Research*eu results magazine. N° 34, July-August 2014.
Date: 2014-07-11
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

N°34
JULY-AUGUST 2014

SPECIAL FEATURE
NOTHING GETS LOST

THE POWER OF
BIOMASS

ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY
CLIMATE CHANGE, 
MEET CYBORG 
PLANTS
» PAGE 27

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES
WIBRATE: PICKING UP 
ON BAD VIBRATIONS
» PAGE 38

research eu
R E S U LT S   M AG A Z I N E

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EDITORIAL

by the editorial team

ADVANCING 
SUSTAINABILITY  
WITH BIOFUELS

Have you ever heard of the circular economy? This relatively new concept — which 
was at the heart of the European Commission’s Green Week last month — probably 
sounds more abstract than it really is. Here is a concrete example: in the foreseeable 
future, throwing out-of-date food or scraps in the bin will not only be generating 
waste, it will also be considered — literally — as a waste of valuable resources and 
energy. 

For  the  European  Commission,  the  advent  of  a  circular  economy  is  
‘the great innovation challenge of the next decades.’ Depleting resources and  
a  growing  population  have  made  our  
model  of  ‘extracting-using-throwing  away’ 
increasingly unsustainable, and there is no 
going back. In addition to this challenge, the 
need to reduce our environmental footprint 
requires new, sustainable raw materials for 
both products and energy. The solution could 
very well reside in biomass which, with the 
right  technology,  can  be  used  to  produce 
anything  from  plastics  and  textiles  to 
electricity.

‘The advent of a 
circular economy  
is the great 
innovation 
challenge of the 
next decades’

Whilst the first generation of biofuels was 
heavily criticised for competing with land use 
for  food  production,  the  second  and  third 
generations respectively have been using waste and algae as biomass in order to 
keep up with society’s growing environmental awareness and energy needs. 

This edition of the results*eu magazine celebrates these new generations of biofuels 
by focusing on eight projects which will soon — or are already on track to — change 
the way we produce goods, heat our houses and travel. This list notably includes an 
interview with Dr Pieternel Claassen from Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research 
in Germany, who told us about her quest for creating ‘green’ hydrogen from biofuels. 
The HYTIME project, which she coordinates, is developing large-scale and high-rate 
bioreactors for increased hydrogen production at low nutrient cost.

These projects are followed by our usual seven sections on biology and medicine, 
social  sciences  and  humanities,  energy  and  transport,  the  environment,  IT  and 
telecommunications, industrial technologies and space. The magazine closes with a 
list of upcoming events.

We look forward to receiving your feedback. You can send questions or suggestions 
to: cordis-helpdesk@publications.europa.eu

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:
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•  http://erc.europa.eu
EC DG Research and Innovation
•  http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre

research eu

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

NEXT
ISSUE

Focus on  
Bacteria - 
small 
organisms,  
big impact

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SPECIAL FEATURE

4 NOTHING GETS LOST  

THE POWER  
OF BIOMASS

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ISSN 1831-9947

research eu

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

N°34
JULY-AUGUST 2014

SPECIAL FEATURE
NOTHING GETS LOST

THE POWER OF
BIOMASS

ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY
CLIMATE CHANGE, 
MEET CYBORG 
PLANTS
» PAGE 27

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES
WIBRATE: PICKING UP 
ON BAD VIBRATIONS
» PAGE38

Turning bio-waste into green hydrogen
Europe strives for a bio-based economy
Biomass by numbers

4 
6 
6 
8  New device to harvest microalgae
8 
From biomass to biocommodity
Biofuels produced sustainably from waste
9 
10  Reading ‘ash’ reveals wood pellet quality
10  Textiles for seaweed cultivation

11  BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
11  Technology supports diabetic patients  

and their doctors

12  Thalassaemia treatment tailored to children
13  Genetic predisposition to lupus
14  A novel implant to record brain activity
14  New device improves cell analysis
15  Novel coronary stent materials  
reduce heart inflammation risk
16  Towards a food pathogen biosensor
16  A biomimetic implant to treat osteoarthritis

17   SOCIAL SCIENCES 
AND HUMANITIES

17  Policies to support media independence
18  Surveillance and society
19  A new look at Islam in Medieval Europe
20  Helping teachers teach science
20  Protecting European consumer privacy

21  ENERGY AND TRANSPORT
21  Greener furnaces for energy-intensive 

industries

22  Revolutionary aircraft design on the horizon
23  Lighter-weight, more efficient hybrid cars
24  Silent, zero-emission delivery for Europe
24  Transportation information service
25  A sensible solution for wind turbine electrical 

faults

26  The future of buses

27  ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY
27  Climate change, meet Cyborg plants
28  EU research ‘clears’ the way  

for high quality lakes and reservoirs
29  New smart irrigation management system
30  An environmental standards 
information portal for Europe

11

17

21

27

31  Improving technology transfer to farmers
31  A new biosensor for fungal toxins
32  Water treatment membranes activated 

by the Sun

33  IT AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
33  Security and Privacy?  

Now they can go hand in hand

34  Warming up to multimedia
35  Complete crisis management
35  Airport security training redefined
36  Environment-friendly hi-tech fashion
37  Socially networked businesses

38  INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES
38  WIBRATE: Picking up on bad vibrations
39  New automated sewer cleaning system
40  Environmentally friendly plumbing pipes
40  Cat’s eyes that see the big traffic picture
41  Mitigating electromagnetic disturbances
42  Unique products for unique customers

43  SPACE
43  On a mission to Mars
44  Getting into gear for space travel
45  Novel shields that can take the heat

46 EVENTS

33

38

43

 
4

SPECIAL FEATURE
NOTHING GETS LOST  
THE POWER  
OF  BIOMASS

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INTERVIEW

TURNING BIO-WASTE  
INTO GREEN HYDROGEN
Whilst hydrogen cars look set to be the next big thing in an increasingly 
carbon footprint-aware society, sustainable methods to produce 
hydrogen are still in their early stages. The HYTIME project is working 
on a novel production process that will see green hydrogen being 
produced from grass, straw and food industry residues. 

When sustainability and bioec-

onomy  are  being  discussed, 
the  words  ‘hydrogen’  and 
‘biomass’ are usually not too far away 
— although rarely mentioned in the 
same sentence. But what if hydrogen 
could be produced directly from sec-
ond generation biomass? 

Starting in 2000 with the Dutch project 
‘Hydrogen from biomass’ and followed 
up  with  funding  under  FP5  and  6, 
Pieternel Claassen’s quest for creating 
an  efficient,  marketable  hydrogen 
production  process  from  bio-waste 
has  recently  reached  a  new  high. 
HYTIME  (Low  temperature  hydrogen 
production  from  second  generation 
biomass), an EU-funded project due to 
be  completed  in  December,  aims  to 
increase the productivity of fermenta-
tive  hydrogen  production,  thereby 
accelerating  its  implementation  in 
industrial processes.

The stakes are high: in the EU, some 
118 to 138 million tons of bio-waste 

are  currently  produced  every  year. 
With  the  HYTIME  technology,  these 
could be converted into 0.34 million 
tons of hydrogen and provide a signif-
icant contribution to the EU’s sustain-
ability targets.

In  an  exclusive  interview  with 
research*eu  magazine,  Dr  Claassen, 
researcher at Wageningen UR Food & 
Biobased Research, explains how the 
combination of the nine participants’ 
expertise in biomass logistics and pre-
treatment,  thermophilic  hydrogen  
production  and  gas  upgrading  tech-
nologies  will  enable  HYTIME  to  go 
beyond the state-of-the-art of current 
fermentative hydrogen production.

  What are the main objectives 
of the project?

Dr  Claassen:  Nowadays  ‘green’ 
hydrogen  can  only  come  from  two 
sources:  biomass  and  electrolysis 
using  ‘green’  electricity.  HYTIME 
focuses on the former, particularly on 

biomass  resources  having  a  high 
moisture content where existing tech-
nologies such as gasification are less 
efficient. 

We have two main objectives. First, 
we aim to achieve production of 1 to 
10 kg of hydrogen per day from sec-
ond  generation  biomass.  This  is  a 
rather  symbolic  quantity  —  which 
could  cover  the  electricity  needs  of 
four households — but we hope this 
will be enough to convince stakehold-
ers that, on a larger scale, hydrogen 
production by bacteria is achievable. 

Then,  we  target  the  reduction  of 
time  to  market  for  biohydrogen 
through the combination of this pro-
duction process with ‘anaerobic diges-
tion’  (AD).  The  latter  allows  for  the 
conversion of by-products — mainly 
organic  acids  —  to  CH4  (and  CO2), 
which in turn is expected to cover (part 
of) the energy demand of the hydro-
gen production process. 

SPECIAL FEATUREresearch*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
 
 
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Dr PIETERNEL CLAASSEN

  What is new or innovative 
about this approach to hydrogen 
production? 

In natural anaerobic digestion sys-
tems, biomass is converted to biogas 
(CH4  and  CO2)  by  a  consortium  of 
micro-organisms  working  together. 
These  micro-organisms  produce 
organic acids and hydrogen, but the 
latter  is  immediately  consumed  by 
hydrogenotrophic bacteria which con-
vert  it  into  methane  or  acetic  acid. 
These bacteria are our enemies, and 
the  HYTIME  innovation  consists  in 
working  with  extreme  thermophilic 
bacteria — which have superior yield 
—  to  make  their  life  miserable  and 
produce more hydrogen.

  How does the hydrogen 
generation process work? 

In anoxic environments, i.e. no oxy-
gen present, bacteria ferment sugars 
into  CO2  and  reduced  compounds, 
such  as  hydrogen,  or  into  organic 
reduced metabolites, such as ethanol 
or butanol. In nature however, hydro-
gen  is  immediately  consumed  by 
methanogenic  or  hydrogenotrophic 
organisms,  leaving  only  methane 
behind. Our aim is to decouple hydro-
gen  production  from  hydrogen  con-
sumption by creating an environment 
where  hydrogen-consuming  organ-
isms cannot survive.

  What kind of businesses do 
you see using your technology in 
the future?

Potential interest may arise from 
stakeholders  involved  in  electricity 
production, and chemistry, as well as 
from  biomass  owners.  The  point  is 
that  hydrogen’s  fate  in  the  energy 
sector is bound to that of fuel cells. As 
soon as we see a breakthrough in fuel 

5

cells, the interest in hydrogen coming 
from  renewable  resources  will 
increase. 

  What do you expect from the 
project in terms of market 
impact?

HYTIME research and development 
will also deliver spin-off technologies, 
which have the potential to reach the 
market  quicker  than  the  whole  pro-
cess. These include sensors for gase-
ous  components  (H2,  H2S,  etc.) 
—  which  are  often  observed  in  the 
production of biogas — as well as the 
automation for managing fermenta-
tions thanks to our online monitoring 
and control systems.

We  also  foresee  that  biomass  
owners  will  be  interested  in  finding 
new applications for their organic resi-
dues. Agro-industrial businesses such 
as the potato processing industry, the 
sugar  industry  and  beer  producers 
may find our technology useful either 
for producing and selling hydrogen or 
for using it to cover their own electric-
ity needs.

  What are the next steps for 
the project, and after its end?

The  next  step  will  be  to  demon-
strate the production process with all 
operation units being physically con-
nected. This means proceeding to the 
pretreatment  and  hydrolysis  of  bio-
mass  to  supply  the  sugars  for  the 
hydrogen fermentation on site. During 
the latter step the gas will be recov-
ered simultaneously with its produc-
tion  and  the  liquid  effluent  will  be 
pumped  into  an  anaerobic  digester. 
The sizes of the hydrogen fermenter 
and the anaerobic digester need to be 
adjusted to enable a continuous flow 
of liquids.

The market impact is regarded as 
significant.  As  I  already  mentioned, 
hydrogen is a widely used chemical. 
The  current  outlook  for  society  is  a 
move towards a bio-based economy, 
and hydrogen can be used in numer-
ous  businesses  aiming  to  switch  to 
green technologies. Moreover, the pro-
ject’s  new  monitoring  and  control 
devices and systems are applicable in 
current  installations  for  anaerobic 
digestion and waste water treatment 
systems and are expected to increase 
their efficiency.

“The next step will be to 
demonstrate the production 
process with all operation 
units being physically 
connected.”

The  concept  for  gas  upgrading, 
based on low energy demand, is inno-
vative  and  will  add  to  the  develop-
ment  of  more  sustainable  gas 
separation processes.

HYTIME

  Coordinated by DLO  
in the Netherlands.
 Funded under FP7-JTI.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/101993_en.html

Project website:  

http://www.hy-time.eu/

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 SPECIAL FEATUREresearch*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
 
6

EUROPE STRIVES FOR A BIO-BASED ECONOMY
New  biorefinery  processes  promise  to  help  the  
EU edge closer to a bio-economy and improve its 
exploitation of biomass.

One of Europe’s key drives to improve sustainability is 

to  build  a  bio-based  economy  that  relies  on  the  
evolution of the biotechnology industry. Promising to 
revolutionise sectors such as agriculture, health, cleaner 
energy and the chemical industry, a bio-economy requires 
the development and implementation of innovative biore-
finery  processes. 
This  is  the  aim  of 
the EU-funded pro-
ject  EUROBIOREF 
(European  multi-
level 
integrated 
biorefinery  design 
for sustainable bio-
mass processing).

“A bio-economy requires  
the development and 
implementation of innovative 
biorefinery processes.”

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The project is working on building a multi-faceted approach 
that involves several non-edible feedstocks, multiple bio-
chemical or thermochemical processes, and a myriad of 
products such as aviation fuels and chemicals. It seeks to 
overcome fragmentation in the biomass industry through 
enhanced efficiency and networking.

More specifically, EUROBIOREF is building five lignocellu-
losic plants and establishing large test fields for feedstocks 
such as willow, safflower and castor. It is working on more 
efficient biotech systems and developing a biomass supply 
logistics model for several products addressed under the 
project.

A key achievement so far involves the construction of a 
new, highly efficient pilot plant in Norway to process ligno-
cellulosic material rapidly. Achievements also include the 
filing of 15 new patents (e.g. for vegetable oil conversions) 
as well as articulation of six value chains — corresponding 
to six different process scenarios — for biorefineries. 

The project is expected to have important socioeconomic 
impacts such as creating specialised jobs in rural areas and 
encouraging business in local communities. EUROBIOREF is 
preparing an exploitation plan to advance the use of these 
processes and bring benefits to industry and the economy. 
With more such processes and initiatives, Europe can slowly 
but surely move to a more sustainable bio-economy.

EUROBIOREF

 Coordinated by CNRS in France.
 Funded under FP7-ENERGY.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/93922_en.html 
Project website:  

http://www.eurobioref.org

  http://bit.ly/1nP4nJQ

BIOMASS BY NUMBERS
The use of biomass from plants as a renewable energy source is not new. Yet surprisingly, the positive 
net economic and environmental benefits of biomass energy exist only on paper. This is about to change 
thanks to the largest experimental tree plantation in the world, which is taking place in East Flanders. 

Professor Reinhart Ceulemans and 

his team are working to get the 
numbers  needed  to  inform  evi-
dence-based decisions on the role of 
renewables in future energy policies. 
The  results  of  small-scale  experi-
ments  show  that  using  biomass 
energy sources is very attractive: they 
are both carbon-neutral and renewa-
ble. This is why wood-based biomass 
is already a commercial technology of 
much  interest  to  policymakers. 
However,  the  theoretical  basis  for 
clean biomass energy remains exactly 
that — theoretical.

‘There are three questions that have 
never  been  fully  answered  about 
energy  from  wood-based  biomass,’ 
explains  Reinhart  Ceulemans.  ‘Is  it 
efficient? Is it economically profita-
ble? And, above all, does it truly save 
on  greenhouse  gas  emissions?’  To 
answer  these  questions,  he  and  his 
team  from  Belgium’s  University  of 
Antwerp  are  implementing  the 
POPFULL (System analysis of a bio-
energy  plantation:  full  greenhouse 
gas balance and energy accounting) 
project with a five-year ERC Advanced 
Grant to undertake a complete ‘Life-
cycle analysis’ (LCA) for a large-scale 

biomass plantation. They are meas-
uring  all  inputs  and  outputs  along 
with the costs and benefits they have 
for the environment.

In Flanders’ fields  
(and forests)

Close to Ghent, the team has estab-
lished  a  mixed  plantation  of  fast-
growing  poplar  and  willow  tree 
varieties:  100 000  trees  covering 
over  18  hectares.  They  are  investi-
gating  ‘Short-rotation  coppicing’ 
(SRC) where the trees are cut back to 
the ground every two years and their 

SPECIAL FEATUREresearch*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
stems  and  branches  harvested, 
chipped and used to generate energy 
by burning.

The research project covers two har-
vesting cycles in 2012 and 2014. As 
a vital part of the LCA, all inputs and 
outputs  from  the  SRC  process  are 
measured, such as the fuel used by 
plantation  machinery,  the  ‘green-
house gas’ (GHG) emissions from bio-
mass  combustion  and  the  energy 
produced. In addition, the eco-system 
carbon balance is measured, mean-
ing the GHG inflows and outflows in 
the  plantation,  including  CO2,  CH4, 
N2O  and  others.  ‘By  combining  the 
SRC  process  measurements  with 
those  on  the  eco-system  we  will 
arrive at a full LCA carbon balance for 
short-rotation coppicing and a quan-
titative  result  on  its  contribution  to 
global warming,’ explains Ceulemans.

New tools and tall towers

‘The  measurement  of  greenhouse 
gas fluxes is the key element in our 
work  —  it  is  only  recently  that  the 
new  tools  and  techniques  to  do  
this  have  become  available,’  says 
Ceulemans.  Among  the  rows  of  
trees  is  a  tall  mast  supporting  the  
three-dimensional anemometer and  
highly-sensitive  gas  analysers.  ‘We 
continuously measure the wind speed 
in three directions and the GHG con-
centrations  in  the  atmosphere  to 
obtain the net fluxes into and out of 
the plantation. The difference is the 
uptake of gases by the trees, mainly 
through  photosynthesis.  The  instru-
ments are highly sensitive, as we can 
see  photosynthesis  dropping  off  as 
night falls and even the rise in CO2 
when  we  have  large  groups  of 
visitors.’

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Much of the valuable work on meas-
uring GHG fluxes was undertaken by 
Dr Donatella Zona, a key researcher 
in  the  team,  supported  by  a  Marie 
Curie Grant. ‘This is a unique planta-
tion,  the  first  in  the  world  with  the 
equipment to measure the full green-
house gas balance and thus produce 
a  full  life-cycle  analysis,’  explains 
Ceulemans, ‘so we have seen a lot of 
interest — even National Geographic 
magazine has made a documentary 
on the project.’

Harvesting results

‘After one rotation we have seen that 
we get twice the energy out as is put 
in,  and  the  second  rotation  will  be 
better;  so  the  plantation  is  energy 
efficient.  For  the  evaluation  of  the 
greenhouse  gases’  effects  we  still 
need  the  results  from  the  second 
rotation following the second harvest 
in February 2014 which will be a key 
moment for the research project. So 
far  the  process  has  not  been  fully 
carbon  neutral,  but  we  are  saving 
considerable amounts of greenhouse 
gases compared to fossil fuels,’ says 
Prof. Ceulemans. This means that the 
greenhouse  balance  is  probably 
highly favourable. ‘There is an eco-
nomic  dimension  to  the  success  of 
this  innovative  bio-energy  produc-
tion. We suspect that, without subsi-
dies,  SRC  will  only  be  economically 
viable over a period of 20 years or so. 
Yet, many energy sources are subsi-
dised,  so  this  is  a  matter  of  policy 
rather  than  simple  economics,’  he 
explains.

