rushing to find viable alternative sources from which to 
manufacture materials. An EU-funded programme is at the 
forefront  of  this  research  with  new  innovations  that  use  a 
nearly inexhaustible resource: forests.

Forests and the by-products of 
wood and paper mills represent 
a wealth of renewable resources 
that  can  be  used  to  generate 

everyday materials. Making and 
using  these  materials  could 
reduce energy consumption, gas 
emissions  and  harmful  waste 

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disposal, and could even lead to 
new employment opportunities.

FORBIOPLAST1 is an EU-funded 
project  that  has  made  huge 
strides towards developing such 
eco-friendly materials. The mar-
ket  potential  of  three  of  the 
resulting  products  (fertilisers, 
tomato yarn and pots) is already 
being investigated.

The  research  team  used  wood 
fibres enriched with minerals to 
create  a  coated  fertiliser  that 
could satisfy a growing demand 
in cereal and potato crops. They 
also  produced  a  tomato  yarn 
that could replace over 100 000 
t o n n e s   o f   e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y 
unfriendly string currently used 
in the EU. Tomatoes are the sec-
ond  most  important  vegetable 
crop in the world, but the yarn 
could  also  be  used  for  cucum-
bers, grapes and tree gra(cid:3) ing.

The  project  has  also  produced 
biodegradable pots which have 
all the properties of regular pots 
and  are  light  and  inexpensive. 
These pots can be used in hor-
ticulture,  tree  nurseries  and  to 
grow aquatic plants.

FORBIOPLAST researchers have 
investigated the use of polyure-
thane foams created from wood 

fibres and lignin for certain car 
parts.  In  addition,  they  have 
developed  packaging  for  the 
cosmetic industry, which is cur-
rently  being  tested  for  toxicity 
and how well it seals. The team 
found that treating wood fibres 
with enzymes prior to manufac-
ture  made  the  materials  more 
biodegradable.

The  project  has  given  a  huge 
boost to the idea that cheaper, 
quality  eco-friendly  materials 
should  be  readily  available. 
The  fact  that  these  materials 
are  themselves  biodegradable 
means that forests can be con-
tinuously recycled and could thus 
become a virtually inexhaustible 
resource.

The project was coordinated by 
the University of Pisa in Italy.

1 

 ‘Forest resource sustainability through 
bio-based composite development’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under the 
research theme ‘Food, agriculture and 
fisheries, and biotechnology’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 6046

 
 
 
 
 
research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

29

IT AND TELECO MMUNICATIONS

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Advanced radio technologies for 
fairer 4G communications

If you live in one of the dozen or so European countries with an up-and-running 4G mobile network, you may have already 
bought  a  4G-enabled  phone,  hoping  to  enjoy  the  blisteringly  fast  data  rates  your  operator  is  advertising.  4G  services  are 
undoubtedly a big improvement on their 3G predecessors, but significant discrepancies in user experience remain. EU-funded 
researchers are trying to solve the problem.

‘Long-Term Evolution’ (LTE) is one of the lat-
est  commercial  standards  for  high-speed 
wireless communication, building upon the 
GSM/EDGE  and  UMTS/HSPA  network  tech-
nologies.  Besides  offering  a  range  of  core 
network improvements and increased func-
tionality,  LTE’s  biggest  selling  point  is  its 
promised increase in network capacity and 
data-transfer speed. Theoretically, LTE oﬀ ers 
download  rates  of  up  to  300  Mbps  and 
upload rates of 75 Mbps — around 10 times 
faster than its 3G predecessor. Operators are 
not claiming that their networks can achieve 
those rates in the real world at present, but 
they are promising LTE clients big gains in 
speed over 3G. And, while some clients are 
able to enjoy that, some still do not. 

‘The advertised rate is essentially the peak 
rate and that’s only possible to reach if you 
are  standing  right  next  to  the  base  sta-
tion in perfect radio conditions with no one 
else using the network, if, indeed it’s attain-
able in a real-world setting at all,’ explains 
Alexandre Gouraud, an R&D project manager 
at Orange's Wireless Interfaces Lab in France. 
‘For average users, data rates are much less, 
and for those on the edge of the coverage 
area, they are lower still.’ 

Mr Gouraud points out that each change in 
version and generation of mobile technol-
ogy has resulted in approximately a factor 
of  10  difference  between  peak  data  rates 
and average data rates in a cell (the area 

of coverage of a cellular base station), and 
a further factor of 10 divergence between 
average rates and the rates attained by users 
located at the edge of a cell. In the case of 
the LTE standard, this has happened in part 
because LTE has been competing with WiMAX 
as an alternative high-speed technology, and 
developers have focused on peak data rates 
to win the battle. 

‘It was important to show the best perform-
ance and everybody was focusing on peak 
rate, but the cell edge has been somewhat 
ignored,’  Mr  Gouraud  notes.  ‘Evidently,  for 
operators, this isn’t a good thing, as some 

customers  will  sometimes  experience  >

 
 
 
 
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research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

IT A ND TELECOM MUN I CATI ONS

poor  coverage  and  much  lower  data  rates 
than advertised.’ 

In  order  to  address  that  issue  and  try  to 
ensure  a  fair  service  for  all  LTE  users, 
Orange teamed up with 14 partners, includ-
ing other mobile operators, equipment ven-
dors  and  research  institutes,  to  develop 
and test techniques to boost performance 
at the cell edge. Their work, carried out in 
the  ARTIST4G 1  project  and  supported  by 
almost  EUR  8.7  million  in  funding  from 
the European Commission, is feeding into 
updates  of  the  LTE  standard  —  and  will 
almost certainly be put to commercial use 
in the near future. 

Focusing on interference 
The  focus  of  the  team,  coordinated  by 
Mr Gouraud, has been on two key aspects of 
cellular networks: reducing interference and 
advanced signal-relaying techniques. 

‘If  you  want  to  improve  cell-edge  per-
formance, there are two ways to go about 
it. One is to densify the network by adding 
more antennas and making cells smaller, for 
example, but that is expensive. The second 
approach is to deal with interference,’ the 
ARTIST4G technical manager explains. 

Interference  in  a  mobile  network  can  be 
thought  of  as  a  little  like  the  background 
chatter at a cocktail party. With many con-
versations going on at the same time, it can 
be hard for someone to concentrate on the 
voice  of  the  person  they  are  speaking  to. 
But if they could easily identify those other 
conversations and separate them from their 
own, they could easily blank them out. 

That,  in  grossly  simplified  terms,  is  the 
approach the ARTIST4G researchers took to 
cancel interference at the receiving end and 
hence improve data rates and coverage. 

Although  modern  mobile  networks  were 
conceived  around  ‘orthogonality’,  derived 
from  the  Greek  words  for  ‘straight’  and 
‘angle’, implying no overlap, the reality is 
that transmitted signals will always cross, 
creating some degree of interference. And 
although  interference  can  be  avoided  as 
much as possible at the transmitter, ultim-
ately it also needs to be dealt with by the 
receiver. 

‘Orthogonality does not really exist in prac-
tice as there is always some interference. 
So rather than designing a network around 
orthogonal  signals,  we  take  into  account 
the fact that there will be interference. If 
we  accept  that,  then  we  can  exploit  the 
interference at the receiving end and hook 
into the system technologies to cancel it,’ 
Mr Gouraud explains. 

Among other techniques, the ARTIST4G team 
developed and implemented a new frame-
work  to  improve  ‘Coordinated  multipoint 
transmission’ (CoMP), a ‘Multiple-input and 
multiple-output’  (MIMO)  technology  using 
multiple antennas to serve cell-edge users 
from two or more base stations. And they 
worked on iterative receivers to decode both 
the  core  signal  and  the  interference,  and 
cancel out the latter. The team also demon-
strated 3D beam-forming in which a signal 
is directed toward the receiver not just along 
the horizontal plane as at present but also 
vertically, greatly reducing interference. 

With regard to relays, the team worked on 
moving relays, which could be placed on the 
roof of a car or bus, to enhance coverage, 
as well as deploying so-called Type 2 relays 
that extend signals from a master base sta-
tion, with better resource control than Type 1 
relays that effectively behave as base sta-
tions themselves. 

‘We  developed  proof  of  concept  hardware 
and conducted a large-scale ﬁ eld trial using 
15 base stations in Dresden, and some of 
the  technology  was  demonstrated  at  the 
Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona,’ 
Mr Gouraud explains. ‘The results have been 
very promising.’ 

The project manager points out that the part-
ners have made around 150 contributions to 
ongoing revisions of the LTE standard, and 
much  of  the  technology  they  developed  is 
likely to make its way into commercial use. 

‘The diﬀ erent partners are using the results of 
our work internally, and we are also looking 
to launch a follow-up project to continue the 
research,' Mr Gouraud concludes. 

The  project  was  coordinated  by  France 
Telecom in France.

1 

 ‘Advanced radio interface technologies for 4G systems’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme ‘Cooperation’ 
under the research theme ‘Information and communication 
technologies’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 
10536

Satnav innovation benefits Europe

European researchers have come up with a myriad of useful 
inventions  and  technological  breakthroughs,  especially  in 
satellite navigation. The time has come to create demand 
for these exciting new applications.

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A few years ago, Europe regis-
tered the highest number of pat-
ents worldwide — a good sign in 
itself for fostering the EU's know-
ledge economy. However, transla-
tion into the expected economic 
benefits  is  hampered,  largely 
because  of  the  gap  between 
knowledge  generation  and  low 
demand  for  new  products  and 
services. The EU-funded project 
INNOFIT1  worked  on  a  plan  to 
create demand through diﬀ erent 
‘instruments’, such as competi-
tions and roadshows, particularly 
in the satellite-navigation sector.

The project approached European 
regions that wanted to partici-
pate in the scheme by adopting 

demand-creation  mechanisms 
at regional level to boost local 
economies,  advancing  technol-
ogy  and  innovation.  It  raised 
awareness about opportunities, 
assessed  the  potential  of  the 
regions and developed policies to 
support project goals.

In addition, the project created a 
larger community for global navi-
gation  satellite  system  (GNSS) 
actors and stakeholders to form 
partnerships. It sought to encour-
age the creation of jobs associ-
ated  with  satellite  navigation 
by  adopting  the  new  demand-
creation  mechanisms  it  had 
developed.

 
 
research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

31

IT AND TELECO MMUNICATIONS

Several new ideas for GNSS clus-
ters emerged from the project, 
with diﬀ erent stages of comple-
tion reached in Croatia, Germany, 
the  Netherlands,  Spain  and 
Switzerland. The clusters would 
involve  many  regional  univer-
sities and institutes, establishing 
new platforms for collaboration, 
technological advancements and 
job creation. On the international 
front, even China expressed its 
interest in networking with the 
EU, opening the doors for more 

collaboration  on  GNSS  tech-
nology  and  helping  to  boost 
demand.

Despite  the  progress,  regions 
implicated  in  most  countries 
expressed the need for support 
in terms of designing and imple-
menting policies, as well as cre-
ating demand on a regional level. 
In response, the project helped 
the regions implement effective 
mechanisms, processes and sup-
porting policies that create and 

safeguard jobs to boost this im-
portant high-tech sector.

If  the  joint  action  plan  is  fully 
exploited, the expected upcom-
ing demand for products and ser-
vices in the satellite-navigation 
sector will stoke the economies 
of many regions. This could, in 
theory,  pave  the  way  for  other 
sectors to follow suit and estab-
lish relevant clusters based on 
demand  creation.  The  novel 
approach will then become yet 

another  avenue  of  success  for 
boosting  the  EU’s  knowledge-
based economy.

The project was coordinated by 
CeTIM in the Netherlands.

1 

‘Innovation benefits Europe’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Regions of knowledge’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10291

Micro-imaging, analysis and machining in one device

Scientists  have  developed  a  multifunctional  tool  capable 
of  simultaneously  visualising,  analysing  and  manipulating 
materials the size of molecules. The tool will be indispensable 
in developing miniature devices.

Nanotechnology can be thought 
of  as  the  engineering  of  func-
tional systems the size of atoms 
and  molecules.  For  the  field  to 
progress, scientists must be able 
to  see,  manipulate  and  control 
nanomaterials.

Scanning  electron  microscopes 
(SEMs), which use a beam of elec-
trons to illuminate an object, have 
been around for many years. The 
technology enables scientists to 
see objects at the nano scale not 
visible with light microscopes. They 

offer  high  resolution  with  large 
depth of focus and the possibility 
for microanalysis.

Recently, focused ion beam (FIB) 
microscopes  with  both  imaging 
and micromachining capabilities at 
the nanometre scale have become 
commercially available. FIB instru-
ments are similar to SEMs except 
that  they  use  an  ion  beam  (a 
beam of charged particles gen-
erally produced by removing elec-
trons from neutral atoms) rather 
than an electron beam.

Their use has opened the door to 
fundamental  materials  studies 
and technological applications not 
previously possible. They are o(cid:3) en 
integrated with SEM columns to 
produce a versatile dual-beam FIB 
(SEM) platform.

European scientists took the tech-
nology one step further by inte-
grating  a  dual-beam  FIB  (SEM) 
instrument with a hybrid scanning 
probe microscope (SPM). FIB tech-
nology enables micro-structuring 
and surface modification on the 
nano  scale.  The  SEM  provides 
options  for  both  chemical  and 
structural analysis. SEM together 
with SPM facilitates nano-scale 
chemistry  and  crystallography 
imaging.

EU funding of the FIBLYS1 project 
enabled investigators to develop 
a truly unique nano-structuring, 
nano-manipulation and nano-anal-
ysis instrument. The final FIBLYS 
prototype  with  complementary 
use of SEM, FIB, SPM and several 
analytical  techniques  thus  en-
ables nanotechnological capabil-
ities not previously available with 
any instrument. Innovations made 
possible with FIBLYS technology 
should facilitate the development 
of entirely new products and pro-
cesses related to nanotechnology.

The FIBLYS system is certain to 
become indispensable for research 
and  industrial  nanotechnology 
applications in a variety of ﬁ elds, 
including biotechnology, optoelec-
tronics and sensors.

The project was coordinated by the 
Institute of Photonic Technology in 
Germany.

1 

 ‘Multifunctional analytical focused ion 
beam tool for nanotechnology’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under 
the research theme ‘Nanosciences, 
nanotechnologies, materials and new 
production technologies’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10084

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research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

IT A ND TELECOM MUN I CATI ONS

Make light work for medicine

These days, light is frequently used for all sorts of therapies and medical applications, from cancer diagnosis and treatment 
to monitoring oxygen in the blood. An EU-funded project to support collaboration between researchers, industry and clinicians 
is helping Europe become a world leader in this exciting new discipline of biophotonics.

If  you  were  to  ask  a  physicist 
what they thought was the most 
important invention of the 20th 
century, there is a good chance 
they would mention the laser. The 
amazing properties of laser light 
have been used widely in manu-
facturing, computing, consumer 
electronics, and telecommunica-
tions. You can use a laser to read 
a CD or weld a supertanker, send 
data  down  an  optical  fibre,  or 
survey a farmer's ﬁ eld for urban 
development. 

Some  doctors  might  have  the 
laser as their top invention, too. 
Light, and laser light in particular, 
has become a new tool for ther-
apy and diagnosis. 

Shedding light on medical 
science 
Biophotonics is a relatively new 
scientiﬁ c discipline which is devel-
oping applications for light and 
lasers in the life sciences — for 
pharmaceutical  research,  clin-
ical diagnostics and therapy, and 
even semi-automated diagnostic 
systems for doctors and nurses. 
Biophotonics also deals with the 
prevention of diseases, and light 
can be used for precision moni-
toring of our environment as well 
as assessing the quality of food. 

This is an extremely broad and 
interdisciplinary  field  involving 
physicists,  chemists,  molecular 
biologists and other life scientists, 
physicians and clinicians. However, 
the healthy diversity comes with a 
major drawback: fragmentation. 
Scientists o(cid:3) en work in isolation, 
unaware of important develop-
ments  and  the  complementary 
expertise of their peers in other 
disciplines. Clinicians, meanwhile, 
have clear ideas of what technol-
ogies they need, but struggle to 
access R&D expertise. 

With a vision to establish Europe 
as a world leader in biophotonics, 
the EU-funded PHOTONICS4LIFE, 
or  P4L1  has  spent  four  years 
working  to  unite  researchers, 

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industry  and  clinicians  from 
across Europe. 

‘Biophotonics has great economic 
potential  for  many  European 
industrial sectors and will have 
an even greater socio-economic 
benefit  from  earlier,  more  ac-
curate diagnoses and more tar-
geted  therapies,’  states  P4L's 
Support  Officer,  Dr  Thomas 
Mayerhöfer  from  the  Institute 
of  Photonic  Technology,  Jena, 
Germany. ‘However, many devel-
opments in the ﬁ eld are predomi-
nantly  technology  driven,  and 
there is not yet suﬃ  cient dialogue 
between  scientists,  technology 
developers, industry, and biomedi-
cal end-users. These stakehold-
ers must interact more to identify 
unmet  medical  needs  and  to 
match them with the latest scien-
tiﬁ c discoveries and technological 
innovations.’ 

P4L is Europe's biophotonics hub. 
It provides support and training 
for  people  working  in  this  area 

and  facilitates  collaborations 
between research groups, device 
manufacturers, biopharmaceutical 
companies and clinical end-users. 

meetings  for  research  partners 
to meet up and o(cid:3) en explore the 
possibility of working together on 
larger, more long-term projects.’ 

The worldwide market value for 
commercial biophotonics applica-
tions and technologies was about 
EUR 20 billion in 2008. European 
companies have a strong market 
presence,  accounting  for  one-
third  of  the  production  volume 
worldwide in 2005. ‘Europe has 
so much to gain by building up 
its capacity, expertise and com-
mercial  portfolio  in  this  field,’ 
Professor Jürgen Popp, the coord-
inator of P4L remarks. 

Research spotlight 
One  of  P4L’s  most  significant 
roles has been to foster collabo-
rative research between European 
partners,  bringing  together 
Europe's  best  expertise  in  bio-
photonics. ‘The ﬁ nancial contribu-
tion to these research projects is 
small,’  explains  Dr  Mayerhöfer. 
‘We cover the cost of travel and 

So far, P4L has funded over 34 
of these year-long feasibility pro-
jects which have covered topics 
such as the use of Raman spec-
troscopy for non-invasive cancer 
detection and diagnosis, and the 
continuous  monitoring  of  brain 
oxygenation in preterm babies. 

‘These P4L projects have really 
focused  strongly  on  end-user 
involvement,’ Professor Popp is 
keen to point out. ‘We insist that 
clinical end-users are involved in 
these small projects right from 
the  outset  because  we  believe 
that  R&D  in  this  field  must  be 
clinically  relevant.  There  is  no 
point spending time and money 
on  a  project  that  will  have  no 
medical beneﬁ t at the end or have 
no real-world application. The only 
way to make sure new technol-
ogies will be adopted and meet 

 
 
research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

33

IT AND TELECO MMUNICATIONS

demand is to get the end-users 
on board from the very outset.’ 

P4L  also  provided  the  sector 
with a significant range of train-
ing  and  exchange  programmes, 
conferences  and  communica-
tion  campaigns.  These  include 
materials such as the ‘Handbook 
of Biophotonics’ which has been 
instrumental in promoting inter-
disciplinarity within the scientific 
community. 