“Even National Geographic 
magazine has made  
a documentary on  
the project.”

‘Looking more widely, when POPFULL 
is  complete  we  will  have  the  hard 
numbers that will allow science- and 
evidence-based  policy-making  to 
help  biomass  find  its  right  place  in 
the energy mix of the future.’

POPFULL

  Coordinated by the University  

of Antwerp in Belgium.

 Funded under FP7-IDEAS-ERC.
http://erc.europa.eu/erc-stories/

biomass-numbers
Project website:  

http://uahost.uantwerpen.be/popfull/

  http://bit.ly/1pI7MgA

 SPECIAL FEATUREresearch*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
8

S P E C I A L   F E A T U R E

NEW DEVICE TO HARVEST MICROALGAE
Commercial cultivation of microalgae is a rapidly 
growing  industry  in  Europe  and  worldwide.  
A  consortium  of  small  companies  has  created  a 
method  for  harvesting  microalgae  that  greatly 
reduces related material and energy costs.

Microalgae are cultivated for human and animal nutri-

tion,  cosmetics,  pharmaceuticals,  biofuels  and 
wastewater treatment. However, the energy used in 
conventional harvesting methods makes up approximately 
30 % of total biomass production costs.

The EU-funded OPERATION SWAT (High algal recovery using 
a Salsnes Water to Algae Treatment (SWAT) filter technol-
ogy) project aimed to design a universal harvesting tech-
nology that would yield 95 % recovery at 40 % lower costs. 
Three small technology companies each contributed appa-
ratus or know-how to the project.

Researchers began by studying particle size and other char-
acteristics of seven commercial microalgae species to help 

identify the correct filters. They also investigated 20 differ-
ent flocculating agents to improve the filtration.

Two prototype systems were designed and installed in dif-
ferent microalgal production facilities. After modifications, 
the  final  prototype  —  which  operated  continuously  — 
could remove 97 % of suspended solids and used signifi-
cantly less power than conventional methods.

The  companies  involved  in  OPERATION  SWAT  are  in  the  
process of bringing the novel algal harvesting system to 
market. They expect sales to begin by the end of 2014.

OPERATION SWAT

 Coordinated by Salsnes Filter in Norway.
 Funded under FP7-SME.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/100969_en.html 
Project website:  

http://www.swattechnology.no

FROM BIOMASS TO BIOCOMMODITY
In the face of major challenges, such as climate change and diminishing fossil fuel resources, the use of 
lignocellulosic biomass as a source of renewable energy and carbon is becoming a key focus to drive the 
bioeconomy transition. Accordingly, an EU-funded project has investigated a biorefinery concept for the 
sustainable processing of agricultural residues and woody biomass into biofuels, bulk chemicals, polymers, 
speciality molecules, heat and power.

In order to convert the present-day 

petro-economy into a bioeconomy, it 
is vital to optimise all parts of the 
lignocellulosic  biomass-to-products 
value  chain,  including  collection  and 
exploitation  of  plants  that  provide 
both  food  and  non-food  products. 
Simultaneously,  it  is  necessary  to 
ensure that the value chain is sustain-
able,  minimising  negative  environ-
mental  and  social  impacts  while 
making sure it is economically viable.

The BIOCORE (Biocommodity refinery) 
project focused on the development of 
a biorefinery concept for the conver-
sion  of  lignocellulosic  biomass  into 
energy carriers, chemicals and mate-
rials and food ingredients. During the 
project, all aspects of the value chain 
were examined, and strategies to min-
imise the carbon footprint and maxim-
ise energy and water efficiency were 
researched.

In one part of BIOCORE, researchers 
developed a strategy to explore how 
biorefineries can work in specific local 
environments.  This  included  an 
assessment of local biomass availa-
bility and predictions of future avail-
ability taking into account predictable 
competition for biomass. One finding 
from  these  studies  was  that  feed-
stock-flexible  biorefineries  will  be 

advantageous  in  European  regions 
where biomass availability is limited.

In terms of processing technologies, 
the  BIOCORE  team  showed  how  the 
introduction of a process step prior to 
organosolv  processing,  which  uses 
organic solvent to solubilise lignin, can 
remove extractables from straw, such 
as waxes and proteins, thus procuring 
a  higher  quality  cellulose  pulp. 
Similarly, the use of process residues 
(wheat and fine rice straw) as com-
bustibles for heat and power produc-
tion revealed that this option can be 
feasible 
in  certain  processing 
conditions.

Work  focused  on  the  use  of  lignins 
from lignocellulosic biomass, reveal-
ing that organosolv lignin can be used 
directly as a substitute for phenol in 
phenol-formaldehyde  resins,  which 
are  used  in  the  preparation  of  ply-
wood panels and particle boards.

Other work focused on process design 
and  optimisation  and  revealed  that 
the  biorefinery  processes  that  had 
previously been retained for validation 
at pilot scale can be vastly improved 
through  process  integration,  which 
can procure attractive energy savings 
of up to 70 %.

Overall,  given  the  very  promising 
nature of the results obtained during 

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the  BIOCORE  project,  it  is  expected 
that the BIOCORE concept will be suit-
able for further maturation at demon-
stration  scale,  and  ultimately  in 
industrialisation. In the meantime, the 
results provide important insights into 
how small-to-medium-scale biorefin-
eries  could  sustainably  generate  a 
variety  of  products  using  lignocellu-
losic biomass feedstocks.

BIOCORE

 Coordinated by INRA in France.
 Funded under FP7-KBBE.
http://cordis.europa.eu/result/brief/

rcn/9910_en.html
Project website:  

http://www.biocore-europe.org/ 

  http://bit.ly/1kNjDlP

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
 
 
9

BIOFUELS PRODUCED SUSTAINABLY  
FROM WASTE
Biofuels are seen as an important alternative to fossil fuels. An EU and Latin 
American partnership enabled the development of important technologies to 
exploit biomass sustainably for the profitable production of biofuels and other 
valuable chemicals.

Biofuels could reduce imports of 

fossil diesel fuels. Added advan-
tages  are  the  utilisation  of 
increasing  quantities  of  organic 
waste and the minimised impact of 
energy production on global climate 
change.  However,  many  of  the  cur-
rent feedstocks for biofuel production 
face  technical,  economic  and  envi-
ronmental challenges when it comes 
to meeting diesel needs.

EU  and  Latin  American  scientists 
investigated solutions to these prob-
lems  within  the  scope  of  the 
EU-funded project DIBANET (The pro-
duction  of  sustainable  Diesel-
Miscible-Biofuels  from  the  residues 
and  wastes  of  Europe  and  Latin 
America). The focus was on produc-
tion  of  ‘Diesel-miscible-biofuels’ 
(DMBs) such as ethyl-levulinate from 
wastes. The team studied conversion 
of  biomass  to  ‘levulinic  acid’  (LA)  
and co-products (formic acid and fur-
fural)  for  subsequent  production  of 
ethyl-levulinate.

Fast  pyrolysis  and  gasification  pro-
duce valuable intermediates that can 
be recovered and further processed 
to  produce  other  valuable  biofuels 
such  as  clean  syngas  or  upgraded 
bio-oil.  Researchers  planned  to 
upgrade  ‘Acid  hydrolysis  residues’ 
(AHRs) by thermal and catalytic pro-
cesses to produce a bio-oil for direct 
use or as a DMB after hydro-treating. 
After  examining  the  results  of  
AHR pyrolysis, the team focused on 
AHR  upgrading  through  steam  
gasification  and  catalytic  steam  
gasification to produce a syngas rich 
in hydrogen.

DIBANET  demonstrated  that  acid 
hydrolysis is an important process for 
the sustainable and profitable devel-
opment  of  biofuels  and  platform 
chemicals  from  lignocellulosic  bio-
mass. Optimising process engineer-
ing will produce high yields of LA and 
furfural — of higher value than eth-
anol — from a variety of feedstocks. 
These could subsequently be used to 
synthesise biofuels.

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In addition, robust kinetic models for 
acid degradation of biomass pointed 
to  shortcomings  that  can  now  be 
overcome with commercialisation of 
DIBANET technologies. A patent was 
filed  on  the  pre-treatment  process. 
The team has developed a technol-
ogy  transfer  business  plan  for  both 
the  EU  and  Latin  America  that 
includes policy implications and socio-  
economic issues.

Scientists  have  provided  important 
technologies to reduce the depend-
ence of the EU and Latin America on 
fossil diesel imports, thus improving 
the  security  of  energy  supply  and 
reducing  environmental  impact. 
Improved  cooperation  between  the 
two  regions  on  biofuels  research  is 
an added benefit.

“The team has developed  
a technology transfer 
business plan for both  
the EU and Latin  
America.”

DIBANET

  Coordinated by the University  

of Limerick in Ireland.

 Funded under FP7-ENERGY.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/91952_en.html

Project website:  

http://www.dibanet.org/

  http://bit.ly/1l2Cnmf

 SPECIAL FEATUREresearch*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
 
10

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014

Standards, specifications, analysis 

and accreditation schemes help 
the buyer to identify wood pel-
lets of a suitable quality for their pur-
pose. The European standard for solid 
biofuels,  EN  14961,  describes  three 
grades  according  to  virgin  fibre  and 
ash content. A high ash content is a 
sign  of  contaminates,  such  as  too 
much  bark  and  moisture,  that  can 
damage the wood pellet boilers.

The ASHMELT (Development of a prac-
tical and reliable ash melting test for 
biomass fuels, in particular for wood 
pellets) project was set up to advance 
the existing testing methods and help 
overcome operational problems due to 
ash-related  issues.  In  particular,  the 
burning of wood pellets can sometimes 
lead to lumps of residues that are un-
able  to  burn  and  result  in  the  boiler 
clogging  up.  This  calls  for  detailed 
investigation to determine ash melting 

behaviour and content of different ash-
forming elements in pellets.

Several milestones were achieved in 
this direction. Nine different currently 
applied methods to determine chemi-
cal and physical fuel properties were 
reviewed.  Using  these  methods,  the 
ash content was determined by heat-
ing the sample under specified condi-
tions. The rapid slag test, Ciemat ash 
test and Danish Technological Institute 
slag analyser provided a better meas-
ure of performance.

With this as a starting point, ASHMELT 
researchers selected 15 different wood 
pellets as well as agricultural residues 
in  pellet  form.  Furthermore,  ‘exotic’ 
fuels like distillers dried grains and sol-
ubles, usually used as nutrient for cat-
tle, were combusted in a small-scale 
biomass boiler. Specifications that may 
be used to describe different grades of 

wood pellets were established based 
on  the  results  of  their  ash  melting 
behaviour.

The  efficiency  and  reliability  of  the 
heating system depends on the qual-
ity of the pellets. Furthermore, quality 
depends not only on the standard of 
the product as it leaves the factory, 
but  also  on  the  way  the  product  is 
used. The ASHMELT quality specifica-
tions  are  the  basis  for  the  develop-
ment  of  a  European  standard 
—  evidence  of  the  accuracy  of  the 
proposed ash testing methodology.

“ASHMELT researchers 
selected 15 different wood 
pellets as well as agricultural 
residues in pellet form.”

ASHMELT

  Coordinated by Bioenergy 2020+  

in Austria.

 Funded under FP7-SME.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/101254_en.html

Project website  

http://www.ashmelt.eu/

  http://bit.ly/1uCMZZI

TEXTILES FOR SEAWEED CULTIVATION
Seaweed is a good source of biomass for energy production, as well as food supplements and animal feed. 
A new research project is developing advanced textiles for the cultivation of seaweed in the open ocean.

Biomass  is  a  promising  source  of  clean,  renewable 

energy. Seaweed, or macroalgae, is ideal for biomass 
production because it is fast-growing and does not take 

up space on land that could be better used for food crops.

The  EU-funded  AT~SEA  (Advanced  textiles  for  open  sea  
biomass  cultivation)  project  aims  to  develop  advanced  
textiles to demonstrate open sea cultivation of macroalgae 
for biomass production. 

AT~SEA started by studying the demands of open sea culti-
vation, such as location, wave force and currents, and used 

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this to determine the requirements for the project. Three  
different textiles will be developed: a 3D substrate material 
that  incorporates  nutrients  or  slow-release  fertilisers,  a  
textile for cables and connections to anchor the substrate, 
and a coated textile for flotation tubes and storage tanks.

Researchers tested whether juvenile seaweed would grow on 
a wide range of textiles. The most promising textiles were 
made into 1 m2 test substrates and subjected to real-life 
conditions in the North Sea.

Several  prototype  buoys  and  storage  tanks  made  from  
different  coated  textiles  were  also  tested  at  sea  over  
a 14-month period. These showed no signs of degradation, 
but they are being further tested for any physical changes.

A pre-demonstration prototype system has also been built 
and  deployed  to  test  how  the  various  parts  work  as  an  
integrated system. Once complete, the AT~SEA system could 
revolutionise the cultivation of macroalgae.

AT~SEA

 Coordinated by Sioen Industries in Belgium.
 Funded under FP7-NMP.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/103076_en.html
Project website:  

http://www.atsea-project.eu

SPECIAL FEATUREREADING ‘ASH’ REVEALS WOOD PELLET QUALITYAn increasing number of homeowners and businesses are looking for new ways to power and heat their property. An EU-funded project promotes the use of wood pellets by developing a guide on fuel quality and appropriate equipment that suits their needs. 
 
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B I O L O G Y   A N D   M E D I C I N E

11

B I O L O G Y   A N D   M E D I C I N E

TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTS 
DIABETIC PATIENTS  
AND THEIR DOCTORS
Diabetes affects around 10 % of the population, according to the 
World  Health  Organisation  (WHO).  The  disease  places  a  huge 
financial burden on healthcare systems, and also leads to early 
death and poor quality of life. However, patients and healthcare 
professionals will now be able to partner up and manage the illness 
in better, more effective ways.

The REACTION (Remote Accessibility to Diabetes 

Management  and  Therapy  in  Operational 
healthcare  Networks)  project,  an  EU-funded 
health ICT research project that came to completion 
in February this year, has developed an exciting set 
of tools and technologies that are helping patients 
with diabetes and their doctors to better manage 
the condition. 

REACTION  project  coordinator  Lydia  Montandon 
says: ‘The main goal of REACTION was to investi-
gate how information and communication technolo-
gies  (ICT)  can  support  patients  and  healthcare 
professionals  in  managing  diabetes,  by  providing 
efficient and scalable tools that can be used in dif-
ferent healthcare contexts across Europe. The result 
is an intelligent service platform that can be used 
for remote monitoring and therapy management, 
facilitating  continuous  and  tight  control  of  blood 
glucose levels and other vital signs that are crucial 

for  good  diabetes  management  and  insulin 
therapy.’

Learning from patients  
and professionals

The  REACTION  project  has  involved  patients  and 
healthcare providers since its inception. Patients at 
the  Medical  University  of  Graz  in  Austria  and 
patients at primary care who are being treated at 
the Chorleywood Health Centre in the UK have been 
using  the  system  to  manage  their  condition.  At 
every  stage  the  users  of  the  system  have  given 
feedback that has helped the researchers to design 
a system that is effective and intuitive.

In the hospital, nurses and doctors both said that 
the tools used (REACTION GlucoTab® system) helped 
them to create better care plans for their patients. 
The  improved  on-site  documentation  and  predic-
tions provided by the system meant that they could 
give more accurate doses of insulin. The result is 

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
12

B I O L O G Y   A N D   M E D I C I N E

that patients’ glucose levels stayed far more stable in the 
recommended target range. In the health centre, patients 
used the system to keep a close eye on their symptoms and 
their vital signs. They could then share these readings with 
their doctor or nurse, and were much better able to stay 
healthy as a result.

Going beyond technology for better health

During the research project, the teams developed a num-
ber of tools, including GlucoTab®, a tablet-based system 
that advises doctors and nurses on the best course of treat-
ment  for  each  patient,  a  smartphone  app  that  allows 
patients to monitor their nutrition, and networking proto-
cols that allow patients and healthcare professionals to 
share readings from a range of sensors worn or temporally 
located on the patient’s body. Additionally, it has made sig-
nificant progress in the research on automatic glycaemic 
control, integrating blood glucose sensors and the insulin 
dosing algorithm developed in the project.

But  beyond  the  high-tech  developments,  REACTION  has 
also looked at the social, economic and legal implications 
of the technology. Throughout the course of the project, the 
researchers documented the way users and healthcare pro-
fessionals felt about the technology, to better understand 
what might make tools like this more socially or profession-
ally acceptable. They also studied the legal frameworks in 

the member states regarding privacy and liability. Moreover, 
the REACTION GlucoTab® system was CE marked and can 
now be used in a clinical routine. The monitoring devices 
adapted for primary care patients and the gateway passed 
safety and EMC tests and 
have also obtained a CE 
mark.  As  a  result,  the 
REACTION  project  has 
brought advanced tech-
nology for diabetes man-
agement much closer to 
reality.

“The result is an intelligent 
service platform that can 
be used for remote 
monitoring and therapy 
management.”

Finally, in May 2014 the 
GlucoTab®  system  won  the  research  prize  for  Human-
Technology-Interface 
in  the  category  “Economic 
Applications” awarded by the government of the federal 
state of Styria in Austria.

REACTION

 Coordinated by ATOS in Spain.
 Funded under FP7-ICT.
http://cordis.europa.eu/result/story/rcn/13068_en.html
Project website:  

http://www.reaction-project.eu/

  http://bit.ly/1ivsQFg

THALASSAEMIA TREATMENT TAILORED  
TO CHILDREN
An EU-funded project has advanced treatments for children affected by thalassaemia, a gene disorder 
causing the weakening and destruction of red cells. The team is creating a new formulation of deferiprone, 
the most efficient treatment for related cardiac complications to date, which is adapted to children.

Thalassaemia  is  classified  as  a 

monogenic disease, that is, a disor-
der resulting from modifications in 
a single gene which causes the carrier 
to have fewer circulating red blood cells 
than normal. It is also the most inherited 
disease of its kind, with approximately 
7 % of the world’s population carrying 
the gene and more than half a million 
affected children born each year accord-
ing to the UK Thalassaemia Society. It 
can  cause  health  issues  such  as  iron 
overload, bone deformities and cardio-
vascular disease.

Whilst blood transfusion helps prevent 
death in childhood, each unit of blood 
contains  about  200-250  mg  of  iron 
which the body cannot eliminate, ulti-
mately resulting in cardiac complica-
tions.  Of  the  existing  chelation 
therapies that are used to reduce tis-
sue iron levels, deferoxamine shows 
poor  compliance  and  results  in  iron 
accumulation  in  the  heart  over  the 
long  term.  The  two  oral  chelators  - 
deferiprone  and  deferasirox  -  are 
more  appreciated  by  patients  but 
have their own shortcomings, although 
deferiprone  has  proved  to  be  more 

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effective  against  cardiac 
accumulation.

iron 

‘In my experience there have been two 
main obstacles to a larger diffusion of 
deferiprone.  The  first  one  is  the  well-  
known tendency of this drug to reduce 
the number of white blood cells (mainly 
in  the  first  period  of  its  use  and  only 
rarely inducing risky infections), requir-
ing frequent blood cell counts in patients. 
The second one has been the need to 
take  the  drug  three  times  a  day  and 
using a formulation which finds resist-
ance in children. The pills are too big to 

swallow  and  the  liquid  formulation 
tastes  bad,’  explains  DEEP  Project 
Scientific Coordinator Prof. Adriana Ceci.

DEEP  (DEferiprone  Evaluation  in 
Paediatrics)  is  a  four-year  project 
bringing  together  17  recruiting  
centres. It aims to gather and analyse 
all existing information on deferiprone 
use  in  patients  with  iron  overload  
in order to produce a new oral liquid 
formulation  of  deferiprone  suitable  
for paediatric use. 

The need for such research had arisen in 
2005,  when  the  European  Medicines 

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
B I O L O G Y   A N D   M E D I C I N E

13

Agency (EMA) stated there was no sci-
entific data supporting the use of defer-
iprone  in  children  under  six  and  little 
information on older children, to support 
a more widespread use of this drug. It 
was then agreed with EMA that the pro-
ject would target patients up to 18, and 
all congenital rare anaemias (including 
sickle-cell diseases) rather than thalas-
saemia only. ‘This broader scope testi-
fies  to  the  huge  interest  in  the  drug, 
mostly due to its anticipated capacity to 
effectively reduce iron accumulation in 
the heart,’ notes Prof. Ceci.

Over the past three years, the project, 
has generated results from well con-
ducted, investigator-driven studies on 
deferiprone  to  be  used  for  a  new 
‘Paediatric-use marketing authorisation’ 
(PUMA). The Research Consortium acted 

as a sponsor of these trials, created trial 
infrastructures, engaged recruiting cen-
tres and guaranteed ethical and legal 
child protection at the highest standards 
requested by the EU.

This undertaking successfully led to a 
new formulation with a better taste, as 
well  as  valuable  data  on  the  correct 
dosage to be administered for each age 
group.  ‘The  new  formulation  is  being 
tested  in  experimental  studies.  We 
expect that our commercial partner will 
complete  the  PUMA  procedure  for 
authorisation and marketing of the new 
formulation no later than one year after 
the end of the project,’ says Prof. Ceci.

The lessons learned so far? ‘The pro-
ject takes advantage of the participa-
tion  of  private  pharmaceutical 
companies experienced in developing 

“This undertaking successfully 
led to a new formulation with 
a better taste.”

medicinal products and making them 
available on the market. Without such 
collaboration it would be unlikely that 
the  drug  would  be  distributed  to  all 
children in need. The lesson learned is 
that public and private efforts should 
(and  can)  be  brought  together  to 
address the patients’ best interest.’

DEEP

 Coordinated by CVBF in Italy.
 Funded under FP7-HEALTH. 
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/97667_en.html

Project website:  

http://www.deepproject.eu/

GENETIC PREDISPOSITION TO LUPUS
‘Systemic lupus erythematosus’ (SLE) is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the 
cells of the body. An EU-funded study found genetic links to the disease in the European population.

and  allow  a  full  description  of  the  genetic  architecture 
underlying a particular disease. This information could form 
the  first  step  towards  understanding  how  these  genetic 
variants  are  responsible  for  disease  pathology.  From  a  
clinical  perspective,  the  outcome  of  the  study  could  be 
implemented  for  the  development  of  genetic  tests  and  
provision of genetic counselling.

GENETICS OF SLE

  Coordinated by King’s College London in the United Kingdom.
 Funded under FP7-PEOPLE.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/98016_en.html

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SLE constitutes an enigmatic disease as its pathology 

is often mistakenly diagnosed for something else. As 
with the majority of autoimmune diseases, the precise 
aetiology  is  unknown  and  disease  management  mainly 
relies  on  the  administration  of  anti-inflammatory  and 
immunosuppressive drugs.

Accumulating  evidence  indicates  that  there  is  a  genetic 
component that contributes to SLE development. Among 
the identified susceptibility genes, the major histocompat-
ibility complex loci — an array of genes that encode sur-
face  molecules  implicated  in  immune  cell  interaction 
— show the strongest association. Given the small-scale 
nature of previous studies, the EU-funded GENETICS OF 
SLE (Genetics of systemic lupus erythematosus in northern 
and  southern  European  populations)  project  worked  to 
expand  on  patient  numbers  and  perform  a  large-scale 
‘Genome-wide association study’ (GWAS) in northern and 
southern Europe.

Researchers carried out the largest-to-date GWAS of SLE, 
screening over 4 000 cases and 8 000 controls. Additionally, 
they performed meta-analyses on previous European stud-
ies,  adding  a  further  1 698  cases  and  4  650  controls.  
A total of 52 loci were identified with potential SLE asso-
ciation, 15 of which were novel. These findings were further 
confirmed in an independent genetic study of 1 630 cases 
and over 9 000 controls.

Research efforts were particularly focused on genetic poly-
morphisms of the ‘Fc-gamma receptors’ (FCGR) responsi-
ble  for  antibody  binding  and  phagocytosis.  A  previously 
associated copy number variation in FCGR3B was shown to 
reduce receptor expression on all cell types and to induce 
expression of another family member, FCGR2B. However, 
FCGR2B is associated with reduced clearance of immune 
complexes, possibly leading to pathological inflammation 
and thereby increasing the risk of SLE.

Overall, the GENETICS OF SLE study is proof of how a large 
GWAS could lead to the discovery of robust genetic factors 

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
14

B I O L O G Y   A N D   M E D I C I N E

A NOVEL IMPLANT TO RECORD BRAIN ACTIVITY
Recording brain activity can reveal significant information on how we process information and is also 
important  for  diagnosing  mental  illness.  European  scientists  generated  a  biocompatible  device  for 
recording neurophysiological activity in the brain.

The information processing ability 

of the human brain constitutes an 
astonishing  phenomenon  and 
allows us to process stimuli rather than 
merely respond to external stimuli. The 
information processing theory is also 
used by scientists to account for men-
tal development and explain how the 
human brain matures with time.

“MULTISENS technology  
has attracted interest from  
an electrophysiology 
instrumentation company.”

Most  breakthroughs  in  our  under-
standing of the basic mechanisms of 
information  processing  in  the  brain 
have  been  obtained  with  local  field 

potentials and single neuron record-
ings. However, this approach has limi-
tations  mainly  due  to  the  rigid  and 
non-biocompatible  nature  of  the 
probes  employed.  With  this  in  mind, 
the  EU-funded  MULTISENS  (Multi-
sensing polymer transistors for in vivo 
recording)  project  set  out  to  screen 
alternative  materials  for  probe 
functionalisation.

A series of conducting polymers were 
used to construct the probe. The probe 
was subsequently chemically function-
alised with bio-active molecules such 
as  enzymes  or  extracellular  matrix 
components  to  promote  cell  growth.  
A novel lithographic process was estab-
lished to essentially pattern microelec-
trode arrays and high-density organic 
electrochemical transistor arrays with 

different materials. The ability of these 
devices  to  record  neurophysiological 
activity was verified on brain slices and 
in cells in culture.

Project  results  were  communicated 
through publications in peer-reviewed 
journals  with  a  high-impact  factor  
and  to  the  general  public  through  a  
scientific fair. Although still not at the  
commercialisation stage, MULTISENS 
technology  has  attracted  interest 
from an electrophysiology instrumen-
tation company.

MULTISENS

  Coordinated by the École nationale 

supérieure des mines de Saint-Étienne 
in France.

 Funded under FP7-PEOPLE.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/99017_en.html

NEW DEVICE IMPROVES CELL ANALYSIS
The  need  to  perform  cost-effective,  reliable  cell 
analysis triggered European researchers to develop a 
new flow cytometry device. Cell shape discrimination 
in real-time could open up new avenues for exploiting 
flow cytometry as a diagnostics method.

shape discrimination could also extend to differentiating 
between dead and live cells.

Field tests showed encouraging results with respect to cost, 
accuracy and high-throughput performance of the proto-
type device. The potential of this work with respect to appli-
cations  and  commercialisation  led  to  EU  funding  of  the 
follow-up project DIMID plus. DIMID plus will bridge the gap 
between research and commercial application by bringing 
this new flow cytometer device to the market.

Flow cytometry is a standard microfluidics-based tech-

nique for analysing cellular parameters such as size, 
surface, intracellular protein expression and cell cycle. 
The  device  works  by  passing  a  laser  beam  of  different 
wavelengths through a cell stream and detecting the light 
bouncing off with an optical detector. The capacity to pro-
cess thousands of events per second in real time and per-
form multi-parameter analysis has rendered flow cytometry 
an invaluable tool for diagnosis. 

The key objective of the EU-funded DIMID (Development of 
an  innovative  microfluidic  impedance-based  device  for 
multi-parametric cell analysis) project was to enhance the 
morphology-based discrimination capacity of flow cytome-
try. For this purpose, partners set out to develop a cytometer 
device that would take into account the geometric and di-
electric properties of a cell, thereby revealing cell anisotropy. 
Such a device will prove extremely valuable in haematology 
and microbiology as well as for the identification of rare cells 
such as tumour or stem cells, all based on cell shape.

To this end, a new chip was designed alongside a probe that 
could detect the spatial orientation of cells. The device was 
designed to be portable so that its use can extend outside 
the laboratory. In silico modelling experiments were con-
ducted to optimise the device building blocks based on the 
ability to discriminate cell shape, volume and morphology. 

The consortium also explored the possibility of appropri-
ately diluting whole blood for direct analysis, a method that 
could significantly speed up haematological diagnosis. Cell 

DIMID

 Coordinated by Zurich Instruments in Switzerland.
 Funded under FP7-SME.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/100888_en.html
Project website:  

http://www.dimid-project.eu

  http://bit.ly/1nPnxPL

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research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014

15

B I O L O G Y   A N D   M E D I C I N E

NOVEL CORONARY STENT MATERIALS  
REDUCE HEART INFLAMMATION RISK
Tiny metal tubes called stents — which keep blood flowing through diseased coronary 
arteries by slowly releasing medication — have helped to save the lives of millions at 
risk of heart disease. Once inserted into arteries however, there is a small risk of a life-
threatening complication called late ‘stent thrombosis’ (ST). This occurs when the stent 
fills with blood clot and disrupts the blood supply. 

cells and anchor them to the surface 
of the stent. Initial lab tests of these 
antibody-modified stents have dem-
onstrated  a  significant  decrease  in 
the risk of inflammation, as the body 
is less likely to react negatively to an 
object  containing  the  body’s  own 
healthy cells. 

Another key aspect of the project has 
been the development of new imaging 
techniques. Partners in the PRESTIGE 
project  have  been  able  to  use  the 
Imaging  Core  Laboratory 
for 
Angiographic  and  Optical  Coherence 
Tomography  Analysis  at  the  ISA 
Research Centre of the German Heart 
Centre  in  Munich,  Germany.  The  lab 
provides  state-of-the-art  equipment 
and expertise. 

“PRESTIGE has pioneered  
the development of new  
stent materials and coatings 
by achieving a better 
understanding of how  
stent surfaces interact with 
blood cells”

The  project,  which 
involves 
14  European  institutions,  is  sched-
uled  for  completion  in  November 
2014.  Coordinated  by  the  German 
Heart Centre in Munich, the consor-
tium  has  already  made  significant 
advances  in  treating  this  serious 
complication  and  addressing  heart 
disease, the leading cause of death 
worldwide.

PRESTIGE

  Coordinated by the German Heart 

Centre Munich in Germany.
 Funded under FP7-HEALTH.
http://cordis.europa.eu/news/

rcn/36593_en.html

Project website:  

http://www.prestige-fp7.eu/

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The main aim of the EU-funded 

PRESTIGE  (PREvention  of  late 
Stent  Thrombosis  by  an 
Interdisciplinary  Global  European 
effort)  project,  which  began  in 
December 2010, has therefore been 
to develop new strategies to prevent 
late  ST,  which  kills  around  25 000 
patients  in  Europe  every  year. 
PRESTIGE  began  by  identifying  two 
key objectives: evaluating new stent 
designs that might better prevent the 
condition from occurring, and devel-
oping novel imaging technologies to 
enable early diagnosis. 

In addition to the obvious health ben-
efits,  these  innovations  have  the 
potential to provide a significant eco-
nomic boost to Europe’s health indus-
tries  sector.  In  2010  more  than 
1.2 million stent implantation proce-
dures were carried out in Europe. With 
an ageing population, demand for this 
type of operation is set to grow. 

helping patients with heart conditions 
to lead longer lives. 

A key element of the project has been 
the  development  and  evaluation  of 
new  stent  materials.  Drug  eluting 
stents  release  medication  that  can 
help  prevent  potentially  damaging 
scar  tissue  formation,  which  can 
occur  in  the  initial  months  after 
implantation. However, these stents 
can occasionally cause an inflamma-
tory reaction, which can lead to ST. 

PRESTIGE has pioneered the develop-
ment  of  new  stent  materials  and 
coatings by achieving a better under-
standing of how stent surfaces inter-
act with blood cells. This has enabled 
the team to focus on developing pos-
sible  alternative  medical  coatings 
with  a  lower  risk  for  inflammation 
after implantation. Tests in patients 
have  been  successfully  carried  out, 
with encouraging results. 

This  project  should  also  help  to 
encourage  cost 
in 
European  public  and  private  health 
insurance  systems,  by  reducing  the 
need  for  emergency  surgery  and 

reductions 

A second approach has been to line 
stents  with  a  thin  layer  of  special 
antibodies  —  proteins  produced  by 
the body that identify and tackle for-
eign objects — which attract healthy 

 
 
16

B I O L O G Y   A N D   M E D I C I N E

TOWARDS A FOOD PATHOGEN BIOSENSOR
Early detection of disease-causing organisms in food 
would save millions of lives and have huge social and 
economic impacts. Researchers have now developed 
sensors  and  methods  to  quickly  detect  pathogens 
during food production.

monocytogenes,  sourced  an  antibody  against 
Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, and screened 
libraries  of  molecules  to  find  one  that  could  bind  to 
Salmonella.

Viruses, bacteria and fungi in food are responsible for 

disease, loss of life and massive economic damage. 
New  molecular  biology  tools  offer  the  potential  to 
quickly  and  easily 
identify these food-
borne  agents  of 
disease.

“PATHFINDER produced and 
collected a range of molecules 
able to bind to bacteria that 
cause food poisoning.”

The  EU-funded 
PATHFINDER (Rapid 
and  reliable  detec-
tion  of  foodborne 
pathogens by employing multiplexing biosensor technol-
ogy) project aimed to develop a biosensor that could simul-
taneously detect a range of disease-causing bacteria.

PATHFINDER produced and collected a range of molecules 
able  to  bind  to  bacteria  that  cause  food  poisoning.  The  
project  manufactured  antibodies  against  Listeria 

Another aspect of the project focused on testing biosensor 
methods. A surface plasmon resonance biosensor is more 
sensitive than conventional laboratory detection methods, 
but could not detect C. jejuni when tested. A different sen-
sor called MAGPIX was more successful, and a protocol was 
developed  in  PATHFINDER  to  detect  L.  monocytogenes,  
C. jejuni and Salmonella sp. simultaneously.

The MAGPIX biosensor protocol will be tested on commer-
cial  food  samples  in  the  next  stage  of  the  project. 
PATHFINDER has advanced the state of food-borne patho-
gen detection by developing new molecular binders and 
detection methods. 

PATHFINDER

  Coordinated by the National Science and  

Technology Development Agency in Thailand.

 Funded under FP7-PEOPLE.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/101693_en.html

A BIOMIMETIC IMPLANT TO TREAT OSTEOARTHRITIS
Exploiting the natural processes of tissue regeneration and repair could constitute a promising approach for 
reversing many degenerative disorders. However, reproducing exactly what happens in nature requires tight 
spatial and temporal control.

merely reduce the symptoms. For this 
purpose, painkillers or anti-inflammatory 
drugs are administered and in extreme 
cases surgical replacement of the joint is 
proposed as the only option.

Researchers  in  the  EU-funded  GAMBA 
(Gene activated matrices for bone and 
cartilage regeneration in arthritis) project 
envisioned a biomimetic implant system 
for bone and cartilage repair that mimics 
natural processes. To this end, they used 
a collection of innovative materials such 
as growth factor-encoding gene vectors, 
mesenchymal stem cells and a ceramic 
matrix for inducing bone and cartilage 
healing.

The GAMBA-generated toolkit was based 
on the use of mesenchymal stem cells 
and selective expression of certain growth 
factors that would ultimately drive these 
stem cells down a specific differentiation 
pathway.  Temporal  regulation  of  gene 
expression was achieved through heat-
inducible promoters. By additionally coor-
dinating spatial gene expression patterns, 
scientists hoped to design a system with 
components that could target inflamma-
tion  while  inducing  cartilage  and  sub-
chondral bone repair in OA.

The generated system consisted of three 
compartments, each of which expressed 

one  of  three  therapeutically  relevant 
genes. These compartments were real-
ised in the ‘Micro macroporous biphasic 
calcium  phosphate’  (MBCP™)  material 
and expressed an osteoinductive factor 
(BMP-2),  a  cartilage-inducing  factor 
(TGF-beta) or an anti-inflammatory mol-
ecule (IL-10). Stem cells expressing these 
factors would differentiate to bone and 
cartilage cells while also being able to 
fight inflammation.

Overall, the design of the GAMBA system 
was intended to reproduce key elements 
of  natural  tissue  formation  as  part  of 
providing an implant for the treatment of 
OA.  Coupled  with  an  innovative  pro-
gramme of public outreach, actively link-
ing patients and society, the consortium 
obtained invaluable insights into patient 
perspectives and expectations. Following 
successful validation in OA disease pre-
clinical models, a clinical study is required 
to evaluate the potential of this novel 
system as a valid therapy for OA.

GAMBA

 Coordinated by TUM in Germany. 
 Funded under FP7-NMP.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/95375_en.html 

Project website:  

http://www.gamba-project.eu

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‘Osteoarthritis’ (OA) is a degenera-

tive disorder of the joints and its 
incidence increases with age. It is 
estimated that 80 % of the population 
will  have  radiographic  evidence  of  OA  
by the age of 65. 

The aetiology of OA remains unknown 
and  existing  disease  management 
measures do not aim to regenerate the 
destroyed cartilage; instead they aim to 

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
 
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17

“Outcomes highlighted 
the numerous pressures  
on contemporary  
media in Europe.”

S O C I A L   S C I E N C E S   A N D   H U M A N I T I E S

POLICIES TO SUPPORT  
MEDIA INDEPENDENCE
Citizens  rely  on  freedom  of  speech  in  the  media  to  form  opinions  
based  on  a  variety  of  sources.  EU-funded  scientists  have  provided 
recommendations to policymakers at all levels to ensure that freedom 
is fostered and protected.

Maintaining the freedom and inde-

pendence  of  the  media  is  an 
important  goal  of  democratic 
societies. EU-funded scientists initiated 
the project MEDIADEM (European Media 
Policies Revisited: Valuing and Reclaiming 
Free  and 
in 
Contemporary Democratic Systems) to 
evaluate the factors that affect develop-
ment of policies with regard to media. 
Their objective is to ensure media inde-
pendence through recommendations to 
policy  stakeholders  at  national  and 
European levels.

Independent  Media 

Scientists studied media policies and reg-
ulation in 12 EU Member States and two 
Candidate Countries. Country case find-
ings were then used in a cross-country 
and  cross-theme  comparison.  Results 
were the basis of policy guidelines to pro-
mote media freedom and independence 
targeted at state and other policy stake-
holders, the EU and the Council of Europe. 

Outcomes  highlighted  the  numerous 
pressures  on  contemporary  media  in 
Europe despite the importance of free-
dom  of  speech  in  democratic  societies 

and  existing  safeguards.  These  forces 
include politics, market pressures, techno-
logical factors, and failures in regulation 
or in enforcement and compliance. The 
balance varies from country to country, as 
do  the  effects  of  these  pressures. 
However,  MEDIADEM  analyses  demon-
strate important factors that undermine 
the  freedom  and  independence  of  the 
media in Europe.