An  annual  summer  school  has 
helped to raise the proﬁ le of bio-
photonics  across  Europe  and  is 
highly regarded by biomedical and 
science students. The event is led 
by a team of complementary clin-
ical and research-focused speakers 
who together provide an all-round 
perspective of the latest medical 
and technological challenges and 
breakthroughs in the ﬁ eld. 

The  network  has  also  funded 
over 20 PhD students and early 

post-doctoral researchers through 
its  short-term  exchange  pro-
gramme.  These  students  have 
enjoyed the opportunity to travel 
to partner laboratories and facili-
ties to use specialist equipment 
and  learn  new  biophotonics 
techniques. 

Through local meetings, workshops 
and ‘speed dating’ events, the core 
P4L partners have also established 
several local clusters for biopho-
tonics researchers and companies. 
Around 500 participants have been 
involved  with  P4L  at  this  local 
level, many forming new alliances 
and  partnerships  and  seeking 
advice on EU collaborations. 

The Industry User Club has also 
been highly successful, attract-
ing  27  members  to  date.  The 
purpose of the club is to provide 
a direct link between industrial 
companies, especially SMEs, and 
academic network partners. The 
services of the club have been 

presented  at  six  major  trade 
shows. 

Lighting the way 
Although EU funding for the P4L 
network has now ended, the core 
partners  are  committed  to  the 
cause. They will continue to run 
networking events, the summer 
school, and support the work of 
the industrial club. P4L will also 
make an appearance at the ‘World 
of Photonics Congress’ in Munich 
in  2013  and  at  the  ‘European 
Conference on Biomedical Optics’. 

‘We  are  also  already  planning 
an event for next year which will 
bring all our P4L projects together, 
so researchers can discover the 
broad scope of biophotonics and 
meet other researchers,’ says Dr 
Mayerhöfer. ‘Going forward, P4L 
will act a bit like a broker, helping 
people to work together and facili-
tating the translation of research 
into products, new therapies and 
diagnostics.

‘We will also continue to push the 
P4L paradigm of demand-driven 
research.  We  can  already  see 
this filtering into other domains 
of  EU-funded  research  such 
as  the  ‘Photonics21  European 
Technology  Platform’.  It  looks 
like this approach will also serve 
to emphasise the Horizon 2020 
research  programme.  In  many 
ways, the promotion of bottom-
up R&D is the greatest success of 
PHOTONICS4LIFE.' 

The  project  was  coordinated  by 
Sagemcom SAS in France.

1  

 ‘Network of excellence for biophotonics’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under the 
research theme ‘Information and 
communication technologies’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10273

A boost for Czech research in communications

EU  funding  facilitated  a  significant  increase  in  research 
capacity in the field of communications for a Czech university. 
Activities resulted in numerous collaborations with other EU 
researchers and with industry.

Advanced  communication  sys-
tems and technologies are consid-
ered by the EU to be one of the 
pillars  of  a  competitive  knowl-
edge-based  economy.  Helping 
Member  States  in  Central  and 
Eastern  Europe  (CEE)  develop 
their  capabilities  and  become 
integrated with information and 

communications technology (ICT) 
within  the  European  Research 
Area (ERA) is an important way to 
contribute to competitiveness.

The  EU-funded  ACOST 1  pro-
ject  was  conceived  to  increase 
the  research  capacity  of  the 
Department of Radio Electronics 

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(DREL)  at  Brno  University  of 
Technology in the Czech Republic. 
This was successfully achieved 
via  investment  in  both  human 
capital and facilities.

ACOST made 40 academic visits 
that resulted in six new interna-
tional research projects. Regular 
seminars by industry experts and 
project contacts thus produced 
37 new research collaborations. 
The  project  created  eight  new 
post-doctoral research positions 
(two  for  women)  and  two  pos-
itions for senior researchers.

Funding  enabled  the  update 
of  scientific  instrumentation  in 
three different laboratories (ex-
perimental  satellites,  mobile 
communications and optical com-
munications), all of which joined 
international  research  efforts. 
In addition, ACOST organised or 
participated in two international 
conferences and established an 
industry forum for feedback on 
research conducted by DREL.

The  ACOST  project  has  con-
t r i b u t e d   t o   a   s i g n i f i c a n t 

enhancement  of  DREL's  posi-
tion in the international research 
scene  by  strengthening  human 
r e s o u r c e s   a n d   t e c h n o l o g y, 
research-industry  collabor-
ation  and  industry  investment. 
As a result, participation by the 
Czech  Republic  in  the  Seventh 
Framework  Programme  (FP7) 
increased  and  the  university 
curricula  was  modified  to  bet-
ter meet the needs of industry. 
Improving the competitive posi-
tion of the Czech Republic in ICT 
will no doubt reinforce the stand-
ing of the EU in this critically im-
portant sector of the economy.

The project was coordinated by 
Brno University of Technology in 
the Czech Republic.

1  

 ‘Advanced communication systems and 
technologies’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Capacities’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10126

 
 
34

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

IT A ND TELECOM MUN I CATI ONS

Public transport for all

A good urban transport system must be inclusive enough to 
cater for all sections of society, especially the elderly and the 
disabled. A new set of tools and recommendations will help 
to achieve this.

Many  European  cities  and  gov-
ernments  have  established 
impressive  transport  systems 
for citizens, but how accessible 
these  systems  are  to  different 
commuter segments in reality is 
debatable.  The  EU-funded  pro-
ject MEDIATE1 developed diﬀ erent 
tools to help cities and transport 
operators  upgrade  accessibility 
to urban public transport. From 
physically challenged travellers 
to the elderly, the project investi-
gated a number of issues to pro-
mote inclusion.

Initially, MEDIATE articulated indi-
cators to measure accessibility of 
public transport that could com-
monly be used across the EU. It 
also  developed  an  assessment 
tool to help stakeholders evaluate 
strengths and weaknesses of the 

transport system in order to out-
line the steps needed to improve it.

Another valuable outcome was 
the publication of a good practice 
guide  which  featured  success-
ful ideas currently in use across 
Europe to upgrade accessibility. 
The guide offers specific exam-
ples of how accessibility is being 
advanced in different European 
cities in very varied geographical, 
cultural and economic contexts.

In  terms  of  raising  awareness 
and  fostering  communication, 
MEDIATE launched a comprehen-
sive website to guide stakeholders 
in furthering transport accessibil-
ity and to inform end-users of the 
latest developments. In parallel, it 
established an end-user platform 
that reached out to the diﬀ erent 

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sections of society and offered 
valuable transport advice. Other 
dissemination  tools  included 
newsletters,  an  engaging  video 
and a brochure published in six 
European languages.

The most important result ema-
nating from the project has been 
its contribution to developing a 
more inclusive urban transport 
system  that  offers  improved 
access  for  all.  MEDIATE's  tools 
and recommendations will most 
certainly  help  design  better 
transport systems and ﬁ ne-tune 
existing  ones,  increasing  the 

number of commuters consider-
ably. End-users, cities, communi-
ties, economies, job markets and 
the environment will all benefit 
from this endeavour.

The project was coordinated by 
Sintef in Norway.

1  

 ‘Methodology for describing the 
accessibility of transport in Europe’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under the 
research theme ‘Transport’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10272

Advancing research collaboration with GÉANT’s high-speed infrastructure

GÉANT,  the  pan-European  research  and  education  network  infrastructure,  is  evolving  fast. 
Long considered the most advanced research network in the world, it is now proceeding to 
comprehensive upgrade to its transmission and switching technology — effectively future-
proofing the network to 2020.

GÉANT1 was set up more than a 
decade  ago  to  enable  research 
collaboration and knowledge shar-
ing among European researchers 
and beyond. It has played a pivotal 
role in facilitating research projects 
that help maintain European com-
petitiveness and provide insight 
into  solving  some  of  human-
ity's biggest challenges. GÉANT's 
advanced  network  and  services 
enable research across fields as 
varied as climate change and en-
vironmental monitoring, food and 
energy supply, particle physics and 
radio  astronomy,  medicine  and 
bioinformatics. 

Together  with  Europe's  National 
Research and Education Networks 
(NRENs), GÉANT connects over 40 

million users in more than 8000 
universities, higher education insti-
tutes, research institutes, librar-
ies,  museums,  national  archives 
and hospitals, as well as a further 
22 000  primary  and  secondary 
schools. 

GÉANT is coordinated by DANTE, 
which plans, builds and operates 
advanced networks for research 
and  education  (including  TEIN, 
CAREN  and  AfricaConnect).  The 
GÉANT  consortium  consists  of 
a  federated  community  of  31 
European  national  research  and 
education  networks  (NRENs); 
Nordunet (representing ﬁ ve Nordic 
NRENs);  the  Trans-European 
Research and Education Networking 
Association  (Terena);  and  four 

associate NRENs plus DANTE. The 
current iteration of the GÉANT pro-
ject (known as GN3) is also sup-
ported by EUR 93 million in funding 
from the European Commission. It 
is the NREN partners that deliver 
the pan-European connectivity and 
services to users at the local level. 

The 500 Gbps roll-out 
GÉANT is currently implementing 
a major infrastructure upgrade, 
including the latest transmission 
and switching technology to sup-
port up to 2 terabits per second 
(Tbps) capacity across the core 
network. In eﬀ ect, this will future-
proof  Europe's  critical  network 
infrastructure  until  2020.  500 
Gigabits per second (Gbps) cap-
acity will be available in the core 

network from first implementa-
tion,  delivering  circuits  across 
Europe that will allow individual 
users to transfer data at speeds 
of up to 100\Gbps, or multiples 
thereof, thereby enabling faster 
collaboration on critical projects 
and meeting the rapidly increas-
ing demand for data transfer. 

CERN is the first 100 Gbps cus-
tomer,  linking  Geneva  to  its 
new data centre in Hungary, to 
process and store vast amounts 
of data from the Large Hadron 
Collider (LHC). 

‘This  is  an  enormous  project,  to 
completely refresh the 50 000-kilo-
metre GÉANT backbone network, 
replacing  all  existing  equipment 
with the latest transmission and 
switching technology and installing 
over 150 new pieces of equipment 
in 10 months,’ says Michael Enrico, 
chief technology oﬃ  cer for DANTE. 
‘Major  projects  involving  global 

 
 
research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

35

IT AND TELECO MMUNICATIONS

partners, such as CERN's LHC and 
the forthcoming Square Kilometre 
Array  (the  world's  largest  radio 
telescope), generate high volumes 
of data that need to be distributed, 
analysed, stored and accessed. This 
need for fast, stable transfer of 
data depends heavily on the high 
speed  and  dedicated  bandwidth 
oﬀ ered by research networks such 
as GÉANT, and the need for a tera-
bit network is growing every day.’ 

The previous version of the GÉANT 
project (known as GN2) focused on 
delivering the hybrid network, using 
the most innovative switching and 
routing technology. The focus then 
changed to develop and deliver an 
expanded service portfolio to en-
able users to get the best out of the 
network through their local NREN. 

Through  its  range  of  connectiv-
ity services, researchers (and other 
users) can select the bandwidth 
and performance that best matches 
their needs, with options ranging 
from high-capacity internet-proto-
col (IP) connections to ultra-high-
speed  dedicated  point-to-point 
circuits, including innovative 'on-
demand' point-to-point services. 
These in turn are supported by a 
comprehensive range of network 
monitoring and management ser-
vices to enable consistent, secure, 
end-to-end performance irrespec-
tive of the users' location. Along 
with its NREN partners, GÉANT's 
goal is to ensure 99.999 % avail-
ability through the rapid identifi-
cation and resolution of network 
errors  and  powerful  security 

features  to  detect  and  prevent 
malicious attacks. 

Applications that address authori-
sation and authentication issues, 
verifying users' identities and rights 
in order to grant them access to 
resources as appropriate, are also 
being  developed  and  rolled  out 
through the NREN project partners. 
This  enables  researchers,  aca-
demics and others to freely move 
across network boundaries while 
maintaining access to their home 
network and the resources of other 
NRENs and institutions. 

Accelerating scientific 
research 
More  than  1000  terabytes  of 
data  already  pass  through 
GÉANT's IP backbone each day, 
much of it linked to some of the 
most  advanced  and  far-reach-
ing  research  being  carried  out 
worldwide. 

CERN's  LHC,  the  world's  largest 
scientiﬁ c experiment, for example, 
produces over 22 petabytes of data 
annually, and research networks, 
including GÉANT, are critical com-
ponents in delivering this data to 
scientists around the world. 

‘We have used the GÉANT infra-
structure  very  extensively...  pro-
viding us with direct connections 
between CERN and the major insti-
tutes as well as a high-performance 
IP service that allows us to get the 
data to and from the smaller insti-
tutes around Europe,’ says Dr David 
Foster at CERN. 

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Similarly,  GÉANT  and  other  net-
works will be crucial for the scien-
tiﬁ c community to be able to work 
with the massive amounts of data 
due to be produced by the Square 
Kilometre Array, the world's largest 
telescope — scheduled to be oper-
ational in 2020. 

Whereas  previously  scientific 
data would have had to be phys-
ically sent on disks to research-
ers, via GÉANT the data can be 
accessed from anywhere at any 
time, enabling real-time observa-
tion of highly detailed informa-
tion on the universe. 

And in the bioinformatics arena, 
high-speed networks have made 
possible research breakthroughs, 
such as DNA sequencing, that have 
transformed life sciences. With the 
volume of data generated by bio-
logical experiments now doubling 
every ﬁ ve months, making it avail-
able to the global user community 
has been a major challenge for the 
GÉANT partners. 

Professor Janet Thornton, direc-
tor  of  the  European  Molecular 
Biology  Laboratory-European 
Bioinformatics  Institute  (EMBL-
EBI),  says  that  without  GÉANT, 
the  EBI  simply  would  not  exist. 
'Because our primary goal is to 
collect and distribute biological 
data... without GÉANT we could 
not do that,' she notes. 

Many other scientific disciplines, 
from earth observation and wea-
ther forecasting to chemistry and 
neuroscience, continue to benefit 
from the GÉANT network. 

GÉANT  also  has  extensive  links 
to  networks  in  North  America 
(via Internet2, ESNET, NLR, NISN 
and  CANARIE),  Latin  America, 
North Africa and the Middle East, 
South Africa and Kenya, the South 
Caucasus,  Central  Asia  and  the 
Asia-Paciﬁ c Region — reaching over 
65 countries outside Europe. 

Supporting education 
In addition, the GÉANT network is 
supporting the educational com-
munity, with many project partners 
serving universities, high schools, 
libraries and primary schools. 

In higher education, digital learn-
ing and lifelong learning are deﬁ n-
ing trends. As a result, university 

campuses are becoming increas-
ingly virtual, creating a need for 
new collaborative tools and ser-
vices. Academics and students alike 
expect end-to-end connectivity and 
limitless bandwidth, including in the 
wireless domain. 

Similar  changes  are  evident  in 
schools. New, more learner-cen-
tric  approaches  to  teaching  are 
being employed, digital tools and 
resources are being used across 
the curriculum, while gaming and 
infotainment are widely seen as an 
important part of future learning. 
These and emerging applications 
will all make increasing demands 
on the network, with the education 
sector becoming an increasingly 
important user group to GÉANT and 
its NREN partners. 

Going forward into the next itera-
tion  of  the  project  (GN3plus), 
GÉANT's vision is to build on its rep-
utation for networking excellence 
to  become  a  unified  'European 
Communications Commons', driv-
ing  knowledge  creation,  innov-
ation and learning by connecting 
and  supporting  the  growth  of 
European research and education 
communities. 

‘Ensuring that the power of the 
network is available to all, through 
simple, easy-to-use services, is at 
the heart of GÉANT today and in 
the  future,’  Niels  Hersoug,  joint 
project  manager  of  the  GÉANT 
project, says. ‘GN3plus will build 
on  GN3’s  success  by  continuing 
to deliver world-class class net-
working services with the highest 
levels of operational excellence to 
research and education communi-
ties within Europe and beyond. We 
will innovate to meet the needs of 
the community, helping to develop 
a competitive European ICT sector.’ 

The  project  was  coordinated  by 
DANTE  (Delivery  of  Advanced 
Network Technology to Europe) in 
the United Kingdom.

1  

 ‘Multi-gigabit European research and 
education network and associated 
services’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Information and communication 
technologies’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10529

 
 
 
36

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

INDUSTRIA L TE C HNO LO GI ES

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Researchers help develop next-
generation bio-plastic materials

The Dutch company Avantium is leading the way in replacing plastic PET bottles and other oil-based products with ‘green’ 
versions  made  from  sugar  derivatives  —  starch,  protein  and  cellulose.  The  successful  technology  breakthrough  has  been 
partly achieved thanks to the technological expertise brought to the company through the European Commission's Marie Curie 
Actions (MCAs) mobility support scheme.

Until 2005, the main business for Avantium 
― a spin-oﬀ  from the petrochemicals giant 
Royal  Dutch  Shell  ―  focused  on  contract 
research for the chemical and pharmaceut-
ical industry. The company then decided to 
broaden its base and move into product and 
process development to exploit its in-house 
expertise in the field of advanced catalytic 
research. It initiated its own R&D programme 
focused on biomass conversion, in particular 
using  sugar  and  starch-based  products  to 
replace the petrochemical feedstock gener-
ated from oil.

To support this move, the company was able 
to bring in three specialist researchers under 
the  Marie  Curie  scheme  to  fill  the  gaps  in 
its knowledge. Avantium's Chief Technology 
Oﬃ  cer, Gert-Jan Gruter, former Professor for 
Polymer Catalysis at Eindhoven University of 

Technology, explains: “At that time Avantium 
lacked the in-depth knowledge of carbohy-
drate chemistry and bio-based polymers to 
help it produce bio-substitutes for oil-based 
products in bulk production chains.

"The objective of SUGAR1 — a ‘transfer of 
knowledge’  project  —  was  to  expand  the 
company's  knowledge  in  these  areas  by 
recruiting, training and hosting experienced 
researchers  in  these  fields  for  a  two-year 
period."

Laszlo  Sipos,  a  post-doctorate  researcher, 
joined the Avantium team as a Marie-Curie 
fellow  in  2006  and  succeeded  in  develop-
ing the key elements in the ﬁ nal stage of the 
process (catalytic polymerisation of FDCA to 
PEF). This work also resulted in the ﬁ ling of 
two patents. 

In 2008, Sipos was oﬀ ered a permanent con-
tract with Avantium as a scientist (now sen-
ior scientist) having ﬁ nished his Marie Curie 
project. He now leads the technical aspect of 
the process development eﬀ orts towards PEF 
bottles.

A critical aspect of Avantium’s R&D was the 
development of a bio-based replacement of 
the PET bottle building block. The introduc-
tion  of  another  post-doctorate  researcher, 
Cesar Munoz de Diego, was very successful 
in developing the required catalytic oxida-
tion process. His pioneering work resulted in 
two patent applications being ﬁ led before he 
moved back to his native country in 2010, 
where he continues to work in R&D in Madrid.