Detailed and country-specific recommen-
dations regarding policy and regulation 
schemes have been provided to each of 
the 14 countries. In addition to specific 
guidelines, all countries must coordinate 
evidence-based  and  transparent  media 
policy to ensure compliance with interna-
tional  guarantees  of  free  speech. 
Policymakers  must  also  address  undue 
political  influence  on  both  public  and  
private  media  and  on  monitoring  and  
controlling media ownership in order to 
ensure independence. Similar recommen-
dations  have  been  presented  to  the 
Council of Europe, the EU and other stake-
holders at the European level to comple-
ment  and  reinforce  national  policies. 

Among these is to improve the enforce-
ment  of  judgments  passed  by  the 
European Court of Human Rights.

MEDIADEM has provided concrete media 
policy recommendations to foster media 
freedom based on evidence and scientific 
analyses.  It  has  also  engaged  a  large 
population  of  stakeholders  from  the 
media policy community, the media, aca-
demics  and  the  public  in  an  informed 
debate. By raising awareness of the fra-
gility  of  media  freedom  in  Europe, 
MEDIADEM has paved the way for wide-
spread support of recommended policy 
reform.

MEDIADEM

  Coordinated by the Hellenic Foundation 

for European and Foreign Policy  
in Greece.

 Funded under FP7-SSH.
 http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/94266_en.html

 Project website:  

http://www.mediadem.eliamep.gr/

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES 
 
 
 
18

S O C I A L   S C I E N C E S   A N D   H U M A N I T I E S

SURVEILLANCE AND SOCIETY

Whatever we think about it, it is clear that surveillance has increased — it is hard to 
ignore as the topic frequently hits the headlines. But does it matter? The EU-funded IRISS 
project is intent on finding out. The team is looking at whether surveillance changes our 
behaviour, and how it impacts our basic rights. The conclusions will be presented to 
policymakers, together with recommendations.

— neighbourhood watch schemes, credit appraisals (check-
ing a person’s or company’s credit record) and automatic  
number plate recognition.

Researchers are looking at how these schemes are organised 
in different countries, and how people feel about them. The 
results are not yet available, but patterns are discernable, 
says Kreissl.

The findings will be used to establish whether some people 
already have strategies for dealing with surveillance. They 
will also be used to identify how social, economic and insti-
tutional resilience can be increased. IRISS understands resil-
ience primarily as citizens’ capability to develop strategies 
countering any negative impacts that mass surveillance has 
on their lives. Strategies may range from open resistance to 
specific technical measures of encryption, to avoidance.

Security and convenience trade-offs

Arguments in favour of surveillance often focus on security. 
CCTV, for example, ‘is often seen as a solution to all prob-
lems. But if you look at the research on it, you see that while 
it can have a positive effect, as a deterrent and in reducing 
crime, it is only effective in very specific situations. This is 
true for all forms of surveillance,’ says Kreissl, who is clearly 
passionate about the subject. The IRISS team has found very 
little independent evidence of the positive effects of surveil-
lance, he adds.

The project has looked back over the history of surveillance, 
and found that while technologies are usually developed for 
a specific purpose for which they may be useful, the con-
cepts are then sold to other sectors by marketing managers. 
‘Once installed, the tools then take on a life of their own,’ 
says Kreissl.

It is not however the case that ordinary people are always 
passive bystanders in the collection of information — many 
of us give away data. ‘We could refrain — we could go to a 
travel agent to book our flight rather than booking online, for 
example. But people choose convenience over privacy,’ says 
Kreissl. His goal is to make people think twice before taking 
the easy option.

In addition to guidelines for the general public highlighting 
what to be aware of and when to be careful, IRISS is also 
formulating recommendations for policymakers at national 
and EU level. ‘It’s important to keep the discourse going — 
to keep the topic on the political agenda. I hope we can do 
this with IRISS,’ says the coordinator.

IRISS

  Coordinated by the Institute for the Sociology  

of Law and Criminology in Austria.

 Funded under FP7-SSH.
http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/

article_en.cfm?artid=32241

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‘Every day there is a new surveillance gadget, in addi-

tion to the numerous programmes already gathering 
data on us. We are sleepwalking into a surveillance 
society,’ claims IRISS (Increasing Resilience in Surveillance 
Societies) coordinator Reinhard Kreissl of Austria’s Institute 
for the Sociology of Law and Criminology. He wants to know 
what effect this surveillance has on how we live our lives, 
and levels of trust.

The IRISS team has been looking into the legal, social and 
technical aspects of surveillance, investigating awareness 
and  reactions  through  case  studies  and  interviews.  And 
whereas talk of surveillance usually focuses on state secu-
rity, the project is also looking at data collection by the pri-
vate sector — for example by social media outlets, online 
vendors and search engines.

Does it matter?

In interviews, some people told researchers they have noth-
ing against surveillance as they have nothing to hide. ‘When 
they started to think about what it means to be under con-
stant surveillance, others vowed to change the way they live 
their lives,’ says Kreissl. Are they right to be concerned?

Kreissl gives two quite different examples of how surveil-
lance can change behaviour. If everyone knows that a dem-
onstration will be filmed, and that the images will be kept, 
some may decide not to attend. ‘This has an effect on politi-
cal culture,’ he says. This is known as the “chilling effect”.

Meanwhile targeted marketing provides very tailored infor-
mation, defined by the information already collected on the 
recipient, and has a manipulative effect on how someone 
sees the world and how they behave, says Kreissl.

Resilience

IRISS  is  using  three  case  studies  to  investigate  the  
impact of surveillance on democratic and open societies 

Projct website:  

http://irissproject.eu/

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
S O C I A L   S C I E N C E S   A N D   H U M A N I T I E S

19

A NEW LOOK AT ISLAM IN MEDIEVAL  
EUROPE

Novel techniques for studying Islamic pottery in Europe and the Mediterranean 
could  help  build  stronger  historical  and  cultural  ties  between  the  EU  and  the  
Muslim world.

When  most  of  Europe  was 

going  through  upheaval  in 
the Middle Ages, Andalusia in 
southern Spain was flourishing aca-
demically,  scientifically  and  artisti-
cally under Islamic rule. Sophisticated 
pottery  emerged  in  the  region,  its 
design being influenced by the social 
events of that time. The EU-funded 
project  ARANPOT  (Archaeological 
research on Andalusian pottery (8th-
11th centuries)) worked on identify-
ing ceramic patterns and interpreting 
their significance in today’s context. 

From  a  technical  perspective,  the 
team studied the composition, glaz-
ing techniques, manufacture, chemi-
cal analysis and petrography of the 
ceramics, including the provenance of 
raw  materials  in  glazing.  It  then 
extrapolated  society’s  development 
in  the  Granada  area  based  on  the 
results of the pottery study, compar-
ing  it  with  other  European  and 
Mediterranean  models  of  social 
development. 

After  intense  petrographic  analysis 
and  neutron  activation  analysis,  the 
emerging  chemical  data  yielded 

in-depth  understanding  of  composi-
tional variability, especially in the fine 
ware ceramics. The project led to the 
publication of papers in both English 
and  Spanish  that  are  opening  new 
horizons  in  Andalusian  archaeology, 
as  well  as  in  Islamic  and  Medieval 
archaeology. 

The  topic  is  being  published  in  the 
Oxford  Journal  of  Archaeology, 
revealing  two  distinct  patterns  of 
Islamisation and two separate social 
conceptions of Islam in early Medieval 
Vega  de  Granada.  These  intriguing 
results  and  their  implications  were 
presented at different archaeology-
related events in Europe. The project 
team  has  also  taken  this  kind  of 
archaeological  analysis  to  different 
parts of the Mediterranean and has 
worked on pottery retrieved from dif-
ferent sites in Palestine.

These new theoretical and methodo-
logical  perspectives  can  have  a 
strong socioeconomic impact, consid-
ering Islam from its material cycle of 
production,  distribution  and  con-
sumption, even beyond pottery. This 
helps  academia  study  a  cultural 

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division that was not so acutely per-
ceived in the early Medieval period, 
bringing  forth  common  origins  and 
mutual  influences  of  Europe  and 
Islam.

The  idea  of  Europe  and  Islam  as 
interlinked  historical  entities  is  a 
strong one that citizens and policy-
makers  can  exploit.  This  is  particu-

“The idea of Europe and  
Islam as interlinked historical 
entities is a strong one  
that citizens and policymakers 
can exploit.”

larly  important  as  more  Muslim 
citizens  are  becoming  part  of  a 
greater  Europe.  Ultimately,  it  could 
give Europe a stronger role as a bal-
ancing  power  in  the  Mediterranean 
region,  bringing  closer  cultural  ties 
with Muslim nations.

Perceiving  heritage  as  a  common 
denominator  will  help  undermine 
fundamentalism on both sides. At the 
end of the day, Europe with an Islamic 
past  is  not  a  lesser  but  a  greater 
Europe. If history is portrayed in this 
light,  conflict  and  radicalism  could 
one  day  have  less  of  a  reason  to 
exist, encouraging peace and coexist-
ence instead.

ARANPOT

  Coordinated by the University  

of Sheffield in the United Kingdom.

 Funded under FP7-PEOPLE.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/92185_en.html

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
 
20

S O C I A L   S C I E N C E S   A N D   H U M A N I T I E S

HELPING TEACHERS TEACH SCIENCE
Students learn most effectively about science when the material is interesting and relevant. An EU project 
developed teaching modules to help teachers stimulate inquiry-based learning.

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Current methods of teaching science do not necessarily 

meet this ideal. The ESTABLISH (European science and 
technology  in  action:  Building  links  with  industry, 
schools and home) project is attempting to turn this around. 

The EU-funded 14-member consortium ran for four years 
to  2013.  Its  goal  was  to  facilitate  and  implement  an 
‘authentic’  and  inquiry-based  approach  for  European  
secondary  school  science  students.  The  approach  would 
unite key stakeholders in science education. 

First, the project attempted to define ‘inquiry’, and adopted a 
project educational framework on that basis, utilising key teach-
ing concepts. Other project actions included identification and 
development of units, including the key concepts, and their 
eventual trial and evaluation. The project developed 18 suitable 
teaching and learning units, covering a wide range of sciences. 

Following pilot testing, the units were revised. Later, they 
were implemented in the 11 participating countries: Czech 
Republic,  Germany,  Estonia,  Ireland,  Italy,  Cyprus,  Malta,  
the  Netherlands,  Poland,  Slovakia  and  Sweden.  Ongoing  
quality  monitoring  has  been  conducted  by  the  internal 
Quality Assurance Committee.

ESTABLISH also promoted itself at various conferences and 
events, and made efforts to contribute to other Seventh 
Framework Programme (FP7) projects’ objectives.

The outcome of ESTABLISH will be changes in classroom 
practice, reflecting improved concepts of science teaching. 
The project will also mean increased numbers of European 
teachers skilled in such innovative methods.

ESTABLISH

  Coordinated by Dublin City University in Ireland.
 Funded under FP7-SIS.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/93969_en.html
Project website:  

http://www.establish-fp7.eu/

PROTECTING EUROPEAN CONSUMER PRIVACY
Online service providers may be breaking European privacy laws, yet authorities are fairly powerless. An EU project 
illustrated the problem and solutions.

Much  of  modern  life,  and  espe-

cially  shopping,  has  moved 
online  and  become  globalised. 
These  rapid  changes  may  undermine 
the EU’s relatively strict protection con-
cerning  consumer  information  and 
informed consent. 

The  CONSENT  (Consumer  sentiment 
regarding privacy on user generated con-
tent  services  in  the  digital  economy)  
project set out to investigate this. The 
19-member  consortium  ran  for  three 
years to April 2013, during which time it 
received EUR 2.6 million in EU funding. 

The project aimed to determine how con-
sumer behaviour and commercial prac-
tices are changing the role of consent in 
the processing of personal data. Consent 
is a key concept of the European market, 
and separates this market from others. 
Nevertheless, a trend towards users of 
online  services  having  little  control  of 
their  personal  information,  especially 
regarding targeted personal advertising, 
apparently violates European principles. 

The project also investigated how these 
social changes affect consumer choice 
and attitudes towards privacy. 

CONSENT achieved its five objectives. In 
the project’s first 18 months, it compiled 
three datasets, which were analysed in 
terms  of  current  practices  and  legal 
frameworks. The project found that fair-
processing practices of service providers 
are generally weak. For example, most 
do  not provide a  separate registration 
stage for providing consent. In general, it 
is  difficult  for  consumers  to  find  the  
provider’s privacy policy, and some do not 
have one. 

In most cases, consumers are unaware 
of which data are collected and how they 
are  used.  Furthermore,  the  current 
European legal framework is inadequate 
in several ways, laws are implemented 
inconsistently and authorities have insuf-
ficient powers. The lack of enforcement 
power  means  that  providers  have  no 
incentive to comply with laws. 

The second half of the project focused 
on the quantitative analysis of attitudes 
of individual users. The project also cre-
ated  a  toolkit  aimed  at  policymakers 
and summarised its findings in a policy 
brief. The project had an active dissemi-
nation  schedule,  mostly  consisting  of 
numerous workshops and events.

The CONSENT project provided an over-
view of the privacy practices and poli-
cies of current service providers, which 
identified numerous priorities for policy-
makers.  This  will  mean  more  robust 
data protection for EU citizens.

CONSENT

  Coordinated by the University  

of Groningen in the Netherlands.

 Funded under FP7-SSH.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/94079_en.html

Project website:  

http://consent.law.muni.cz/

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
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21

E N E R G Y   A N D   T R A N S P O R T

GREENER FURNACES  
FOR ENERGY-INTENSIVE 
INDUSTRIES
Energy-intensive industries play a crucial role in boosting Europe’s 
growth  and  employment,  but  strong  climate-related  policies  can 
undermine  their  competitiveness.  New,  cleaner  technologies  are 
needed, and an EU project recently managed to achieve just that. 

‘Carbon leakage’ is a well documented phenom-

enon in Europe, which sees businesses transfer 
their  production  to  other  regions  in  order  to 
face competition from third countries without restric-
tions on greenhouse gas emissions. Since the EU can-
not  compromise on its  sustainability  targets for the 
sake of future generations, all hopes lie in new, afford-
able technologies enabling more sustainable produc-
tion at a competitive cost. 

The EDEFU (New Designs of Ecological Furnaces) pro-
ject, which was partly funded under the EU’s Seventh 
Framework Programme to the tune of EUR 8.5 million, 
has recently announced a major step forward in this 

regard. The team, which held its final workshop on  
22  May  in  Brussels,  announced  the  successful 
design of a new type of ecological furnace boosting 
energy efficiency by 35 % and reducing CO2 emis-
sions by 27 % compared to traditional equipment. 

The new technology integrates various heating sys-
tems such as plasma heating, high resistivity heat-
ing,  radiant  heat-microwave  and  biomass.  It  was 
developed  for  the  aluminium,  glass,  cement  and 
ceramic sectors, where industrial furnaces are used 
to provide heat in production processes. However, 
the team says it could be used by other related sec-
tors as well. 

 
 
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E N E R G Y   A N D   T R A N S P O R T

“The new furnace is  
boosting energy efficiency 
by 35 % and reducing CO2 
emissions by 27 %.”

Other  results  from  the 
project  include  waste 
heat reuse technologies, 
and new types of refrac-
tories  (materials  that 
retain  their  strength  at 
high temperatures) with 
insulation 
improved 
characteristics thanks to the use of nanotechnology. The 
project  discussed  the  commercialisation  potential  of 
these technologies at its workshop, saying there was a 
‘high  commercial  potential  expressed  by  end  users,  
furnace manufacturers and auxiliary industry firms.’ 

Manufacturing  industries  are  currently  responsible  for 
nearly one third of the world’s energy consumption and 
36 % of its CO2 emissions. The project team expects its 
findings to contribute to reducing production costs and 
products’ carbon footprint.

EDEFU

 Coordinated by Tecnalia in Spain.
 Funded under FP7-NMP.
http://cordis.europa.eu/news/rcn/36598_en.html
Project website:  

http://www.edefu.eu/

REVOLUTIONARY AIRCRAFT DESIGN  
ON THE HORIZON
The idea of driverless pods for transporting passengers that could be moved from trains to aeroplanes 
is gaining ground and could redefine air transport as we know it.

Aircraft design has changed little 

since the 1960s, but radical new 
innovations are now on the hori-
zon. One of these is the pod concept, 
which enables passengers to board a 
plane as if they were boarding a metro 
wagon.  The  EU-funded  project 
FANTASSY (Future aircraft design fol-
lowing the carrier-pod concept as an 
enabler for co-modal seamless trans-
port,  passenger  safety  and  environ-
mental  sustainability)  is  working  on 
such a concept to bring about seam-
less  air  transport,  coupled  with 
enhanced passenger safety and envi-
ronmental protection.

The  project  envisions  a  new  aircraft 
design  that  combines  a  ‘passenger 
pod’ and a ‘carrier’ aircraft to receive 
it. While the concept and its constitu-
ents may not be technologically feasi-
ble at this point, it is important to work 
on it in order to achieve a reliable pro-
totype in two or three decades. In this 
context,  FANTASSY  is  evaluating  the 
feasibility of the ‘carrier aircraft–pas-
senger pod’ concept following a well-
defined process. 

More specifically, the project is outlin-
ing what the aircraft will look like and 
how it will function. It is defining the 
air  transport  system  required  for 
seamless  mobility  and  door-to-door 
services. This involves in-depth inves-
tigation into technologies and materi-
als currently under development that 
could be integrated into the modular 
aircraft design. Considerations under 
study include propulsion systems and 
energy storage.

So far, the project team has identified 
concepts and technologies that could 
be  viable  by  2050  or  earlier.  These 

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include concepts developed by NASA, 
Airbus  and  other  key  players  in  the 
industry.  FANTASSY  has  also  com-
pleted a study on future aircraft con-
figurations  and  other  concepts 
available today in line with the pro-
ject’s vision. 

In particular, the team proposed two 
preliminary pod and aircraft configu-
rations:  one  that  attaches  the  pods 
externally  and  one  that  accepts  the 
pods internally. It is now outlining criti-
cal performance parameters that will 
enable selection of the most promis-
ing solution.

Benefits of such concepts include bet-
ter  intermodal  passenger  transport 
and  cargo  modules  compatible  with 
both  rail  and  air  transport  modes.  
The same pods could be transferred  
from  the  aircraft  to  a  rail  vehicle 

seamlessly,  increasing  passenger 
comfort and safety.

Such a system would also enable pas-
sengers  to  enjoy  distributed  airport 
facilities  away  from  the  runway,  for 
example at a railway station, and then 
be transported directly to the carrier 
aircraft by rail. It would mean faster 
and  easier  passenger  embarkation, 
increased  flexibility  in  maintenance 
and  easier  evacuation  in  case  of 
emergency. This radical new take on 
aircraft  transport  could  redefine  air 
travel and make it much more com-
fortable than ever before.

FANTASSY

  Coordinated by the University  

of Patras in Greece.

 Funded under FP7-TRANSPORT.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/104570_en.html

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23

LIGHTER-WEIGHT, MORE EFFICIENT  
HYBRID CARS

The hybrid car of the future could be more efficient by drawing power from the car body 
panels. EU researchers have developed prototype structural composite materials that can 
store and discharge electrical energy and that are also strong and lightweight enough to be 
used for car parts.

Besides a smaller, more efficient engine, today’s hybrid 

cars can use lighter-weight materials to get better mile-
age. Current bulky batteries reduce the potential impact 
of hybrid technology. Thin materials that replace parts of the 
car body can serve as a battery, enabling drivers to cover 
longer distances before needing to recharge their cars.