A third recruit under the Marie Curie scheme 
was  a  software  development  specialist, 

 
 
research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

INDUSTR IAL TEC HNOLOGIES

37

Nathan Brown. A(cid:3) er supporting the develop-
ment of informatics at Avantium he moved to 
Novartis in Switzerland and now works with 
the Institute of Cancer Research in London. 

The legacy of all three Marie Curie research-
ers will be the sugar-based fully recyclable 
PEF bottles set to steadily replace the famil-
iar PET bottles. The beauty of the PEF bottle 
is not only its bio-based origin but also its su-
perior thermal and mechanical properties. 

The  patented  technology  developed  by 
Avantium is known as YXY (pronounced as 
icksy)  –  and  represents  a  family  of  green 
building  blocks  for  making  materials  and 
fuels  that  can  compete  on  both  price  and 
performance  with  oil-based  alternatives, 

but  which  have  a  superior  environmental 
footprint.

In December 2011, a pilot plant for develop-
ing and demonstrating PEF technology was 
opened with a capacity of 40 tonnes per year. 
Avantium has now entered multi-year collab-
oration programmes with major brands such 
as Coca-Cola and Danone to introduce PEF to 
replace petrochemical-based alternatives.

The  collaboration  programmes,  which  will 
continue the development of PEF in readiness 
for mass production and recycling, are key to 
securing a smooth transition into the mass-
production phase of PEF bottles. Commercial 
production  of  PEF  is  anticipated  in  about 
three to four years.

Gert-Jan Gruter commented: “The contribu-
tion of Marie-Curie-supported researchers has 
been essential in enabling us to undertake the 
very important initial development of these 
next-generation ‘green’ bio-plastic materials. 
We  believe  that  PEF  will  become  the  new 
world standard for polyester bottles.”

The  project  was  coordinated  by  Avantium 
Technologies in the Netherlands.

1 

 ‘Value-added chemicals and hydrogen from biomass’.

Funded under the FP6 ‘Mobility’ programme under ‘Marie 
Curie Actions’. 
http://ec.europa.eu/research > Information Centre > search 
> 29318

Keeping European electronics competitive globally

EU sponsorship has supported the development of a secure networking tool to simplify the 
sharing  of  information  between  electronics  companies.  Better  communication  along  the 
European electronics supply chain will keep the industry internationally competitive.

Small and medium-sized enter-
prises  (SMEs)  in  Europe  have 
to  keep  up  with  the  pace  of 
the  global  electronics  mar-
kets.  To  do  this,  a  strong  net-
work  of  information  exchange 
is needed, starting from prod-
uct  development  through  to 

manufacturing and, ultimately, 
the customer.

CONVERGE1 is an EU-sponsored 
tool  that  enables  such  shar-
ing  of  strategic  information 
between  customers  and  sup-
pliers  along  the  entire  supply 

chain. It is a portal that allows 
reliable  data  to  be  exchanged 
securely and conﬁ dentially.

Although the portal’s main use 
is for decision management and 
access to policy information, a 
few other tools have also been 

integrated.  The  ‘knowledge 
explorer’  helps  users  to  share 
their knowledge with each other 
and an ‘execution flow viewer’ 
can  graphically  monitor  live 
processes.

A  CONVERGE  tool  prototype 
has  been  evaluated  by  end-
u s e r s   fo r   i t s   f u n c t i o n a l i t y, 
customisability  and  impact 
within  their  businesses.  The 
portal shortened the response 
time  of  electronics  manufac-
turers to changing markets and 
increased the tactical decision-
making  capacity  of  industrial 
SMEs.

CONVERGE is poised to simplify 
networking  between  European 
companies along the electron-
ics supply chain. This improved 
communication should enhance 
SMEs’  ability  to  plan  for  and 
a d a p t   t o   r a p i d l y   c h a n g i n g 
global markets.

The project was coordinated by 
CAS So(cid:3) ware in Germany.

1  

 ‘Collaborative communication-driven 
decision management in non-hierarchical 
supply chains of the electronic industry’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under 
the research theme ‘Nanosciences, 
nanotechnologies, materials and new 
production technologies’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 6716

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38

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

INDUSTRIA L TE C HNO LO GI ES

High-power fibre lasers with unprecedented accuracy

Over  the  last  ten  years,  high-power  fibre  lasers  have  moved  quickly  from  the  research 
laboratory into production. In stark contrast to traditional lasers, fibre lasers now offer near-
perfect beam quality ensuring optimal focus even at long distances. In addition, high efficiency, 
low operating costs and virtually no maintenance allow for a simple integration into industrial, 
automated production processes.

D e s p i t e   t h e   a d v a n c e s , 
Femtosecond (fs) microprocess-
ing, which occurs in one millionth 
of one billionth of a second, is 
still  in  its  infancy  and  has  the 
reputation  of  being  complex, 
expensive  and  unreliable.  The 
LIFT1 project aims to change this 
by oﬀ ering a new, reliable high-
power fs-laser source at a com-
petitive price. 

LIFT is a EUR 9.6-million funded 
initiative  under  the  Seventh 
F r a m e w o r k   P r o g r a m m e . 
Started in September 2009, the 

48-month project is coordinated 
by  the  Fraunhofer  Institute  for 
Material and Beam Technology 
IWS  in  Dresden,  Germany  and 
has a consortium of 21 partners 
from nine countries working on 
various  aspects  of  fibre-laser 
development.  In  fact,  accord-
ing to LIFT project coordinator, 
Dr  Udo  Klotzbach  from  the 
Fraunhofer Institute Dresden, the 
consortium  comprises  a  whole 
host  of  experts  including  laser 
suppliers, optical component pro-
ducers, researchers and applica-
tion engineers. 

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In practical terms, LIFT is devel-
oping  fibre-based  short-pulse 
lasers and an ultra-short-pulsed 
laser  for  the  so-called  gentle 
‘cold  treatment’  of  materials, 
avoiding any use of heat, which 
is particularly relevant for spe-
cial  ceramic  materials  or  thin-
ﬁ lm applications. It is also hoping 
to  enhance  processes  such  as 
remote-laser cutting and weld-
ing  with  a  new  generation  of 
ﬁ bre lasers. In the medical sector, 
LIFT aims to develop a ﬁ bre-laser 
system which will treat various 
health symptoms, such as acne, 
and  could  eventually  also  be 
used to combat certain types of 
cancer. Crucially, the project will 
address renewable energies by 
improving the individual produc-
tion steps in the manufacturing 
of solar modules. 

Despite  the  long-term  success 
of  established  laser  technol-
ogy, such as CO2 gas lasers, the 
fastest growing market sector is 
that of ﬁ bre lasers. In 2006, the 
ﬁ bre-laser market segment was 
8 % and rose to 10 % in 2008. 
The  general  consensus  is  that 
by 2013, ﬁ bre lasers will have a 
30 % share in the overall laser 
market. 

Dr  Klotzbach  is  well  aware  of 
this  potential  and  its  import-
ance, saying: “In order to protect 

Europe's  position  as  technol-
ogy  and  manufacturing  leader 
in  industrial  laser  processing, 
it  is  imperative  for  European 
laser  manufacturers  to  take  a 
leadership  role  in  fibre-laser 
technologies.”

By  the  time  LIFT  finishes  in 
August  2013,  Klotzbach  hopes 
to  have  shared  its  progress 
among  three  key  audiences. 
First, by sharing pre-competitive 
information  and  results  with 
the  international  professional 
R&D  community,  he  aims  to 
encourage technology progress. 
Secondly,  he  wants  the  gen-
eral  public  to  understand  how 
European R&D programmes are 
improving  both  quality  of  life 
and the economy. Finally, by rais-
ing such awareness among the 
general public, he hopes that the 
next  generation  of  young  stu-
dents will be suﬃ  ciently inspired 
by LIFT to begin a career in sci-
ence and technology. 

The  project  was  coordinated 
by  Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft  in 
Germany.

1  

 ‘Leadership in fiber technology’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under 
the research theme ‘Nanosciences, 
nanotechnologies, materials and new 
production technologies’. 
http://ec.europa.eu/research > 
Information Centre > search > 29373

Using nanotechnology to detect food contaminants

Scientists  supported  by  EU  funding  have  developed  nanosensors  that 
identify 
contamination  during  the  production  and  distribution  of  liquid  foods.  These  monitoring 
systems are set to greatly improve quality control and hence competiveness in both small 
and large industries.

is highly sensitive since it uses 
antibodies  to  directly  detect 
contaminants in nano amounts 
o f   s a m p l e   ( t h i s   p r o c e s s   i s 
known as an immunoassay).

Every  year,  hundreds  of  mil-
lions  of  tonnes  of  food  are 
discarded  in  Europe.  To  avoid 
this  bulk  wastage  of  possibly 

contaminated food, producers 
and  distributers  need  a  fast, 
user-friendly system to screen 
individual foods.

The NANODETECT1 project has 
combined  molecular  biology 
and nanotechnology to develop 
such a system. The technology 

The  researchers  decided  to 
pilot  the  project  in  the  dairy 
i n d u s t r y   s i n c e   m i l k   i s   v u l -
nerable  to  contamination  by 

 
 
 
research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

INDUSTR IAL TEC HNOLOGIES

39

pathogens,  toxins  and  drugs. 
Milk production is also subject 
to  fraud,  whereby  goat's  milk 
may  be  blended  with  cow's 
milk,  for  example.  The  team 
successfully created antibodies 
to  detect  each  of  these  con-
taminants, and several patents 

and  licence  agreements  are 
pending.

Software has also been devel-
oped  for  use  in  conjunction 
with  bench-top  and/or  hand-
held  detection  devices.  The 
p r o j e c t ' s   p r o t o t y p e   d e v i c e 

is  relatively  cheap,  reusable 
and user-friendly, and easy to 
clean, sterilise and reactivate.

In future, the technology could 
be applied to other liquid and 
solid  foods,  allowing  produc-
ers  to  save  time  and  prevent 

large-scale discards or recalls. 
The  devices  will  also  serve 
to  reassure  consumers  that 
food  production  is  safe  and 
transparent.

The project was coordinated by 
TTZ in Germany.

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1  

 ‘Development of nanosensors for the 
detection of quality parameters along the 
food chain’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under the 
research theme ‘Food, agriculture and 
fisheries, and biotechnology’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10269

Packing ‘peanuts’ made of starch and water

Scientists are developing starch-based packaging materials 
to  keep  items  safe  during  transport.  They  should  provide 
an  eco-friendly  alternative  to  current  petrochemical-based 
products.

Foam  packaging  materials  are 
widely used to protect products 
during transport. They are typ-
ically made from petrochemicals 
(chemicals  made  from  petro-
leum).  Expanded  polystyrene 
(EPS)  together  with  expanded 
polyurethane (EPU), polyethylene 
(EPE)  and  polypropylene  (EPP) 
are  the  most  popular  moulded 
cushion packaging materials.

Despite  their  popularity,  their 
potential  impact  on  the  envir-
onment  as  a  result  of  manu-
facture, use and disposal have 
stimulated interest in developing 
alternatives. The petrochemicals 
are  made  from  non-renewable 
hydrocarbons (essentially fossil 
fuels such as petroleum). Agents 
applied  during  processing  are 
associated with greenhouse gas 
emissions.

In  addition,  although  they  are 
recyclable  this  has  not  been 
fully  exploited,  perhaps  due  to 
a  current  inability  of  existing 
programmes to address needs. 
With  a  short  service  life  and 

voluminous quantities in use, dis-
posal of the non-biodegradable 
materials in landﬁ lls is becoming 
problematic.

European scientists initiated the 
EU-funded REBIOFOAM1 project 
to  develop  materials  and  pro-
cesses  enabling  production  of 
biodegradable  foam  packaging 
from renewable raw materials, 
namely starch and water. In add-
ition, sustainable manufacturing 
is exploited by using pressurised 
microwave technology. Energy-
efficient microwaves utilise the 
water content of the materials 
themselves  to  generate  water 
vapour that triggers the foaming 
process.

Work  is  progressing  well  and 
according to plan. Scientists have 
optimised raw material formula-
tion  and  the  extrusion  process 
to make the starch-based poly-
mers into pellets. They have also 
designed the prototype mould for 
use in the pilot production line. 
The  mould  is  used  to  produce 
the three-dimensional (3D) foam 

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packaging materials. The micro-
wave cavity has been optimised 
for  the  microwave-assisted 
expansion process, and a semi-
industrial  pilot  process  line  is 
being set up.

In  the  meantime,  REBIOFOAM 
samples  have  been  produced 
and  extensively  characterised 
via  various  performance  tests. 
A  life-cycle  analysis  (LCA)  has 
also been performed to evaluate 
cradle-to-grave implications of 
bio-based  transport  packaging 
materials. The LCA demonstrates 
a signiﬁ cant reduction in carbon 
dioxide  (CO2)  emissions  com-
pared to conventional materials.

REBIOFOAM is expected to signif-
icantly reduce the environmental 
impact  of  transport  packaging 
materials. The new products are 

manufactured  from  renewable 
resources, produce fewer emis-
sions  during  their  lifetime  and 
are  biodegradable.  Their  use 
will also signiﬁ cantly reduce the 
amount of waste currently going 
into EU landﬁ lls.

The project was coordinated by 
the Novamont in Italy.

1  

 ‘Development of a flexible and 
energy-efficient pressurised microwave 
heating process to produce 3D-shaped 
renewable bio-polymer foams for novel 
transportation packaging’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under 
the research theme ‘Nanosciences, 
nanotechnologies, materials and new 
production technologies’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 6391

 
 
 
 
40

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

INDUSTRIA L TE C HNO LO GI ES

Sorting increases recyclation and reuse of paper

Scientists have developed novel automatic sorting technology for the recovery and reuse of paper. Increased purity and yield 
with decreased energy consumption should benefit the paper industry and the environment.

P a p e r   i s   m a d e   f r o m   t r e e s 
grown specifically for this pur-
pose,  in  so-called  managed 
timberlands. Whereas the trees 
p r ov i d e   t h e   t o p - g r a d e   r a w 
material (pulp) to make paper, 
recovered  fibres  can  be  used 
to  produce  other  paper  prod-
ucts of varying quality. Among 
these  are  office-grade  paper, 
newsprint,  cardboard  and  tis-
sue paper.

Wood  is  subject  to  supply-
and-demand  issues  just  like 
every other commodity. Rising 
prices of raw materials and of 
the  energy  used  for  produc-
tion are increasing pressure on 
the paper industry to enhance 
recovery capability and quality. 
In addition, stricter legislation 
associated with treatment and 
disposal  highlights  the  need 
for  new  technologies  to  opti-
mise  recovery  and  utilisation 
of paper products.

European  scientists  initiated 
the  EU-funded  SORT  IT 1  pro-
ject  to  develop  novel  sensor 
and measurement technologies 
for more efficient sorting and 
thus paper recovery. Close col-
laboration  with  industry  has 
ensured appropriate specifica-
tions of the required purity of 
materials for given uses.

The  comprehensive  Unisort 
S O R T   I T   a u t o m a t i c   s o r t i n g 
machinery utilises optical sen-
sors. The team has developed 
the  Fusiosort  sensor  system, 
comprising  one  near-infra-
red (NIR)/short-wave IR (SWIR) 
sensor with expanded spectral 
range  (wavelengths  of  1 300 
to 2 300 nanometres) and two 
visual inspection system (VIS) 
cameras.  Testing  has  demon-
strated  the  enhanced  ability 
of the sensor system to detect 
paper  components  and  quan-
tities for optimal sorting.

Unisort SORT IT combines the 
optical-sensor technology with 
an improved pneumatic (using 
pressurised  air)  ejector  sys-
tem  to  eject  material  more 
effectively  using  less  energy. 
Sorting robots have also been 
d e s i g n e d   t o   s o r t   m a t e r i a l s 
quickly and precisely.

Following pilot tests, end-users 
awarded certificates of compli-
ance  for  the  sorted  grades  of 
recovered  paper.  The  machin-
ery was implemented in a full-
scale  industrial  sorting  plant 
in  Austria.  Thanks  to  the  new 
technology,  the  plant  has  a 
capacity  of  2000  tonnes  per 
month  using  just  two  manual 
sorters.

R e s u l t s   o f   l i f e - c y c l e   a n -
alyses  have  been  presented 
to  industrial  and  governmen-
tal  representatives  in  waste 
management  as  well  as  to 

European standardisation bod-
ies. Technology transfer activ-
ities are now under way.

The  project  was  coordinated 
by Papiertechnische Stiftung in 
Germany.

1  

 ‘Recovered paper sorting with innovative 
technologies’.

Funded under the FP7 specific 
programme ‘Cooperation’ under the 
research theme ‘Environment’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 6020

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research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

41

SPACE

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Advancing engine technologies for 
space exploration

A strong space exploration programme can contribute significantly to European strategic independence, a specific aim for 
European space activities. A key to this interdependence could be a new EU-backed throttleable rocket engine, giving Europe 
a push in the international space race.

The  term  'throttleable'  in  the  context  of 
rocket  engines  refers  to  their  capacity  to 
have  varied  thrust,  crucial  for  enabling  a 
higher  order  of  vehicle  manoeuvrability. 
The EU-funded SPARTAN1 project is devel-
oping a throttleable propulsion system, a 
prerequisite for so(cid:3)  and precision planetary 
landings.

The innovative engine technology will en-
able a new generation of space missions. 
The ultimate aim is to help lay the ground-
work for future robotic and manned space 
missions to Mars.

SPARTAN  complements  other  research 
being  carried  out  by  the  European  Space 
Agency (ESA) and Italy's Piedmont regional 
development  programme.  The  focus  is 
on  three  major  objectives:  a  new  engine 
design  with  throttling  capability,  specific 

throttleable  device  development,  and  the 
design of a testable landing scenario.

The  project  will  perform  real-life  demon-
strations of these and other high-level tech-
nologies. Notably, these demonstrations will 
include the ﬁ rst European so(cid:3) -landing drop 
test employing a throttleable engine and an 
autonomously guided lander module.

S PA R TA N ' s   r e s u l t s   w i l l   t r i g g e r   b o t h 
upstream and downstream research aimed 
at improving access to planet surfaces in 
the  context  of  space-exploration  activ-
ities. The ramifications could also extend 
to  many  other  space-  and  ground-based 
applications. Speciﬁ c characteristics of the 
envisaged  hybrid-engine  technology  will 
have implications for safety, environmental 
impact, technology life-cycle costs, compet-
itive performance and reliability issues.

Europe's desire for independence in space 
remains a strong driver for its space pro-
grammes, demonstrating European ambi-
tion and assertiveness on the international 
stage.  Forward-looking  research  such  as 
that being carried out by SPARTAN is help-
ing to propel Europe into a leading position 
in the ﬁ eld of space exploration.

The  project  was  coordinated  by  Thales 
Alenia Space Italia in Italy.

1 

 ‘Space exploration research for throttleable advanced 
engine’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme ‘Cooperation’ 
under the research theme ‘Space’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > search > offers > 
10492

 
 
 
42

SPACE

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

A European space exploration roadmap

European and international experts have developed a scientific roadmap of key issues for future human space missions as 
part of a European space strategy.

d r i v e r s   o f   i t s   h i g h - l e v e l 
space  architecture  develop-
ment.  Both  the  ESA  and  the 
N a t i o n a l   A e r o n a u t i c s   a n d 
Space  Administration  (NASA) 
h a v e   d e v e l o p e d   s t r a t e g i e s 
a n d   r o a d m a p s   fo r   a c h i e v -
ing  future  space  exploration 
goals.  However,  Europe  has 
yet  to  have  its  own  roadmap 
approved and endorsed by the 
European scientific and indus-
trial communities.