The EU-funded research project STORAGE (Composite struc-
tural power storage for hybrid vehicles) focused on develop-
ing novel multifunctional materials that can simultaneously 
carry mechanical loads and store electrical energy, thus offer-
ing significant savings in vehicle system-level mass and vol-
ume, or performance benefits such as improved durability.

“The goal was to demonstrate 
an overall weight saving  
of 15 %.”

Initial work focused on two techniques for developing the con-
stituents of the composite, namely reinforcing and grafting, 
as well as multifunc-
tional resin. The team 
improved the materi-
al’s mechanical prop-
erties  by  growing 
carbon nanotubes on 
the  surface  of  the 
carbon fibres. Carbon aerogel coating increased the surface 
area of the material, improving its capacity to store more 
energy. The matrix development was based on a mixture of 
existing epoxy resins and liquid electrolyte.

The  constituents  were  then  combined  to  form  composite 
materials.  Four  multifunctional  structural  energy  storage 
devices  were  manufactured,  namely  capacitors,  batteries, 

supercapacitors and hybrid capacitors. In the end, different 
techniques were used to test the electrical and mechanical 
properties of composite materials.

Key  engineering  and  operational  issues  were  addressed, 
beginning with the identification of a multifunctional design 
approach to carbon fibre laminates, and investigating how to 
package, integrate and connect the structural power compos-
ites within a vehicle structure.

Project activities resulted in three demonstrators: a small-
scale radio-controlled car with a supercapacitor roof, a plenum 
cover with lithium-ion batteries and a trunk lid with superca-
pacitor laminates (saving more than 60 % in weight).

Although STORAGE strove to achieve mechanical and electri-
cal performances comparable to existing structural materials 
and electrical devices respectively, the goal was to demon-
strate an overall weight saving of 15 %. These revolutionary 
developments will help promote cleaner, more efficient and 
more competitive transport solutions.

STORAGE

  Coordinated by the Imperial College of Science,  
Technology and Medicine in the United Kingdom.

 Funded under FP7-TRANSPORT.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/93371_en.html
Project website:  

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/structuralpowerstorage

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E N E R G Y   A N D   T R A N S P O R T

SILENT, ZERO-EMISSION DELIVERY  
FOR EUROPE
Fully-electric ‘Light commercial vehicles’ (LCVs) are 
scheduled  for  launch  within  the  EU  in  2020.  In 
preparation, technology will soon be hitting the road 
in  a  demonstrator  showcasing  the  best  design 
concepts.

and created the computer-aided design for the rolling chas-
sis. The prototype  frame  was built. In addition,  scientists 
have continued work on the architecture of the drivetrain and 
designed the electric motors that will be integrated with the 
wheels.

With minimal to no carbon dioxide and noise emis-

sions, all-electric LCVs are poised for major impact 
on consumer and environmental health. EU-funded 
scientists working on the project DELIVER (Design of electric 
light vans for environment-impact reduction) are investigat-
ing the most promising design concepts for urban delivery 
trucks intended for large-scale production.

“Work will lead to virtual 
assessment and a concept 
demonstrator as well  
as a detailed prototype.”

Work will lead to virtual assessment and a concept demon-
strator as well as a detailed prototype. Participation of indus-
trial  partners  should 
speed up commerciali-
sation. The consortium 
made  important  pro-
gress  on  all  fronts  
during the first report-
ing  period.  Following  
pre-selection of three 
design concepts based 
on 2020 technologies and beyond, the team evaluated key 
performance indicators to choose one concept for further 
development. 

All vehicle dimensions were specified and used to determine 
geometries  and  sizes  of  components  and  systems. 
Researchers have come up with an innovative door concept 

Work on the battery pack is nearly completed. Based on final 
vehicle dimensions and chassis mounting space, scientists 
were able to determine the energy capacity required. A pro-
totype was successfully tested using a ‘Battery management 
system’ (BMS) supplied by the battery cell manufacturer, 
resulting in finalisation of the mechanical design and of BMS 
specifications. Scientists have procured the necessary com-
ponents for assembly of the final version of the battery pack.

DELIVER activities will culminate in the production of a fully 
drivable demonstrator vehicle showcasing exciting innova-
tion in the overall concept design, interior space and drive-
train. The virtual assessment will enable incorporation of 
even more advanced materials to highlight the full potential 
of project ideas. DELIVER innovation may soon be behind the 
surprisingly silent deliveries from your favourite store.

DELIVER

 Coordinated by RWTH Aachen University in Germany.
 Funded under FP7-TRANSPORT.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/102010_en.html
Project website:  

http://www.deliver-project.org/

TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION SERVICE
Imagine a system combining all local transportation information in one place, and which also warns users 
and learns their preferences. An EU-funded project is making this possible and simple.

Most transportation service pro-

viders offer information about 
their  services.  However,  to 
date, no interactive system exists that 
has linked all locally available public 
and private transportation services.

Such  was  the  goal  of  the  I-TOUR 
(Intelligent  transport  system  opti-
mized  for  urban  trips)  project.  The 
11-member  consortium  ran  from 
February 2010 to July 2013, during 
which time it received EUR 3.5 million 
in  EU  funding.  The  project  aimed  to 
develop  an  open  framework,  to  be 
used by providers and users, to build 
an  adaptive  transportation  informa-
tion service. The system would offer 
advice to travellers about routes and 
schedules  for  combined  transporta-
tion modes. 

In particular, the system offers alerts 
about  schedule  conflicts  or 

opportunities. In addition, the system 
learns  from  users’  preferences  and 
usage patterns, and gradually tailors 
its recommendations. Over time, the 
combined feedback from many users 
will help providers improve services. 

I-TOUR achieved its aims, with a pro-
totype system ready to be deployed. 
As a result, the project developed sev-
eral innovative technologies. A mobile 
client shares local information for the 
community, and asks the community 
to validate the data; the client includes 
rules for identity protection. In addi-
tion, the project developed a modular 
infrastructure to ensure effective dis-
tribution  of  system  data.  To  enable 
adaptation  to  user  preferences,  and 
for  efficient  routing,  the  project 
worked  on  developing  models  of 
multi-modal transport networks using 
hypernetworks.  Other  developments 
included user-friendly mobility clients 

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25

and identification of business models 
designed to at least recover costs. 

Dissemination activities included a 
website, LinkedIn discussion groups, 
a  YouTube  channel,  conference 
presentations and journal submis-
sions, plus various workshops and 
meetings.

One expected impact will be increased 
democratisation of transport services, 
whereby service providers will respond 
to  user  feedback,  thus  giving  users 
more control. Furthermore, the project 
will ultimately make public transpor-
tation safer, more efficient and more 
environmentally sustainable.

I-TOUR

 Coordinated by Formit Servizi in Italy.
 Funded under FP7-TRANSPORT.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/93951_en.html

Project website:  

http://www.itourproject.com

   http://bit.ly/1ynbPkW

A SENSIBLE SOLUTION FOR WIND TURBINE 
ELECTRICAL FAULTS
Wind turbine electrical system failures result in extended downtime, increasing operating costs and 
decreasing energy security. New on-board sensor technology and predictive tools will result in timely 
attention paid to potential problems.

Among  renewable  sources  of 

energy, wind is one of the most 
commercially attractive for help-
ing meet electricity needs and relieve 
dependence on fossil fuels. The tech-
nology is quite mature, with an aver-
age annual growth rate of more than 
26 % since 1990. 

However, in order to meet the EU tar-
gets  of  covering  20 %  of  electricity 
needs  with  wind  energy  within  the 
next  two  decades,  further  improve-
ments  are  required  in  terms  of 
enhancing  reliability  and  decreasing 
operating costs.

Reducing  system  faults  can  address 
both challenges for present and future 
wind turbines. EU-funded scientists are 
developing  an  intelligent  sensor  net-
work for advanced diagnostics and pre-
dictive  maintenance  of  electrical 
systems within the scope of the project 
WIND  TURBARS  (Online  Intelligent 
Diagnostics and Predictive Maintenance 
Sensor  System  Integrated  within  the 
Wind Turbine Bus-Bar structure to aid 
Dynamic Maintenance Scheduling).

The  consortium  successfully  devel-
oped a model of the electrical compo-
nents of a wind turbine — generator, 
active rectifier, inverter and output fil-
ter. Data modelling of a normal oper-
ation has produced the starting point 
for an evaluation of initiation failure 
and of a simulation of key electrical 
faults identified based on a thorough 
literature review.

For signs of degradation regarding the 
faults being considered, partners have 
assessed a number of mathematical 
tools  and  their  suitability.  Progress 
has  demonstrated  that  degradation 
can be detected weeks or even months 
before actually occurring.

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Modelling and simulation work led to 
the identification of candidate sensors 
and  initial  component  selection.  In 
addition, based on the costs associ-
ated with electrical failures, the team 
has set a reasonable target price for 
the final sensor network system.

WIND  TURBARS’  diagnostic and  pre-
dictive technology will address wind 
turbine  electrical  faults  before  they 
affect operations. The sensor network 
is expected to have a huge impact on 
the  development  of  offshore  farms 
given the extreme difficulties associ-
ated  with  inspection  and  repair.  The 
benefits  for  onshore  and  retrofit 

markets are also significant. Overall, 
the  project  stands  to  make  a  major 
contribution  to  the  EU’s  renewable 
energy goals by increasing the energy 
security afforded by sustainable and 
eco-friendly wind power.

WIND TURBARS

  Coordinated by HV Wooding  

in the United Kingdom.
 Funded under FP7-SME.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/106156_en.html

Project website:  

http://www.windturbars.eu/

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THE FUTURE OF BUSES
Bus  systems  have  great  potential  to  improve  urban  transport.  A  new  system  has 
redesigned everything about buses so that they can finally realise it.

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Traffic  is  becoming  slower  and 

more  congested.  Urban  buses 
represent  very  attractive  solu-
tions  to  many  of  the  transportation 
problems affecting cities, yet bus sys-
tems have, to date, typically not been 
well managed. 

Hoping to change that was the EBSF 
(European bus system of the future) 
project.  The  49-member  project  ran 
from  September  2008  to  February 
2013,  during  which  time  it  received 
EUR  15.8  million  in  EU  funding.  The 
project’s goal was to develop an inte-
grated  bus  management  system, 

“The result of EBSF’s work 
will be urban bus systems 
that work and which 
passengers enjoy using.”

combining  new  vehicle  technologies 
with new infrastructures and improved 
operations  management.  The  objec-
tives  were  to  develop  an  intelligent 
operations system, develop innovative 
vehicle  infrastructure  and  integrate 

these  two  into  European  urban 
scenarios. 

When defining the system, the project 
consulted transportation experts and 
stakeholders to determine their needs. 
This  produced  a  list  of  more  than  
500 items. These were formalised and 
condensed into a wish list of 342 sys-
tem requirements and then grouped 
into 17 functional requirements. The 
requirements  represent  necessary 
improvements  to  three  project  sub-
systems:  vehicle,  infrastructure  and 
operations.  The  analysis  also  com-
pared trade-offs and conflicts. 

The  project’s  development  of  key 
technologies focused on new system 
designs affecting 12 areas. The driver 
station was redesigned with respect to 
driver comfort and vehicle operations. 
Passenger accessibility was assessed 
via simulated usage by various demo-
graphic groups, focusing on reduced 
bus stop waiting time. Other new sys-
tems included information technolo-
gies,  a  handling  support  system, 
modularity, energy management and 
efficiency, transport and traffic poli-
cies,  passenger  information,  and 

intermodal  and  transport  hubs.  The 
project also investigated the electrifi-
cation  of  urban  bus  systems. 
Furthermore,  the  project  reinvented 
the bus stop as a friendly gathering 
place; the concept received two French 
design awards.

EBSF’s  new  integrated  system  has 
been tested in seven European cities 
(Budapest,  Bremerhaven,  Brunoy, 
Gothenburg,  Madrid,  Rome  and 
Rouen). The tests successfully demon-
strated the concepts and led to further 
refinements. 

The result of EBSF’s work will be urban 
bus systems that work and which pas-
sengers  enjoy  using.  This  will  mean 
more  efficient  and  effective  city 
transportation.

EBSF

 Coordinated by UITP in Belgium.
 Funded under FP7-TRANSPORT.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/89933_en.html

Project website:  
http://ebsf.eu/

   http://bit.ly/1plZysP

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E N V I R O N M E N T   A N D   S O C I E T Y

E N V I R O N M E N T   A N D   S O C I E T Y

CLIMATE CHANGE,  
MEET CYBORG PLANTS
We tend to think of plants as being the first victims of pollution and 
climate change. But thanks to an FP7 research project, crops, forests 
and even the plants in your back garden could be fighting back.

While  we  know  what  the 

impacts  of  climate  change 
and pollution are likely to be, 
collecting  detailed  measurements  is 
challenging. Putting sensors in every 
field or forest is expensive and time-
consuming, and while these sensors 
can measure the state of the environ-
ment they can’t tell us what is hap-
pening to the plants themselves. But 
now  the  SME-led  PLEASED  project 
(PLants Employed As SEnsing Devices) 
is  hoping  to  change  that,  by  using 
plants themselves as environmental 
monitors.

Dr  Vitaletti,  project  coordinator  and 
Chief  Technology  Officer  at  WLAB 

— an Italian SME which emphasises a 
culture  of  innovation  and  technical 
excellence  in  the  area  of  wireless 
technologies  and  mobile/pervasive 
computing — says, ‘Plants will be “the 
sentinel” of the environment. To this 
end,  we  are  trying  to  classify  the  
electrical signals generated by plants 
in  reaction  to  external  stimuli  like 
pollutants.’

Talking plants

By using the same sort of technology 
that  measures  brain  and  muscle 
in  human  beings,  
movements 
Dr Vitaletti and his team think we can 
better understand what is happening 

in the environment, and in plant-life 
as a result. He calls this blend of living 
tissue  and  digital  sensors  ‘cyborg 
plants’.  Once  within  the  plant,  the 
microsensors  developed  by  the 
PLEASED team can collect the signals 
generated by the plant, analyse them, 
combine  them  with  those  of  other 
plants  nearby,  and  produce  a  clear 
analysis of the environment. In other 
words, the cyborg plant will tell you 
how it feels and why it feels that way.

Dr Vitaletti and his team  have been 
creating their prototypes from cheap, 
readily-available  components  in  the 
hopes that everyone, from hobbyists 
to farmers, will be able to make their 

 
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E N V I R O N M E N T   A N D   S O C I E T Y

own plant sensors. Anyone would then 
be able, for instance, to determine if a 
plant  needs  more  or  less  sun  and 
water,  or  how  a  specific  fertiliser 
affects its health. Added to that, since 
the solution is Wi-Fi-based, monitor-
ing your garden from your living room 
would technically be possible.

“The cyborg plant will tell  
you how it feels and why  
it feels that way.”

Open designs and  
open data

‘The  whole  PLEASED  architecture  is 
open. The main purpose of this is to 
create a community of people inter-
ested in developing such technology,’ 
says  Dr  Vitaletti,  adding,  ‘we  really 
hope that the PLEASED open commu-
nity will grow and help us to achieve 
better and more general results. We 

are  developing  the  PLEASED  kit, 
namely  an  open  system  that  allows 
users  to  perform  their  own  experi-
ments and improve the design.’

The PLEASED project is also making 
the  data  it  collects  freely  available. 
‘The availability of a large, high qual-
ity dataset is necessary for our project 
to develop. To use plants as sensing 
devices we need to develop classifica-
tion  algorithms  capable  of  under-
standing  the  signals  generated  by 
plants,’ says Dr Vitaletti. ‘In particular, 
we hope that researchers will [be able 
to test their own] classification algo-
rithms on the dataset.’

our  environment  for  future  genera-
tions.  ‘If  understanding  is  the  first 
necessary step to change, plants can 
contribute by providing us with a valu-
able  tool  to  better  understand  and 
monitor  our  environment,’  he  says, 
‘but then change is up to us.’

PLEASED is a EUR 1.45 million project, 
with EUR 1.07 million funded by the 
European Union’s Seventh Framework 
Programme  (FP7),  as  part  of  the 
Future and Emerging Technologies ini-
tiative. The project started in January 
2012 and will end in May 2015.

PLEASED to help make 
things better

Plant-based  monitoring  opens  up  a 
whole  range  of  opportunities  for 
understanding the effect of pollution 
and climate change as never before. 
But Dr Vitaletti stresses that collecting 
data is only a first step in protecting 

PLEASED

 Coordinated by WLAB in Italy.
 Funded under FP7-ICT.
http://cordis.europa.eu/result/story/

rcn/13072_en.html

Project website:  

http://pleased-fp7.eu/

     https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=2tgdCB3v7mE

EU RESEARCH ‘CLEARS’ THE WAY  
FOR HIGH QUALITY LAKES AND RESERVOIRS
The growth of blue-green algae in our lakes, large 
ponds,  water  reservoirs  and  public  waters 
constitutes a problem for our environment and for 
our health. But their growth can now be prevented 
thanks to ultrasound-based technology.

Traditional algae controlling methods (e.g. aeration, chem-
ical or biological additives, and others) are not sufficiently 
effective when it comes to larger waters. They may also 
be associated with high labour costs and potentially neg-
ative environmental impacts, especially when chemicals 
are  used.  In  order  to  address  these  problems,  the 
EU-funded CLEARWATERPMPC (Development of an effi-
cient  environmentally-friendly  Algae  Control  System, 
based on ultrasound technology, designed for use in big-
ger ponds and lakes) project has successfully developed 
and commercialised an environmentally-friendly technol-
ogy.  Known  as  the  MPC-Buoy,  the  CLEARWATERPMPC  
solution uses ultrasound technology to prevent the growth 
of blue-green algae. 

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The MPC-Buoy is equipped with three ultrasonic transmit-
ters  with  a  diameter  reach  of  at  least  500  metres. 
Underneath  the  buoy,  sensors  also  monitor  the  water 
quality in real-time. The sensors communicate the infor-
mation to a web server. 

As  part  of  the  project  research,  two  MPC-Buoys  were 
installed in Skrzyneckie Male Lake in Poznan, Poland. The 
buoys provided a complete overview of the water quality 
by collecting the following parameters every 10 minutes: 
chlorophyll (green algae), phycocyanin (blue-green algae), 
pH, TSS, dissolved oxygen and the temperature. 

Blue-green  algae  often  result  in  a  deterioration  of 

water quality and emit a distinctly unpleasant odour. 
They consume a lot of oxygen in the water, leaving 
little for other animals like fish. They also produce toxins 
which can cause skin irritations and are suspected to be 
involved in the occurrence of liver cancer. 

The project showed that the ultrasound treatment needs 
to be adjusted according to the type of algae and other 
parameters in the water, in order to perform at maximum 
efficiency. 

Monitoring also showed a difference in the algae levels 
between the lake with the MPC-Buoys set up and several 

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
other similar lakes in the surrounding area. For example, 
the  level  of  cyanobacteria  (blue-green  algae)  cells  in 
Kórnickie  Lake,  which  is  located  in  the  same  area  as 
Skrzyneckie Male Lake, was nine times higher compared to 
the lake where the MPC-Buoys were set up. 

Local  inhabitants  also  noticed  a  visual  improvement  in 
The 
water  quality. 
CLEARWATERPMPC project 
team  reports  that  locals 
have said that the water 
in  the  lake  has  become 
cleaner and that no algae 
scum  appeared  after 
deployment  of  the  two 
MPC-Buoys. 

“Locals have said that  
the water in the lake has 
become cleaner and that 
no algae scum appeared 
after deployment  
of the two MPC-Buoys.”