A  European  consortium  initi-
ated the EU-funded THESEUS1 
project to fill this critical need 
while maintaining synergy with 
the  ESA  strategy.  Scientists 
developed  an  integrated  life-
sciences research roadmap to 
address  such  issues  as  life-
support  systems,  behaviour 
and  performance,  prevention 
of  bone  loss  and  recycling 
technologies.

THESEUS  formed  and  coord-
inated 14 expert groups (EGs) 
o f   E u r o p e a n   a n d   i n t e r n a -
tional experts in related disci-
plines.  The  EGs  succeeded  in 
identifying  99  key  scientific 
issues  representing  the  most 
i m p o r t a n t   c h a l l e n g e s   a n d 

opportunities for future human 
space exploration. These were 
used  to  formulate  three  main 
themes  consisting  of  adapta-
tion  to  space  environment, 
countermeasures  to  multiple 
stressors, and tools and meth-
ods.  The  THESEUS  roadmap 
was  finalised  and  officially 
launched in March 2012.

The consortium is now prepar-
ing  to  publish  project  results 
in  scientific  journals,  and  is 
actively  seeking  future  direc-
tions based on the successful 
foundations  that  have  been 
laid by THESEUS.

T h e   p r o j e c t   w a s   c o o r d i n -
ated by the European Science 
Foundation in France.

1 

 ‘Towards human exploration of space: 
a European strategy’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Space’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10361

Solar sails help remove orbiting 
space junk

Scientists  are  developing  technology  to  remove  satellites 
and used rocket stages from orbit at the end of their useful 
lifetimes.  Reducing  space  debris  is  critical  to  the  safety  of 
spacecraft, both manned and unmanned.

Earth,  seas  and  atmosphere 
are  often  the  first  words  to 
spring  to  mind  when  sustain-
ability is mentioned. However, 
t h e r e   i s   a n o t h e r   n e g a t i v e 
impact of human activity which 
can be observed in the region 
from 80 km to 2000 km above 
the Earth's surface.

K n ow n   a s   L ow   E a r t h   O r b i t 
( L E O ) ,   t h i s   r e g i o n   ‘ h o u s e s ’ 
numerous  satellites  orbiting 
the Earth. Unfortunately, many 
of  these  are  actually  space 
'junk' — abandoned satellites 
w h o s e   m i s s i o n s   h a v e   b e e n 
completed.

P a s t   s p a c e   m i s s i o n s   h a v e 
d e m o n s t r a t e d   t h e   fe a s i b i l -
i t y   o f   h u m a n   s u r v i v a l   a n d 
h i g h - l e v e l   f u n c t i o n i n g   i n 
space for extended periods of 
time.  However,  technological, 
m e d i c a l   a n d   p s y c h o l o g i c a l 
issues  associated  with  even 
longer duration missions must 

be addressed before venturing 
farther afield or staying away 
longer to collect more valuable 
data.

The  European  Space  Agency 
(ESA)  has  identified  return-
ing  to  the  Moon  and  human 
exploration  of  Mars  as  key 

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research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

Space  debris  poses  an  imme-
diate  threat  of  collision  with 
manned and unmanned space-
craft. Current predictions sug-
gest  that  dangerous  amounts 
of debris will increase at a rate 
of 5 % per year if the problem 
is not addressed.

Due  to  their  very  high  veloci-
ties,  even  small  pieces  can 
damage expensive equipment, 
disrupt satellite television and 
other  communication  signals, 
and even result in human cas-
ualties.  Focus  has  turned  to 
end-of-life  (EoL)  de-orbiting 
strategies as the only effective 
means  to  limit  the  growth  of 
orbiting debris.

A   E u r o p e a n   c o n s o r t i u m   i s 
developing a low-cost and low-
risk  de-orbiting  device  with 
EU  funding  of  the  DEORBIT 
SAIL 1  project.  The  technology 
is based on the use of a 25m2 
solar sail and will be suitable 
for satellites and upper stages 
of up to 500 kilograms. Solar 
sails are large, highly reflective 
spacecraft  that  use  the  Sun's 
photons to propel themselves. 
DEORBIT SAIL is using the pro-
pulsion  technology  to  provide 
drag, essentially applying pro-
pulsion  in  the  opposite  direc-
tion of flight.

deployment  module  and  atti-
tude  control.  Enhanced  active 
attitude  control  provides  a 
substantial  improvement  over 
passive control. Structural and 
thermal  analyses  were  con-
ducted with particular attention 
to  loads  on  the  gossamer-like 
booms that support the sails.

DEORBIT  SAIL  is  expected  to 
deliver  the  final  design  of  a 
complete  de-orbiting  system 
with  independent  power,  atti-
tude  control  and  communica-
tions, as well as demonstrating 
the sail deployment system.

S c i e n t i s t s   h a v e   d e s i g n e d 
t h e   s y s t e m   i n c l u d i n g   s a i l , 

Projections suggest that if all 
satellites  and  upper  stages 

43

SPACE

launched  from  2013  to  2020 
carry  the  de-orbiting  technol-
ogy,  hazardous  space  debris 
will be reduced by 70 %.

The project was coordinated by 
the University of Surrey in the 
United Kingdom.

1 

 ‘De-orbiting of satellites using solar 
sails’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Space’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10046

Avoiding a solar-induced, global black-out

Scientists are creating the first European-wide map of the vulnerability of power grids to extreme solar events. Advanced 
computer models are providing forecasting capabilities to protect ground-based infrastructure.

The Earth’s magnetic field and 
atmosphere  protect  it  from 
most  solar  activity.  However, 
d u r i n g   p e r i o d s   o f   i n t e n s e 
a c t i v i t y ,   t h e   s o l a r   w i n d , 
streams  of  ionised  particles, 
can cause major geomagnetic 
storms worldwide. The storms 
can  create  geomagnetically 

i n d u c e d   c u r r e n t s   ( G I C s )   i n 
conductors  on  the  ground, 
including electrical transmis-
s i o n   g r i d s   a n d   b u r i e d   g a s 
p i p e l i n e s .   Fa i l u r e s   c a n   b e 
severe and widespread, even 
g l o b a l ,   u n l i k e   a   l i g h t n i n g 
strike or localised equipment 
failure.

European  scientists  are  pro-
ducing the first European-wide, 
real-time  forecasting  service 
of GICs in power systems with 
EU  funding  of  the  EURISGIC 1 
project. They are using in situ 
real-time solar wind observa-
tions  and  advanced  model-
l i n g   t e c h n i q u e s   t o   d e v e l o p 

a  statistical  map  of  GIC  risk 
throughout Europe with predic-
tive capability.

A  major  challenge  has  been 
assimilating geomagnetic data 
across  Europe  during  the  full 
solar cycle of 1996-2008. 
In addition to using digital 

>

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44

SPACE

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

data from archives, research-
ers are recording new GIC data 
and  digitising  old  analogue 
r e c o r d i n g s .   M e a s u r e m e n t s 
from  five  sites  in  north-west 
R u s s i a   a r e   o n g o i n g ,   w h i l e 
digitisation  of  data  from  a 
Hungarian  observatory  and 
h i s t o r i c a l   U n i t e d   K i n g d o m 
m a g n e t o g r a m s   a r e   n e a r l y 
complete.

E U R I S G I C   i s   e x p l o i t i n g   t w o 
a d v a n c e d   m o d e l l i n g   p a c k -
ages developed in Europe and 
the United States. Using real-
time solar wind observations, 
t h e   a l g o r i t h m s   w i l l   e n a b l e 
calculation  of  GICs  within  a 
3 0 - m i n u t e   d e l a y   o f   s p a c e 
w e a t h e r   e v e n t s .   E x c e l l e n t 
transnational cooperation will 
facilitate  a  truly  global  fore-
cast  service  in  line  with  both 

European  and  United  States 
goals.

The project was coordinated by 
Ilmatieteen laitos in Finland.

T h e   p r o j e c t   i s   e x p e c t e d   t o 
have a signiﬁ cant and positive 
impact  on  the  protection  of 
Europe's  ground-based  power 
infrastructure from space wea-
ther  events.  In  addition,  the 
close international collaboration 
will  benefit  numerous  large 
regions at the same latitudes.

1 

 ‘European risk from geomagnetically 
induced currents’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Space’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10387

Forecasting the weather in space

The first European system to forecast the radiation levels in space has been developed by EU researchers. Predicting such 
space weather can help satellite operators to protect their spacecraft.

Satellites  play  an  important 
part  in  our  everyday  lives: 
earth observation, communica-
tions  and  navigation  systems 
a l l   d e p e n d   o n   t h e m .   T h e r e 
are  two  regions  of  radiation 
or  high-energy  electrons  sur-
rounding the Earth. These ener-
getic  electrons  are  trapped  in 
the Earth's magnetic field and 
are  known  as  the  Van  Allen 
electron radiation belts.

Most navigation satellites (e.g. 
such as the Global Positioning 
System  (GPS))  pass  through 
the heart of the outer radiation 
belt. Here, they may experience 
high  levels  of  radiation  that 
can cause damage to both the 
surface and the internal com-
ponents of spacecraft.

SPACECAST1 aims to take infor-
mation  from  satellites  and 

ground-base stations, enter the 
data  into  a  computer  model, 
a n d   fo r e c a s t   t h e   r a d i a t i o n 
levels  in  space  for  satellite 
operators.