Although ultrasound was 
already a well-known and 
proven technology for the 
treatment of algae, the CLEARWATERPMPC buoy is said to 
be unique for several reasons. In contrast to the currently 
available ultrasound based systems, the MPC-Buoy is more 
cost-effective  due  to  its  low  operation  and  installation 

29

E N V I R O N M E N T   A N D   S O C I E T Y

costs. It also has an online lake monitoring system imple-
mented and the possibility of remotely controlling specific 
control parameters. Additionally, the system is independent 
of power supply from the shore, since efficient solar pan-
els  are  used  to  provide  power  all  year  round  in  any 
country. 

The MPC-Buoy is patented by Dutch company LG Sound, the 
project  coordinator.  The  project  concluded  in  December 
2013,  and  the  MPC-Buoy  has  already  been  installed  
in  lakes  in  Poland,  the  UK,  the  USA,  Japan  and  Ireland.  
It  has  proven  to  be  effective  in  lakes,  ponds,  dams  and 
elsewhere.

CLEARWATERPMPC

 Coordinated by LG Sound in the Netherlands.
 Funded under FP7-SME.
http://cordis.europa.eu/news/rcn/36583_en.html
Project website:  

http://clearwater-pmpc.com/

NEW SMART IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT 
SYSTEM

Sustainable agriculture is increasingly important in helping to mitigate the growing effects of climate change. New 
research has created a smart irrigation management system to help farmers use water more sustainably.

The EU has put strict new water use 

and sustainable agriculture poli-
cies in place. These aim to mini-
mise the impact of farming on water 
resources, while maximising economic 
returns from commercial agriculture.

Funded  by  the  EU,  the  ENORASIS 
(ENvironmental  Optimization  of 
IRrigAtion  Management  with  the 
Combined uSe and Integration of High 
PrecisIon  Satellite  Data,  Advanced 
Modeling, Process Control and Business 
Innovation) project was set up to build 
and market a decision support system 

that would optimise water use in irriga-
tion. The system will provide irrigation 
management tools and services to help 
farmers use water more effectively.

The ENORASIS software platform has 
already been built, consisting of a geo-
graphic  information  system-based 
decision support system and irrigation 
management  system.  Researchers 
have completed web and mobile user 
interfaces, and the platform is designed 
to incorporate satellite data as well as 
data from wireless sensor networks.

Four pilot sites were selected in Cyprus, 
Poland,  Serbia  and  Turkey,  and  pilot 
systems  have  been  installed  there. 
These pilots will run for two years to 
thoroughly  test  the  systems  and  to 
gather data. The project is also devel-
oping a Meteo Analysis Tool for weather 
forecasting, which will be tested and 
validated within the next year.

“The project is also developing 
a Meteo Analysis Tool for 
weather forecasting.”

Once  complete,  the  ENORASIS  plat-
form will be commercially available to 
farmers in the EU. It will save farmers 
money by optimising irrigation, bring-
ing  EU  agriculture  in  line  with  new 
water and sustainability policies while 
reducing the environmental impact of 
irrigation in Europe.

ENORASIS

  Coordinated by Draxis Environmental 

in Greece.

 Funded under FP7-ENVIRONMENT.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/102038_en.html

Project website:  

http://www.enorasis.eu

  http://bit.ly/1l65HIz

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30

E N V I R O N M E N T   A N D   S O C I E T Y

AN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS 
INFORMATION PORTAL FOR EUROPE

In Europe, we have a vast wealth of research results that support standards in relation 
to environmental aspects such as air, water, soil and waste. SIPE, an EU-funded project, 
brings all these results together and combines them with information on standards and 
policies in a single dedicated web-based portal. 

The  project,  which  began  in 

September  2012,  is  now  in  its 
final  few  months  and  the  first 
version of the SIPE-RTD web portal is 
available for testing. The portal con-
tains  up  to  190  policies  (split  up  in  
3 600 policy articles), 950 Standards 
and about 600 EU-funded projects or 
research results. 

The aim of the SIPE (An environmen-
tal  Standards  Information  Portal  for 
Europe)  project  is  to  promote  and 
increase the use of research results in 
support  of  standards  (related  to  air, 
water, soil and waste) among stake-
holders  involved  in  research,  stand-
ardisation  bodies,  policy  and 
enterprises/SMEs. 

The  portal,  which  offers  a  unique 
interface  for  information  from  the 
standards, policies and research com-
munities, is a tool used to help achieve 
this aim. It allows users to browse in a 
number of different ways: using the 
four  compartments  (‘Water  and 
Marine’, ‘Air’, ‘Waste and Sludge’, ‘Soil 
and  Sediment’),  clicking  on  the  key-
words  in  the  cloud  or  just  using  the 
free search. 

The  interlinking  of  information  is 
based  on  keyword  fingerprints  that 
are  developed  for  each  item  in  the 
web portal. Easy transfer of informa-
tion is facilitated by an input module 
and a document repository. 

information  on 
At  the  outset, 
EU-funded research projects in sup-
port  of  standards  and  their  results 
was collected. European Commission 
Directives in these areas and their pol-
icy tasks were also collated. The same 
set of keywords was used to describe 
all data sets. This pool of (standards-
related) keywords was interlinked by 
algorithms  into  a  categorisation 
scheme of keywords. 

The portal is also the result of a long 
and ongoing process of consultation 
and  feedback.  An  Interfacing  Group, 
consisting  of  invited  stakeholders’ 
representatives,  commented  on  the 
initial concept and continues to guide 
the development and implementation 
of  the  portal.  It  is  instrumental  in 
ensuring that SIPE-RTD develops into 
a  fit-for-use  and  sustainable  entity. 
Public  participation  has  also  been 
organised via a Stakeholder Network. 

Led by HydroScan in Belgium, the con-
sortium comprises in total six partners 
from four countries: Mermayde in the 
Netherlands,  WISE-RTD  Association 
and  Hydraulics  Laboratory,  both  in 
Belgium, IVL Svenska Miljoeinstitutet 
in Sweden and Quality Consult in Italy. 
These  partners,  along  with  all  inter-
ested parties, will all gather in Brussels 
in June for the project’s final confer-
ence, ‘Research Innovation and Policy 
Implementation based on Standards 
Knowledge’. 

Stakeholders are still encouraged to 
contribute to the SIPE-RTD Web Portal 
by  creating  their  own  profile  and 
uploading  research  projects  and 
results in regard to the environment 
and standards. The SIPE team is eager 
for users to test the portal and offer 
feedback.

SIPE

 Coordinated by HydroScan in Belgium.
 Funded under FP7-ENVIRONMENT.
http://cordis.europa.eu/news/

rcn/36588_en.html 

Project website:  

http://www.sipe-rtd.eu/

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31

IMPROVING TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER  
TO FARMERS
An  EU-funded  project  has  established  online 
platforms  to  improve  technology  transfer  to  pig 
farmers.

Academic  and  industrial  research  generates  large 

amounts of ‘knowledge and technology’ (K&T) that 
often does not reach end users. This is particularly 

true in the case of agricultural sciences.

The  RTD2FARM  (Enhancing  collaboration  in  research  for 
livestock) initiative brought farmers and farmers’ associa-
tions together with the scientific community to improve 
K&T  transfer.  The 
project  focused  on 
pig farming, Europe’s 
largest livestock sec-
tor, in Belgium, Italy 
and Austria.

“The project focused on pig 
farming, Europe’s largest 
livestock sector, in Belgium, 
Italy and Austria.”

Initially,  information 
was  gathered  and  collated  from  both  researchers  and 
farmers. A farmer’s survey served to identify the needs of 
farmers in terms of technology transfer.

Based  on  these  assessments,  researchers  designed  the  
virtual  European  Centre  for  Excellence  in  Pig  Sciences 

(EUCEPS — http://www.euceps.eu). It consists of two online 
platforms: Wikipigs and PigSci.

Wikipigs is an innovation platform that provides an over-
view  of  current  research  and  allows  direct  interaction 
between  researchers  and  farmers.  PigSci  is  a  learning  
platform that provides farmers with access to the knowl-
edge, translated into a range of languages, collected by 
RTD2FARM.

RTD2FARM has shown that K&T transfer to farmers is frag-
mented and generally occurs on an ad hoc basis. But its 
solution, the EUCEPS initiative, should ensure that research 
extends to all stakeholders.

RTD2FARM

  Coordinated by the University  
of Veterinary Medicine Vienna  
in Austria.

 Funded under FP7-KBBE.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/99236_en.html
Project website:  

http://www.rtd2farm.eu

A NEW BIOSENSOR FOR  
FUNGAL TOXINS
Mycotoxins  are  a  family  of  chemicals  produced  by  fungi  that 
contaminate a wide range of human and animal food crops. Researchers 
have now developed a highly sensitive, automated detection system 
for a common mycotoxin known as ‘deoxyvalenol’ (DON).

There  is  currently  no  automated 

mycotoxin  detection  system  for 
the  cereal  industry.  However, 
mycotoxin  contamination  of  cereal 
crops such as wheat and maize causes 
major economic losses through food 
damage  and  associated  health 
problems. 

As  such,  the  EU-funded  MYCOHUNT 
(Rapid biosensor for the detection of 
mycotoxin  in  wheat)  project  was 
established  to  develop  a  rapid  and 
sensitive  biosensor  for  detection  of 
the DON mycotoxin.

Researchers first showed that wheat 
dust  had  higher  concentrations  of 
DON than wheat grains, making it the 
most suitable substrate to sample for 
mycotoxins.  They  then  developed  a 
DON-specific antibody in mice to use 
as an immunosensor — a biological 
detector.

After  extensive  market  research, 
researchers built a prototype that could 
detect DON in air at concentrations as 

low as 50 parts per billion. The proto-
type was tested and validated in both 
laboratory and factory conditions.

A business plan has since been drawn 
up for the commercialisation of this 
novel technology. Further refinement 
of  the  design  is  necessary,  but  it  is 
estimated that the MYCOHUNT device 
will  become  commercially  available 
within the next two years.

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MYCOHUNT

  Coordinated by Ateknea Solutions  

in Hungary.

 Funded under FP7-SME.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/95606_en.html 

Project website:  

http://www.mycohunt.eu
  http://bit.ly/1qvH4b7

“Researchers built a 
prototype that could detect 
DON in air at concentrations 
as low as 50 parts  
per billion.”

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
32

E N V I R O N M E N T   A N D   S O C I E T Y

WATER TREATMENT MEMBRANES  
ACTIVATED BY THE SUN

Access to water fit to drink is threatened by increasing contamination and water scarcity. 
New water treatment technology requiring minimal electricity and infrastructure could 
provide important relief.

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“Several novel coating 
techniques developed within 
the scope of the NATIOMEM 
project show promise  
for future use in hydrogen 
production plants and  
third-generation solar cells.”

Increasing  population  growth  and 

human activities are putting severe 
pressure on our planet’s sustainabil-
ity. Availability of clean water has long 
been a major challenge in the Middle 
East and South Africa, and is a grow-
ing  concern  in  Western  countries. 
Around  the  globe,  technology  to 
reclaim contaminated surface water 
and wastewater will have an impor-
tant impact on the quality of life of all 
citizens.

EU-funded scientists developed new 
membranes for water treatment tech-
nologies within the scope of the pro-
ject NATIOMEM (Nano-structured TiON 
photo-catalytic membranes for water 
treatment).  The  porous  substrate 
combining ceramic and metal mem-
brane filters out particles and micro-
organisms larger than the pore size. A 
photo-catalytic coating based on tita-
nium oxide is activated by sunlight to 
kill microorganisms, decompose and 

mineralise organic pollutants, and oxi-
dise dissolved metals.

The NATIOMEM project is focused on 
production  of  safe  drinking  water  in 
rural  areas  of  South  Africa,  and  on 
remediation  of  grey  wastewater  for 
toilet  flushing  and  irrigation  to  be 
implemented on rooftops in Jordan’s 
urban  areas.  Laboratory  test  results 
were quite promising and three pilot 
plants  were  used  to  evaluate  the 
membranes’ performance. 

Scientists  provided  updated  recom-
mendations regarding the design and 
application  of  the  photo-catalytic 
membranes.  Realistic  use  scenarios 
requiring  efficient  pre-filtration  and 
recirculation  of  water  for  multiple 
passes and anti-fouling activity were 
included. The technology is now poised 
to provide simple, effective and eco-
nomical water treatment in regions of 
extreme water scarcity.

In  addition  to  applications  in  water 
treatment, several novel coating tech-
niques developed within the scope of 
the NATIOMEM project show promise 
for future use in hydrogen production 
plants and third-generation solar cells. 
Results have been published in seven 
peer-reviewed scientific publications 
as well as communicated at numer-
ous conferences and workshops.

The NATIOMEM project has produced 
filtration  membranes  that  have  the 
potential to significantly increase the 
commercial competitiveness of part-
ners.  Exploitation  of  the  proposed 
water  treatment  process  could  also 
have  an  important  impact  on  the 
availability of clean drinking water in 
challenged regions such as the Middle 
East and South Africa. With both rural 
and urban applications, opportunities 
abound for exploitation.

NATIOMEM

 Coordinated by DHI in Denmark.
 Funded under FP7-NMP.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/96170_en.html

Project website:  

http://www.natiomem.eu/

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
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33

I T   A N D   T E L E C O M M U N I C A T I O N S

I T   A N D   T E L E C O M M U N I C A T I O N S

SECURITY AND PRIVACY?  
NOW THEY CAN GO 
HAND IN HAND
Disclosing more personal information than needed online when, say, you 
log in to your bank website may simplify the bank’s security at the cost 
of your privacy. Now, thanks to research by an EU-funded project, there 
is a new approach that keeps systems secure and protects your identity.

The  ABC4TRUST  project  (Attribute-based 

Credentials  for  Trust)  research  team  is  
piloting  this  technology  with  young  people, 
often  thought  to  be  less  careful  about  their  
online  security.  But  ‘that’s  not  the  case,’  says  
Prof.  Dr  Kai  Rannenberg,  coordinator  of  the 
ABC4TRUST  project.  ‘The  participants  were  very 
interested  in  learning  which  personal  data  they 
reveal and how they can control this. The university 
students  especially  feel  that  Attribute-based 
Credentials  (ABCs)  can  help  them  manage  their 
e-identities  and  enable  them  to  use  internet  
services in a privacy-preserving way.’

For example, at Norrtullskolan secondary school in 
Söderhamn, Sweden, pupils can access counselling 
services online. However, until recently the pupils 
couldn’t access these services using a pseudonym 
— they had to identify themselves by name so the 
school could check whether they were allowed to 
use them.

But in the ABC4TRUST pilot scheme, each child is 
issued with a ‘deck’ of digital certificates that vali-
date information like their enrolment status, their 
date  of  birth  and  so  on.  This  allows  the  school 
pupils to enjoy both privacy and security. Instead 
of having to reveal their whole identity when using 
the counselling service they can simply use one of 
the certificates in their deck that pseudonymously 
verifies they are enrolled at the school.

Another  pilot  developed  at  the  Computer 
Technology  Institute  and  Press  ‘Diophantus’  and 
trialled at the University of Patras, Greece, allows 
students  to  give  anonymous  feedback  on  their 
courses and lecturers, while ensuring that only reg-
istered students can take part in the polls.

Prof. Rannenberg says, ‘Our user studies showed 
that the school children, parents and university stu-
dents are happy that they are giving less of their 
private information when they access the services 
and leave feedback. Also, the respective authorities 
are happy with the pilots and the feedback; in the 

 
34

I T   A N D   T E L E C O M M U N I C A T I O N S

not too distant future we expect more European public ser-
vices and other organisations will switch to Privacy-ABCs.’

Users want privacy, organisations  
want security

According to recent research by the market research organ-
isation Ovum, 68 % of us in the EU would like to opt out of 
having  our  personal  data  tracked.  In  a  speech  in  May, 
Commissioner Neelie Kroes stressed that it is essential for 
EU business ‘to show the citizen that going online is not just 
convenient, but trustworthy… With resilient and secure net-
works and systems I think we can build that trust.’

New ways of managing online identities that increase pri-
vacy while maintaining security are now a high priority for 
businesses and citizens alike. ABC4TRUST makes this as 
easy as ABC.

ABC4TRUST is a EUR 13.05 million project, with EUR 8.85 
million funded by the European Union’s Seventh Framework 
Programme (FP7). The international and multidisciplinary 
ABC4TRUST  consortium  is  led  by  Johann  Wolfgang  
Goethe-Universität  Frankfurt  am  Main,  Germany  and 
involves  11  partners  from  seven  countries.  ABC4TRUST 
started in November 2010 and will run for 4.25 years.

ABC4TRUST

 Coordinated by the Goethe University Frankfurt in Germany.
 Funded under FP7-ICT.
http://cordis.europa.eu/result/story/rcn/13071_en.html
Project website:  

https://abc4trust.eu/

WARMING UP TO MULTIMEDIA
New  services  to  store,  search  and  present  multimedia  will  help  businesses  optimally  harness  their 
multimedia assets.

called  ON:meedi:a.  The  latter  repre-
sents a flexible, easy-to-handle man-
agement and publishing system for an 
organisation’s  media  assets  with  a 
powerful media indexing back-end.

Besides centralised system adminis-
tration and configuration, this solution 
is the easiest way to efficiently pro-
vide  different  instances  for  a  busi-
ness’s potential clients and interested 
customers. Customisation and adap-
tion  for  special  needs  and  purposes 
can be accomplished remotely more 
rapidly, resulting in the ability to set 
up more projects at the same time.

Efforts  are  ongoing  to  spread  the 
word about the IM3I+ project in order 

to reach the identified target creative 
content  industries  through  online 
means, newsletters and social media. 
By organising their multimedia more 
efficiently, organisations can stream-
line their services and increase their 
efficiency, supporting a more vibrant 
and vigorous European economy.

IM3I+

  Coordinated by IN2 Search Interfaces 
Development in the United Kingdom.

 Funded under FP7-SME.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/101518_en.html

Multimedia  is  playing  an  ever-

growing  role  in  the  way  
we  communicate  and  share 
information, from education and train-
ing  to  entertainment  and  social  
media. The EU-funded project IM3I+  
(IM3I+  pushing  multimedia  research 
into  practice)  is  working  on  taking 
multimedia into the industrial arena. It 
is  building  on  its  predecessor,  IM3I, 
which successfully developed a new 
framework  for  importing,  analysing, 
annotating,  searching  and  publishing 
multimedia documents and collections.

“The project team has 
already analysed the 
creative content market  
and built offerings for each 
segment after consulting 
with potential users.”

More specifically, IM3I+ is introducing 
IM3I application scenarios in industrial 
showcases for creative content indus-
tries. It is consulting with stakeholders 
to validate these showcases and sup-
porting their implementation through 
better market deployment strategies 
for  creative  content  industries.  The 
project team has already analysed the 
creative  content  market  and  built 
offerings for each segment after con-
sulting with potential users.

Overall,  the  project  is  set  to  build  
a  solid  commercial  offer  as  a  
software-as-a-service  for  mixing  
and mastering content on a platform 

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35

COMPLETE CRISIS MANAGEMENT
A crisis training and crisis management system has been developed to enable public authorities to better 
plan and train organisations and crisis managers for emergency situations. 

information from the field, simulation results and the inte-
riors of buildings.

The system also enables different scenarios to be created 
for planning, training and anticipating future conditions and 
impending developments during the operation. It can also 
be used for conducting post-event analysis. Furthermore, 
INDIGO allows the simultaneous training of decision mak-
ers, crisis managers and first responders using simulated 
scenarios to communicate and share complex information 
between different organisations.

Project partners also released the Emergency Symbology 
Set,  following  a  detailed  analysis  of  the  needs  of  crisis 
managers.  The  set  is  for  use  with  2D  and  3D  maps  to 
improve decision-making across organisational boundaries 
by  facilitating  immediate  understanding  of  crisis 
situations. 