The  EU-funded  project  has 
already  been  very  success-
ful.  Exactly  one  year  after 
SPACECAST began the forecast-
ing  system  for  space  weather 
— the variable conditions that 

surround  the  Earth  in  space 
— was opened to the public. It 
provides a forecast of radiation 
levels up to three hours ahead.

The  forecasts  are  unique  in 
that  they  cover  the  whole  of 
the outer radiation belt where 
the  European  Galileo  satel-
lites orbit the Earth, and where 
many new navigation satellites 
will be placed. The Galileo pro-
gramme  is  Europe's  initiative 
for  a  state-of-the-art  global 
satellite navigation system.

However, high-energy electrons 
in the outer radiation belt are 
not  the  only  source  of  space-
craft malfunctions. Work in the 
project  is  continuing  on  fore-
casting  space  weather  using 
the  solar  wind  streaming  off 
the Sun, something which can 
trigger  magnetic  storms  on 
Earth.

The  project  was  coordinated 
by  the  Natural  Environment 
Research Council in the United 
Kingdom.

1 

 ‘Protecting space assets from high 
energy particles by developing 
European dynamic modelling and 
forecasting capabilities’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Space’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10392

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research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

45

SPACE

Improved models of orbiting objects in the Universe

Charting the movement of celestial objects is important to understanding the nature of our Universe and for planning deep-
space missions. Scientists are combining ground- and space-based data for highly accurate motion models.

The broad deﬁ nition of the term 
satellite is simply a small body 
orbiting  around  a  larger  body. 
Hence,  the  Moon  is  a  natural 
satellite of Earth. Mars, Jupiter, 
Saturn and Uranus all have nat-
ural  satellites  as  well,  the  last 
three with more than 25 each.

Scientists initiated the ESPACE1 
project  to  advance  European 
expertise in ultra-precise track-
ing of planetary probes and other 
deep-space  science  missions. 

Using  the  expertise  gained, 
researchers  will  develop  new 
models  describing  the  motion 
(ephemerides or assigned places 
at regular intervals) of several 
natural  satellites.  Models  will 
include characterisation of their 
rotation  properties,  reference 
systems and systems of gravity, 
thereby improving the physical 
knowledge of natural satellites 
and  spacecraft  orbit-determi-
nation  methods  for  man-made 
satellites.

The  first  project  year  was 
devoted  largely  to  collecting 
information on astrometric data 
(positions,  motions  and  mag-
nitudes  of  celestial  bodies)  for 
natural satellites and spacecra(cid:3) . 
Scientists were able to improve 
available data in several ways. 
New equipment enabled digiti-
sation of existing photographic 
plates and thus additional astro-
metric  measurements  of  two 
Martian  satellites.  Digitisation 
is  under  way  for  Saturnian 

satellites.  The  consortium  also 
collected  ground-based  data 
on mutual events, in which two 
bodies  eclipse  or  occult  each 
other.  These  observations  pro-
vide highly accurate astromet-
ric data and were collected for 
the Jovian (relating to Jupiter), 
Saturnian and Uranian systems 
of satellites.

Combining space-based observa-
tion with ground-based astrom-
etry  on  a  large  scale  for  the 
first  time  in  Europe  is  helping 
scientists  improve  constraints 
on models. Investigators plan to 
deliver  highly  accurate  models 
of  the  ephemerides  of  several 
natural satellites and spacecra(cid:3) . 
Such representations may con-
tribute  to  the  development  of 
new models of the planets them-
selves based on interpretation of 
planetary eﬀ ects on their satel-
lites. Overall, ESPACE results are 
set to make an important impact 
on  the  guiding  and  analysis  of 
future  space  missions  to  plan-
etary systems.

The project was coordinated by 
the Paris Observatory in France.

1 

 ‘European satellite partnership for 
computing ephemerides’.

Funded under the FP7 specific programme 
‘Cooperation’ under the research theme 
‘Space’. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/marketplace > 
search > offers > 10408

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46

EVENT S

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

Third International Conference on Environment and Industrial Innovation 

The Third International Conference on Environment and Industrial Innovation (ICEII 2013) will be held from 19 to 20 May 2013 in 
Copenhagen, Denmark. 

The environmental problems currently facing industrialised countries are not new, but they will continue to escalate if nothing is done. Innovation 
is essential in this regard. This event will bring together researchers, academics and industrial experts to exchange and promote research and 
developmental activities.

For further information, please visit: 
http://www.iceii.org/

Seventh International Conference on Sustainable Water Resources Management

The Seventh International Conference on Sustainable Water Resources Management will take place from 21 to 23 May 2013 in New 
Forest, UK. 

Water is essential for sustaining life on our planet and its uneven distribution is a source of permanent conﬂ ict. The growing human population 
combined with irregularity in precipitation and water availability may further restrict access to water in certain regions of the world. This problem 
is made more severe by anthropogenic activities that aﬀ ect water quality. 

The conference will bring together various stakeholders to discuss the most recent technological and scientiﬁ c developments associated with the 
management of surface and subsurface water resources.

For further information, please visit: 
http://www.wessex.ac.uk/13-conferences/water-resources-management-2013.html

Korea EUREKA Day 2013

The ‘Korea EUREKA Day 2013’ will be held from 28 to 30 May 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey. 

Co-hosted by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE), the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) and the Turkish EUREKA 
Chairmanship, this fourth annual EUREKA event will aim to foster cooperation and the development of R&D consortiums between European and 
Korean SMEs and/or research centres. 

It will be an opportunity for attendees to exchange ideas and foster networking and collaboration between bodies such as government research 
institutes, large companies and SMEs.

For further information, please visit: 
http://www.eurekaday.kr

Sixth International Conference on Human System Interaction, Gdansk, Poland

The Sixth International Conference on Human System Interaction will take place from 6 to 8 June 2013 in Gdansk, Poland. 

Attention to human-machine interaction is crucial, because poorly designed human-machine interfaces can lead to many unexpected problems. A 
classic example of this is the Three Mile Island accident, where investigations concluded that the design of the human-machine interface was at 
least partially responsible for the disaster. 

The conference will cover theory, design and the application of human-system interactions in the areas of science, education, business, industry, 
services, humanity, environment, health, and government. It will also act as a platform for exchanging ideas, knowledge, skills and experiences 
amongst the participants.

For further information, please visit: 
http://www.hsi.wsiz.rzeszow.pl

research*eu results magazine — N° 22 — May 2013

Social Robotics and its Sustainability

47

EVENTS
EVENTS

A conference entitled 'Social Robotics and its Sustainability' will be held from 10 to 13 June 2013 in Brussels, Belgium. 

Researchers have exerted considerable eﬀ orts to advance robotic technologies and better understand their social implications. In this context, 
three COST Domains - Individuals, Societies, Cultures and Health (ISCH), Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Biomedicine and 
Molecular Biosciences (BMBS) - have joined forces to discuss innovative research and ideas. 

The event will give an overview of the current state of robotics across disciplines in order to discern what the near future may hold. Covered topics 
will include the evolution of various ﬁ elds such as engineering and social sciences, the emotional impact of robots, the models of society embod-
ied in robots and the type of societies such robots will contribute to.

For further information, please visit:
http://www.cost.eu/events/socialrobotics

EURO-SME 2013

A conference entitled ‘EURO-SME 2013’ will be held from 11 to 12 June 2013 in Dublin, Ireland. 

The conference will consider the role of SMEs in two key European Union initiatives. First, it will look into Europe 2020 and its foreseen smarter, 
more sustainable and more inclusive economy, where research and innovation are key. Then, it will focus on the Innovation Union which comprises 
the whole innovation chain from ideas to market, and places particular emphasis on innovation and support measures for SMEs. 

The conference is organised by Enterprise Ireland and is supported by the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation 
and its Industrial Technologies Programme. It is one of a series of events being held around the Irish Presidency of the EU.

For further information, please visit: 
http://www.fp7ireland.com/Events.aspx?WCI=htmEvent&WCU=EVENT_PKEY=283

Ninth International Symposium on Paediatric Pain

The Ninth International Symposium on Paediatric Pain will take place from 17 to 20 June 2013 in Stockholm, Sweden. 

Children are at risk of inadequate pain management. Misconceptions exist that may contribute to inadequate analgesia for procedures that would 
routinely be treated aggressively in adults. One of the problematic factors lies in children’s diﬃ  culty to express their pain to those taking care of 
them — health professionals and parents — in ways that can be clearly understood. There can be particular diﬃ  culties in inferring the sensory 
and emotional experience of pain in children, especially in neonates and young children. 

The meeting will provide opportunities for all delegates to share knowledge and to network. It will cover a broad selection of topics, ranging 
from basic to clinical science, pharmacology to psychological interventions, acute to chronic pain, and pain within hospital as well as community 
settings.

For further information, please visit: 
http://www.ispp2013.org/

EuroNanoforum 2013

An event entitled ‘EuroNanoforum 2013’ will be held from 18 to 20 June 2013 in Dublin, Ireland. 

This EU Irish Presidency event on nanotechnology innovation is Europe’s largest nanotechnology and materials conference. Over 70 high-pro-
ﬁ le international speakers from industry, government and research will discuss the economic and technological impact of nanotechnologies on 
European growth, as well as the beneﬁ ts of nanotechnology in every-day life and society. The conference focuses on the impact nanotechnology is 
having on solving societal problems in the environment, energy and health, showcasing innovation as a driver of economic growth. 

With Horizon 2020 beginning in 2014, the conference will also show how nanotechnologies ﬁ t into the new structure within Europe's key priority 
areas of excellent science, industrial leadership and tackling societal challenges.

For further information, please visit: 
http://www.enf2013.eu/

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