Consortium members tested the operational and training 
capability of the system in two real-life situations. During 
Veteran’s Day in the Netherlands, police used the INDIGO 
operational  system  to  monitor  and  report  information 
between the mobile and stationary control centres, in par-
allel with their monitoring system. French firefighters in  
La  Haye  will  trial  the  system  for  operational  purposes  
and for training purposes within their organisation and for 
international organisation training.

The INDIGO system offers an essential and integrated tool 
for training personnel, planning operations, and facilitating 
crisis management and cooperation across organisations 
and nations. It will therefore play a vital role in protecting 
and aiding EU citizens in emergencies.

INDIGO

 Coordinated by Diginext in France.
 Funded under FP7-SECURITY.
 http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/94424_en.html
Project website:  

http://indigo.diginext.fr/ 

  http://bit.ly/1yF0aOt

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Fast and effective emergency planning can save lives 

when  disasters  strike  in  the  form  of  fires,  flooding, 
industrial accidents and terrorist attacks. Urban and 
industrial areas are most vulnerable because of their high 
population density, built-up environment and presence of 
major infrastructures. 

The EU-funded INDIGO (Innovative training & decision sup-
port for emergency operations) project built on the work of 
earlier initiatives to revolutionise the way in which such 
threats are managed. This was achieved through the train-
ing of security organisations, the design of suitable emer-
gency plans and the efficient handling of crisis management 
procedures.

INDIGO developed an innovative system based on state-of-
the-art virtual reality, simulation and artificial intelligence 
that improved the operational preparedness and manage-
ment of complex crisis situations. The system can provide 
3D interactive visualisation of the disaster scene, including 

AIRPORT SECURITY TRAINING REDEFINED
State-of-the-art simulation and gaming technology is being used to create the ultimate airport security 
training application. This will help managers and airport staff to prepare for crises.

Airport security has become one 

of  the  biggest  concerns  of  the 
travel  industry.  The  EU-funded 
project CRISIS (Critical incident man-
agement  training  system  using  an 
interactive  simulation  environment) 
worked on a cutting-edge critical inci-
dent  management  solution  to  train 
security and emergency personnel in 
airports. It developed a prototype of 
an interactive simulation environment 
that trains crisis managers and rele-
vant  staff  at  different  levels  of  the 
organisation,  avoiding  predictable 

simulation exercises with pre-set drill-
oriented choices.

Bringing  together  a  consortium  of 
partners  in  the  fields  of  software 
engineering, modelling, gaming, secu-
rity, decision sciences and technology, 
the project worked on creating a train-
on-demand security solution. Against 
this backdrop, the project team devel-
oped  software  to  simulate  complex 
group behaviours in exercise scenar-
ios. It conducted field studies in col-
laboration  with  police  officers  and 

fire-fighters, as well as a live exercise 
at Keflavik Airport, Iceland. Work also 
involved research into advanced deci-
sion  technologies,  creating  sophisti-
cated exercise templates and enabling 

“The system will be able to 
automatically update the 
instructor on trainee 
performance in real time.”

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
 
36

I T   A N D   T E L E C O M M U N I C A T I O N S

exercise planners to configure sophis-
ticated  scenarios  and  situations  for 
training.

The system will be able to automati-
cally update the instructor on trainee 
performance in real time. It will also 
feature a mobile or tablet application 
that  can  be  used  by  instructors  to 
monitor  performance.  Interestingly, 
airport  staff  will  be  able  to  ‘play’ 
against the system, as a team within 
an organisation, or even against other 
organisations. 

In a nutshell, the project has success-
fully designed a prototype that fea-
tures all the key software components 
to facilitate training and simulation.  

In  addition  to  enhancing  security  
over the long run, the project is set to 
help  small  and  medium-sized  busi-
nesses in the field explore new oppor-
tunities.  Airports,  travellers  and  the 
economy are set to benefit from this 
endeavour.

CRISIS

  Coordinated by the Middlesex 
University Higher Education 
Corporation in the United Kingdom.

 Funded under FP7-SECURITY.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/94447_en.html

Project website:  

http://idc.mdx.ac.uk/projects/crisis/

  http://bit.ly/1lLmzW7

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ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY HI-TECH FASHION
Europe’s garment industry is searching for new ways to involve customers. Consumers will be able to 
select eco-friendly ‘e-smart’ outfits as required.

customisation model targeted at SMEs, known as ‘micro-
factories’. The benefits of mass customisation are that it 
combines  the  personalisation  of  custom-made  products 
with the flexibility and cost efficiency of mass production.

Project partners developed rapid manufacturing techniques 
that  enabled  microelectronic  components  to  be  printed 
directly  onto  selected  environment-friendly  fabric.  This 
involved the integration of solar cells, electronically con-
ductive layers and light-emitting diodes into the garment. 

A ‘kinetic’ jacket containing motion-tracking sensors was 
developed  together  with  medical  partners  to  allow  the 
remote monitoring by physiotherapists of elderly people 
with  rehabilitation  needs.  MICRO-DRESS  partners  also 
developed  a  removable  smart  card  system  that  allows 
messages to be sent to recipients, such as notification of 
phone calls and texts, while they were in a secure area. 

Logistics-related algorithms and web tools were developed 
to enable customers to choose the devices and the degree 
of  environmental  friendliness  of  production  processes 
along the supply chain (referred to as ‘yarn to garment’). 
Consortium  members  also  developed  and  designed  an 
‘e-supply chain management platform’ to model the sourc-
ing of e-devices. 

Addressing health and safety issues associated with the 
manufacturing  process,  partners  developed  new  cost-
effective biosensor-based screening. The tests are expected 
to  revolutionise  the  detection  of  potentially  toxic  com-
pounds found in azo dyes and pigments. 

MICRO-DRESS represents a significant step forward in the 
application of mass customisation and in the integration of 
microelectronics into fabric, while reducing the garment 
industry’s environmental impacts.

MICRO-DRESS

 Coordinated by the Athens Technology Center in Greece.
 Funded under FP7-NMP.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/96356_en.html 
Project website:  

http://www.micro-dress.eu/

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The MICRO-DRESS (Customised Wearable Functionality 

and  Eco-Materials  Extending  the  limits  of  Apparel 
Mass customisation) project combined fashion with 
technology to create stylish, functional garments manufac-
tured according to the principles of sustainability. The con-
sortium  comprised  small  and  medium-sized  enterprises 
(SMEs), prominent EU institutes, and leading textile and 
clothing groups. 

Work  was  based  on  two  distinct  business  models:  the 
extension of an existing customisation model of an inter-
national brand, and the expansion of an innovative mass 

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
 
 
 
I T   A N D   T E L E C O M M U N I C A T I O N S

37

SOCIALLY NETWORKED BUSINESSES

Having a web page is no longer enough — today, customers want to interact with 
organisations in a social media-style. An EU-funded project is helping organisations 
provide that interaction.

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Businesses  and  organisations 

quickly  embraced  the  World 
Wide  Web  once  it  became 
established in 1989. However, cus-
tomers and service users have come 
to expect to be able to interact with 
organisations  in  a  participatory 
social media-style.

Enabling  businesses  to  offer  and 
develop systems in that style was the 
aim  of  the  BPM4PEOPLE  (Business 
Process  Modelling  for  Participatory 
Enterprises, Organizations, and Public 
Administration  Bodies)  project.  The 
six-member  consortium  ran  for  two 
years up to August 2013, with almost 
EUR  1  million  in  EU  funding.  The  
project  aimed  to  design  and  market 
innovative software tools and meth-
odologies that enable social business 
processes. The project’s ‘Business pro-
cess  management’  (BPM)  software 
products  would  integrate  the  design 
and  analysis  of  business  processes 
with  social  networking  functions. 
These would allow flexible exploitation 
of  the  opportunities  arising  from 
social networking. The tools developed 
would be implemented on top of exist-
ing social networking platforms. 

The project commenced with a study 
of the BPM platform field. Following 
this, BPM4PEOPLE specified the con-
cept and requirements of social BPM. 
In  addition,  the  project  detailed  its 
proposed  SocialBPM  extension  to 
business  process  management, 

notation  and  a  new  standard  for 
Interaction Flow Modelling Language. 

The project then successfully imple-
mented business logic components as 
extensions of WebRatio, and designed 
implementation tools as a component 
of the designs. The resulting designs 
were  tested  and  proven  as  a  set  of 
business  case  studies.  Furthermore, 
the project designed and implemented 
a crowd computer able to run crowd-
sourced business processes. The pro-
ject  created  an  implementation 
methodology, including a continuous 
improvement process, plus a method-
ology for market penetration. 

Dissemination activities included vari-
ous  technical  and  popular  publica-
tions,  plus  presentations  about  the 
project at numerous workshops, con-
ferences  and  other  gatherings.  In 
addition,  the  project  created  a  rele-
vant online community, and in general 
raised awareness about its work. 

The main beneficiaries of BPM4PEOPLE’s 
work  will  be  European  small  and 
medium-sized  enterprises.  They  will 
now  find  it  easier  to  adopt  and  use 
social BPM, and thus more readily reap 

“The tools developed  
would be implemented  
on top of existing social  
networking platforms.”

the benefits of such systems. The pro-
ject’s work will also benefit European 
public authorities wishing to offer ser-
vices  complying  with  legislative 
requirements for customer feedback.

BPM4PEOPLE

 Coordinated by WebRatio in Italy.
 Funded under FP7-SME.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/100350_en.html 

Project website:  

http://www.bpm4people.org

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
38

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014

I N D U S T R I A L   T E C H N O L O G I E S

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I N D U S T R I A L   T E C H N O L O G I E S

WIBRATE: PICKING UP  
ON BAD VIBRATIONS
We’ve all dreaded the moment, as we’re driving along, when the car 
starts  to  shake  or  rumble  for  no  apparent  reason.  Or  wondered 
nervously at the shuddering of an aeroplane as it takes off or lands. 
But what causes such vibrations? An EU-funded project set up to 
develop sensor systems that collect vibration information is yielding 
potentially game-changing results.

Vibration is a daily occurrence 

in a vast range of machinery, 
not  to  mention  in  buildings 
and  infrastructures  as  well.  The 
phenomenon causes wear and tear 
and  often  leads  to  equipment  or 
structural failure. But can it be pre-
vented?  The  WIBRATE  (Wireless, 
Self-Powered Vibration Monitoring 
and Control for Complex Industrial 
Systems)  partners  certainly  think 
so, provided that vibration charac-
teristics  are  monitored  and  their 
underlying causes are understood.

to detect and analyse vibrations in 
a  wide  range  of  applications.  It 
consists of a self-powered, wire-
less vibration control and monitor-
ing platform that can be fitted to 
trains, civil engineering structures, 
energy installations such as petro-
chemical plants, and factory-floor 
machinery, in a matter of minutes. 
What’s  more,  the  technology 
promises  to  dramatically  reduce 
the cost of maintenance and acci-
dents in many of our day-to-day 
activities.

WIBRATE engineers have come up 
with an innovative new technology 

WIBRATE is a three-year, EUR 2.85 
million FP7 project which developed 

and  tested  these  detectors. 
Powered  solely  by  energy  
harvested  from  the  vibrations 
themselves, the sensor system is 
the brainchild of a consortium of 
European  SMEs  and  research  
centres,  led  by  the  University  of 
Twente  in  the  Netherlands.  Less 
than  two  years  into  the  project 
and the WIBRATE consortium has 
been  rewarded  with  one  of  its  
first  industrial  contracts  for  the  
sensor system, from Southeastern 
Railways  in  the  United  Kingdom; 
this has allowed the project to fur-
ther  enhance  the  prototype  and 
convert it into a product.

 
 
 
I N D U S T R I A L   T E C H N O L O G I E S

39

Cutting down disruption  
for rail travellers

Southeastern  Railways  installed  the 
sensors on a number of its trains and 
found  they  worked  impressively  by 
delivering  significant  reductions  in 
operational and maintenance costs, as 
well  as  improving  safety  in  helping 
identify  premature  failures.  Now, 
Southeastern says it is optimising the 
use  of  its  assets  better,  as  well  as 
reducing  service  disruptions  for 
passengers.

The sensor systems monitor wear and 
tear of bearings, wheels and axles on 
trains,  and  their  use  could  also  be 
extended to train tracks, say the pro-
ject partners. Since they are wireless 
and self-powered, the sensors can be 
fitted  quickly  without  the  need  for 
complex  retrofit  wiring  or  batteries. 
The  smart  sensors  collect  vibration 
data  while  a  train  is  in  motion. 
Software  algorithms  on  the  smart 
sensors  look  for  signs  of  wear  and 
send their detections wirelessly to the 
central database. The train operators 

get real-time information on the health 
status of the trains.

‘The technology has attracted attention 
from  European  train  operators  in  a 
number of countries including Germany, 
Ireland, Spain, Italy and Sweden,’ said 
project coordinator Prof. Paul Havinga, 
of  the  University  of  Twente.  Other  
partners  in  WIBRATE  are  the  Swiss 
Università  Della  Svizzera  italiana,  
Fiat’s research centre in Italy, IT giant 
Honeywell (India), mechatronics leader 
LMS  International  (Belgium),  and  the 
project’s  SMEs:  Inertia  Technology  
(The Netherlands) and Perpetuum (UK), 
winner of the Southeastern contract.

Huge monitoring  
and control market

The  technology  appears  to  have  a 
breathtaking  range  of  applications. 
‘Imagine for example a factory where 
machines are equipped with intelligent 
sensors that detect impending failures 
by  monitoring  vibrations,’  explained 
Prof.  Havinga.  ‘The  sensors  can  be 
installed with minimum effort and cost. 
They create an ad-hoc intelligent net-
work that can supervise the machinery 

on a continuous basis and eliminate 
the labour-intensive process of peri-
odic monitoring.’

“The sensor systems monitor 
wear and tear of bearings, 
wheels and axles on trains.”

The project partners are moving fast 
to  take  their  results  to  the  global 
monitoring and control market, which 
is  a  surprisingly  big  economic  con-
cern,  representing  750  000  jobs  in 
the EU. By 2020, monitoring and con-
trol revenues are forecast to grow to 
EUR  143  billion,  twice  the  amount 
mobile phones bring in.

WIBRATE

  Coordinated by the University  
of Twente in the Netherlands.

 Funded under FP7-ICT.
http://cordis.europa.eu/result/story/

rcn/13069_en.html

Project website:  
http://wibrate.eu/

  http://bit.ly/1q17X6U

NEW AUTOMATED SEWER CLEANING SYSTEM
Keeping a sewerage system clean and functional is crucially important for public health and proper 
functioning of a city’s infrastructure. Researchers have developed an automated sewerage inspection and 
cleaning device that will save time and money.

It costs more than EUR 6 billion annually to clean and maintain 

the 2.25 million kilometres of sewerage networks in the EU. 
But current cleaning systems are extremely inefficient as they 
require massive amounts of water.

“The approach would result 
in a 35 % reduction in 
cleaning costs through 
targeted cleaning.”

Funded by the EU, the PIPEGUARD (A novel technology for 
sewerage mapping, inspection and cleaning with integrated 
real-time  self-audit 
capability)  project 
has come up with a 
potential solution: a 
device  to  inspect, 
clean and map sew-
erage  systems.  The 
approach would result in a 35 % reduction in cleaning costs 
through targeted cleaning.

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The prototype consists of a commercially available tractor-
like platform, an ultrasound device for detecting dirt in the 
sewers, and video and still cameras. It is linked via a cable 
to a ground station where data processing and user inter-
action through a simple interface take place. 

In  addition  to  locating  dirt  and  damage  in  sewers,  and 
cleaning the detected dirt, the overall system can provide 
a 3D map of the sewerage network in real time. This will 
allow users to identify areas where sedimentation is high. 

The device can fit into tunnels as small as 100 mm in diam-
eter, and has a cleaning and inspection rate of 60 metres 
per minute. 

With field testing of the prototype yielding highly positive 
results, further development could see it brought to market 
in the near future.

PIPEGUARD

 Coordinated by Fraunhofer in Germany.
 Funded under FP7-SME.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/100964_en.html
Project website:  

http://www.pipeguard.eu

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
40

I N D U S T R I A L   T E C H N O L O G I E S

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PLUMBING 
PIPES
To minimise environmental impact, EU scientists set out to develop 100 % recyclable eco-friendly thermoplastic 
pipes with enhanced properties.

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small  and  medium-sized  enterprise 
distributors of pipe systems overcome 
the challenges of meeting the objec-
tives of the EU Landfill Directive and 
the revised ‘Water framework direc-
tive’ (WFD). Its aim is to develop novel 
thermoplastic pipes without PEX, suit-
able for underfloor heating, radiator 
heating  and  drinking  water  distribu-
tion systems. By replacing aluminium 
or  expensive  ethylene  vinyl  alcohol 
with novel nanocomposites based on 
clay,  oxygen  permeability  into  pipes 
will be reduced.

During the first reporting period, the 
focus  was  on  reinforcing  a  polymer 
matrix with proper nanoparticles. This 
included compounding and exfoliation 
trials, using a variety of polymers and 
nanoclays. 

Exfoliation  and  compounding  pro-
cesses were further developed in the 
second reporting period. To optimise 
oxygen  barrier  properties,  scientists 
sought  to  improve  nanoparticle  
dispersion  in  the  polymer  matrix. 
Furthermore,  they  fully  developed  
a  process  for  producing  a  self-  
reinforced polymer tape that will wrap 
an  extruded  inner  pipe.  They  then 
worked  on  identifying  a  suitable 
method  for  covering  the  tape  with 
nanoparticle coating.

The team’s efforts resulted in a pre-
prototype multi-layer pipe. The recy-
clable thermoplastic pipe was tested, 
with results providing valuable infor-
mation  for  verifying  and  further 
improving  the  developed  processes.  
At present, an integrated process line 
for  NANOFLEX  pipes  remains  to  be 
developed.

To  meet  the  project  objectives,  the 
team worked on establishing an extru-
sion process capable of producing an 
un-bonded flexible pipe from chosen 
materials together with the necessary 
process technologies.

NANOFLEX

 Coordinated by NRL in Norway.
 Funded under FP7-SME.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/96677_en.html 

Project website:  

http://www.greenflextube.org/

Plastic pipes are widely used in the 

plumbing sector but most are not 
fully recyclable and the recycla-
ble ones produce high levels of toxic 
by-products. Nearly 3 500 tonnes of 
scrap  plastic  pipes  are  landfilled  in 
European waste disposal sites due to 
use of non-recyclable plastics. Almost 
50 % of plastic pipes are made using 
cross-linked polyethylene (PEX). Due 
to their cross-link bonds, PEX pipes are 
impossible  to  recycle.  Furthermore, 
the recycling of multi-layer pipes con-
taining  encapsulated  aluminium 
leaves highly toxic by-products in the 
environment.

The  NANOFLEX  (A  Universal  Flexible 
Low-cost Plumbing and Heating pipe 
system fully Environment-compatible 
by using innovative Nanoparticle tech-
nology) project will help producers and 

CAT’S EYES THAT SEE THE BIG TRAFFIC 
PICTURE
‘Light-emitting diodes’ (LEDs) powered by the Sun could soon be guiding drivers. With sensors and wireless 
communication, they may also help control centres manage traffic patterns on a larger scale for enhanced 
safety. 

Almost every driver at some point has come across the 

lines of small, reflective spheres marking lanes or 
shoulders when lit up by vehicle headlights. These 
road studs, also known as cat’s eyes, have entered a new 
era. Incorporation of LEDs increases visibility as compared 
with reflection, provides lighting at angles not illuminated 
by headlights and enables use of colours to indicate differ-
ent conditions.

EU-funded scientists are pushing the frontiers of new tech-
nology  with  the  development  of  ‘Intelligent  road  studs’ 
(IRSs). Work on the project INROADS (Intelligent renewable 

optical advisory system) is focused on integration of LEDs 
with sensor and communication systems to enhance traf-
fic management and driver information. In addition, the 
team is investigating the use of renewable energy such as 
small solar cells or piezoelectric devices to provide auton-
omy  in  areas  without  grid  access  and  to  reduce  carbon 
dioxide emissions.

Following a series of consortium meetings with the Project 
Advisory  Group  and  industry  representatives,  partners 
chose to develop the technology for active lane delineation 
and smart pedestrian crossings. A cost-benefit analysis of 

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
41

I N D U S T R I A L   T E C H N O L O G I E S

lighting.  In  addition  to  foreseen  traffic  applications,  the 
individual technologies for LEDs, wireless communications 
and renewable energy should provide partners with com-
mercial products in their own industry sectors.

INROADS

 Coordinated by TRL in the United Kingdom.
 Funded under FP7-TRANSPORT.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/102011_en.html 
Project website:  

http://www.fehrl.org/inroads

  http://bit.ly/T3db3v

the two applications was conducted. Scientists defined the 
requirements of each system, including power and lighting 
demands,  operating  temperature  range,  communication 
protocols, chemical resistance and compliance with rele-
vant standards.

“Real-time traffic data could 
be used to provide advance 
warning of queues and 
minimise stop/start  
at traffic lights.”

To  date,  the  team  has  developed  recommendations  for 
potential wireless communication technologies suitable for 
each  application.  In 
addition,  following 
testing  of  various 
sensors,  one  was 
chosen and incorpo-
rated into the sensor 
b o a r d  
d e s i g n . 
Careful  considera-
tion of human safety 
factors  will  provide 
critical  information  regarding  the  spacing,  intensity  and 
operation of the lights.

Potential applications are numerous and have important 
implications for safety and the environment. With wireless 
communication to a control centre, real-time traffic data 
could be used to provide advance warning of queues and 
minimise stop/start at traffic lights. INROADS IRSs are also 
seen as a low-cost and low-carbon way to provide guidance 
and  increase  safety  compared  to  conventional  street 

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MITIGATING ELECTROMAGNETIC 
DISTURBANCES
‘Electromagnetic’ (EM) interference can wreak havoc with critical systems and radios aboard aircraft.  
An EU-funded project focused on minimising the risk of interference, whether it originates from outside 
or within the aircraft.

In  the  current  air  vehicle  life  cycle, 

experimental  verification  is  set  at 
the end of the development phase, 
when air vehicles are already built and 
just before being released to the mar-
ket. However, if equipment and sub-
systems  are  affected  by  mutual  
EM  interactions  or  cannot  correctly 
operate  when  subjected  to  external 
EM disturbances, re-work costs may 
be  high  and  the  delivery  time  scale 
may  considerably  increase  in  the 
event of redesign or retesting.

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To help with this, the EU-funded pro-
ject HIRF SE (HIRF synthetic environ-
ment) elaborated the methodology to 
develop a technology that should mit-
igate  EM  interference  at  the  early 
stages  of  aircraft  development.  In 
addition, it would provide a consider-
able  reduction  in  the  certification/
qualification  tests  required  on  air 
vehicles.

To deal with the increased use of com-
posite materials and structures by the 
aeronautics  industry,  the  HIRF  SE 
framework included the most advanced 
computational models for the numerical 
simulation  of  EM  characteristics  and 
performance. Furthermore, it was able 
to simulate a widespread typology and 
number  of  EM  (internal  and  external) 
interference sources.

Advanced  computational  tools  were 
also used to calculate the internal and 
external fields of EM interference in 
low-  and  high-frequency  scenarios 
(from  10  kHz  to  3  GHz  and  from  
3 to 40 GHz). With the open and evo-
lutionary  architecture  of  the  frame-
work, many specialised programmes 

were able to work together to study 
the EM behaviour.

The  correct  operation  of  the  frame-
work  was  verified  and  validated  by 
comparing  data  from  real  tests  on 
small  and  medium  air  vehicles  and 
pre-existing data for large air vehicles. 
Furthermore, all tools that were inte-
grated inside the HIRF SE framework 
were assessed through comparisons 
with results from measurements.

HIRF SE helps reduce the delivery time 
scales of future air vehicles and sys-
tems by decreasing the time required 
for physical testing, possible redesign 
and re-testing. Developing and validat-
ing  virtual  models  are  key  issues  in 
reducing the number of development 
tests required to obtain air vehicle cer-
tification and to get improved results.

HIRF SE

  Coordinated by Alenia Aermacchi  

in Italy.

 Funded under FP7-TRANSPORT.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/89387_en.html

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
 
 
 
42

I N D U S T R I A L   T E C H N O L O G I E S

UNIQUE PRODUCTS FOR UNIQUE  
CUSTOMERS

Today’s consumers are increasingly seeking custom-made products rather than mass 
produced ones. With the emergence of new technologies that facilitate design and 
manufacture, industry is differentiating itself by delivering tailored products to a 
more demanding market.

The EU-funded project E-CUSTOM (A web-based col-

laboration system for mass customization) sought to 
engage customers in designing personalised prod-

ucts and to enhance decentralised manufacturing.

To bridge the gap between mass production and mass 
customisation, the project envisioned a web-based sys-
tem  that  customises  products  with  regard  to  features 
such as materials, shape and appearance. It worked on a 
tool  to  encourage  manufacturing  and/or  assembly  of 
selected parts outside the central manufacturing site — 
i.e.  by  associated  suppliers,  service  providers  or  local 

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distributors  —  thus  supporting  a  smart,  decentralised 
approach.

In parallel, E-CUSTOM worked on measuring the environ-
mental footprint of possible manufacturing solutions to 
home in on the most appropriate one. Such an efficient 
and eco-friendly approach can help overcome the chal-
lenges that European manufacturers are faced with, add-
ing value to products and spurring innovation on a large 
scale. It aligns production with actual consumer demand 
more effectively, and shortens the design time for person-
alised products by up to 15 %. 

More specifically, the project team worked on developing 
a user-adaptive design system representing user-friendly 
design  tools  that  enable  customers  to  effect  unique 
design changes in their order. E-CUSTOM then developed 
a decentralised production concept and an environmental 
assessment  module  in  order  to  help  select  the  most 
appropriate supply and/or manufacturing schemes. The 
last  part  of  the  project  involved  creating  the  required 
infrastructures in terms of network and information and 
communication  technologies  to  standardise  data 
exchange.  This  would  facilitate  communication  among 
individuals and user groups. 

In essence, the project team introduced radical changes 
to the organisational and operational structures of today’s 
manufacturing sector with a focus on assembly-intensive 
production such as 
the  auto  industry. 
This  could  lead  to 
savings  in  energy 
consumption by as 
much as 10 % and 
in  transport  costs 
by  as  much  as 
20 %.  The  cost  of 
raw materials will also decline, as will time to market and 
delivery. The new E-CUSTOM tools are expected to lead to 
an increase in market share of up to 10 % for European 
manufacturing, rendering it more competitive than ever 
before.

“The E-CUSTOM concept 
shortens the design time for 
personalised products  
by up to 15 %.”

E-CUSTOM

 Coordinated by the University of Patras in Greece.
 Funded under FP7-NMP.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/94642_en.html 
Project website:  

http://www.ecustom-project.eu/

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
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43

S P A C E

S P A C E

ON A MISSION TO MARS
Now that the Curiosity Rover of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration (NASA) is settled in on the surface of Mars taking 
pictures and gathering samples, the European Space Agency (ESA) 
is building the next robot it plans to send to probe the mysteries of 
the ‘Red Planet’. An EU-funded project was established to re-design 
ESA’s ExoMars.

Expected  to  launch  in  2018,  ExoMars  will  be 

tasked with finding whether life ever existed or 
is still active today on Mars. It will host a suite of 
scientific  instruments  dedicated  to  searching  for  
life-related signatures, such as isotopes or molecules 
that can be interpreted as having been produced by 
a living organism.

To  achieve  this,  the  six-wheeled  robotic  rover  will 
have the capability to travel up to 70 metres each 
day searching for signs of past and present life. It will 
be able to collect and analyse samples from within 
rocky outcrops and from the sub-surface, down to a 
depth of 2 metres.

The solution that the ROV-E project envisioned was 
to design shielding, health monitoring, data handling, 
power generation and other components that inte-
grate  multiple  func-
tions.  It  considered 
revolutionary  ‘multi-
functional  structure’ 
(MFS) technology that 
eliminates  chassis, 
electronic  boxes  and 
cabling by integrating 
electronics,  thermal 
control  and  structure 
into a single element. 

“Just the power 
storage of the MFS 
developed can provide 
up to 2 % savings in 
the system mass.”

The ROV-E (Lightweight technologies for exploration 
rovers) project identified the need to reduce the mis-
sion cost. Cutting-edge composite materials will be 
used to reduce the weight of the rover. However, con-
centrating  solely  on  reducing  the  weight  of  each 
equipment structure does not lead to further reduc-
ing the mass of the overall payload.

First proposed in the 1990s, this concept for space-
craft architecture consists of placing the majority of 
electronics on the load-bearing structure. Printed cir-
cuits can also be laminated into the structures’ face 
sheets. This approach, coupled with low-density poly-
mer composites made of high-strength fibres, sub-
stantially reduces the overall weight.

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
 
44

S P A C E

Specifically, the first phase of the project was devoted to 
tailoring thermal, mechanical and electrical properties of 
composites to fit functionalities added to MFSs. A series of 
tests on different materials were conducted and a numeri-
cal model was developed to calculate mass, volume and 
energy savings achieved with selected materials. 

ROV-E’s  next  phase  involved  the  review  of  basic  design 
parameters in computer simulations recreating conditions 
that  will  be  encountered  on  the  Red  Planet.  Particular 
emphasis was placed on the mobility sub-systems as the 
robot will face complex shaped obstacles (rocks), rough ter-
rain with pebbles and sand. Based on the findings, direc-
tions  for  improvement  were  proposed  for  all-terrain 
navigation. 

The MFS technology developed is very versatile and can be 
useful in applications where mass and volume are a con-
cern, as in telecommunications and navigation microsatel-
lites.  Just  the  power  storage  of  the  MFS  developed  can 
provide up to 2 % savings in the system mass and, ulti-
mately, contribute to reduced fuel consumption and mis-
sion cost.

ROV-E

 Coordinated by Tecnalia in Spain.
 Funded under FP7-SPACE.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/97204_en.html
Project website:  

http://www.rove-project.eu

GETTING INTO GEAR FOR SPACE TRAVEL
To reduce size, weight and backlash in motion control systems, harmonic-drive gearing is ideal for power 
transmission. For space exploration, an EU-funded project is addressing a major drawback — the need 
for liquid lubricants. 

Harmonic-drive  gearing  depends 

on multiple teeth being engaged 
at the major axes of a thin ring 
inside  a  slightly  larger  ring  and  then 
their disengagement at the minor axes. 
The  challenge  for  the  HARMLES  (Dry 
lubricated  harmonic  drives  for  space 
applications)  project  was  to  come  up 
with  solid  lubricants  that  minimise 
tooth wear and increase resistance to 
fatigue.

Due to the low pressure and tempera-
ture in space, liquid lubricants incur the 
risk of outgassing and evaporation. This 
leads to loss of lubrication efficiency as 
well as outgassed products deposited 
on  the  sensitive  surface  of  optical 
components. 

For space applications, the most com-
monly used solid lubricants are based 
on  ‘molybdenum  disulphide’  (MoS2). 
Besides  MoS2,  ‘tungsten  disulphide’ 
(WS2) is very similar in structure. This 
type of lubricant is different in its prep-
aration but offers only a very thin coat-
ing — no thicker than 0.5 micrometres 
— with limited lifetime.

HARMLES  researchers  conducted  a 
series of tests (pin-on-disc and fretting 
tests)  and  validated  the  tribological 
behaviour  of  harmonic-drive  gears 
coated  with  ‘Diamond-like  carbon’ 
(DLC)  and  ‘tungsten  carbide’  (WC).  A 
wide  variety  of  coatings  were  also 
tested  and  benchmarked  for  their 
suitability.

The next challenge was to find a design 
that increases lifetime. To achieve this, 
the HARMLES engineers used a complex 
3D simulation of tooth engagement so 
that the tooth profile is modified in a 

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way  that  eliminates  improper  tooth 
engagement  and  reduces  tooth  wear 
and sliding friction.

Furthermore,  detailed  finite  element 
analysis  of  the  toothbed  pinpointed 
areas of high stress and fatigue due to 
bending. Even though by design more 
teeth could be engaged, the rolling effi-
ciency  depended  on  bending  loads, 
speed and lubrication.

The  first  steps  towards  an  optimised 
design for a dry lubricated harmonic-
drive gear have been taken. In particu-
lar,  the  geometric  adaptation  has 
increased the gear’s operation time by 
a factor of 20. However, improvements 

©

are  still  necessary  regarding  the  tar-
geted  lifetime.  The  development  of 
solid  lubricants  for  a  new  harmonic-
drive  gearing  system  will  decrease 
spacecraft mass and, as a result, fuel 
requirements.  This  will  help  keep  the 
European space programme on course.

HARMLES

  Coordinated by AC2T Research  

in Austria.

 Funded under FP7-SPACE.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/

rcn/99096_en.html 

Project website:  

http://www.harmles.eu/

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
45

S P A C E

NOVEL SHIELDS THAT CAN TAKE  
THE HEAT

Spacecraft  require  advanced  ‘Thermal  protection  systems’  (TPSs)  for  atmospheric 
re-entry.  EU-funded  scientists  are  developing  a  concept  with  reduced  weight  and 
enhanced performance that will also relieve dependence on foreign space technologies.

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Ablative materials designed to slowly burn away in a 

controlled manner are a promising solution for atmos-
pheric re-entry vehicles based on conventional cap-
sule  designs  that  are  now  being  revisited.  Europe  has 
conducted minimal research into ablative materials since 
the 1980s but development is now seen as an important 
component of reducing dependence on other countries for 
critical space technology.

EU-funded scientists are developing innovative TPSs for 
superior performance compared to traditional carbon phe-
nolic materials within the project HYDRA (Hybrid ablative 
development for re-entry in planetary atmospheric thermal 
protection). 

The HYDRA concept combines an ablative outer shield with 
higher heat resistance together with low-mass, lightweight 
thermostructural frames from ‘Ceramic matrix composites’ 
(CMCs) to provide structural support. The hybrid design will 
improve  thermal  protection  and  corrosion  resistance  as 
well as enhance shock absorption and damage tolerance. 
Joining technologies will be key to project success.

Following comprehensive analysis of current and planned 
space missions, scientists chose Earth re-entry missions as 
a starting point and developed associated specifications for 
the hybrid TPS. A matrix of state-of-the-art ablative mate-
rials  was  constructed,  including  performance  criteria  as 
well  as  availability,  with  particular  attention  paid  to 

‘International  traffic  in  arms  regulations’  (ITAR)  of  the 
United States government. 

The team chose two different materials for the protection 
shield, the first a rigid carbon graphite felt impregnated 
with a phenolic resin and the second a cork-based compos-
ite. Two CMCs have also been selected. Following a prelim-
inary screening of seven adhesives, three were selected for 
detailed testing during the upcoming project phase. In addi-
tion, researchers have developed theoretical models from 
which a complete coupled 3D model and simulation will be 
derived.

HYDRA expects to deliver a novel TPS concept combining a 
low-density ablator with a high-performance CMC struc-
tural component. The hybrid system will enable an impor-
tant  reduction  in  mass  and  a  simultaneous  increase  in 
temperature limits. 

Researchers plan to meet the challenges of future space 
missions  while  relieving  dependence  on  foreign-sourced 
space technologies for enhanced competitiveness of the EU 
space industry and the EU itself.

HYDRA

 Coordinated by Tecnalia in Spain.
 Funded under FP7-SPACE.
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/100907_en.html 
Project website:  

http://www.hydra-space.eu/

research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014 
 
 
46

EVENTS

AUGUST
04▶05

AUGUST 
17▶22

AUGUST 
24▶27

Berlin, GERMANY

Krakow, POLAND

Frankfurt, GERMANY

C O N F E R E N C E
INTERNATIONAL 
CONFERENCE EUROPE 
IN CRISIS

The International Conference ‘Europe in 
Crisis’ will be held from 4 to 5 August 
2014 in Berlin, Germany. 

When looking at the present situation in 
Europe, the economic crisis is a constant 
focus of the debate, and will be covered 
as such during the conference. However, 
growing tension towards migrants, anti-
semitism  and  fostering  a  unique 
European identity are all further issues 
that will be considered by participants 
within  the  context  of  this  theme. 
Scholars,  NGO  activists,  Master  and  
PhD  students,  and 
independent 
researchers will all be invited to attend 
and contribute to the discussions which 
will take place over two days. 

For further information, please visit: 
http://socialsciencesandhumanities.
com/upcoming-conferences-call-for-
papers/call-for-papers-europe-in-
crisis.html

C O N F E R E N C E
SHEDDING NEW LIGHT 
ON DISEASE

A  conference  entitled  ‘Shedding  New 
Light on Disease’ will be held from 17 to 
22 August 2014 in Krakow, Poland. 

Recent  advances  in  the  biological 
sciences  and  medicine  have  led  to  an 
increasing  demand  for  real  time  and 
minimally 
invasive  chemical  and 
structural  information  on  biological 
materials. 

The  conference  sets  out  to  bring 
together  clinicians  and  scientists  who 
have joined forces in the quest for novel 
biomedical  applications  of  Infrared  
and  Raman  spectroscopy  to  improve 
patient care.

For further information, please visit: 
http://www.spec2014.com/gb/d-29/
welcome.html

C O N G R E S S
20TH WORLD 
CONGRESS ON SAFETY 
AND HEALTH AT WORK 
2014

The 20th World Congress on Safety and 
Health at Work 2014 will be held from 
24  to  27  August  2014  in  Frankfurt, 
Germany. 

The  importance  of  health  and  safety  is 
second to none. Every year countless lives 
are lost as a result of neglecting appropriate 
procedures  and  lack  of  awareness  or 
necessary training on the job. 

This congress will provide a platform for 
the exchange of information and opinion 
to  experts  in  health  and  safety, 
representatives  of  companies  and 
employees  and  public  authorities.  It  
will  provide  an  opportunity  to  pool 
experience, cooperate on specific issues 
and present best-practice examples.

For further information, please visit: 
http:/www.safety2014germany.com/

EVENTS

For more forthcoming events:  
http://cordis.europa.eu/events

AUGUST
20▶23

Heidelberg, GERMANY

C O N F E R E N C E
CHEMICAL BIOLOGY 2014

A conference entitled ‘Chemical Biology 2014’ will be held from 20 to 
23 August 2014 in Heidelberg, Germany. 

This conference will cover a broad scope of approaches and methods 
used  in  chemical  biology  including  innovations  in  drug  discovery, 
computational  methods,  protein  engineering  and  controlling  and 
engineering with light. 

It will provide participants with an opportunity to meet and discuss the 
latest  research  findings  and  activities  in  areas  ranging  from  tool 
development to biological applications and from computational drug 
design to synthetic chemistry.

For further information, please visit:  
http://www.embl.de/training/events/2014/CHB14-01/

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research*eu results magazine N°34 / July-August 2014

47

 AUGUST 
27▶29

SEPT.
03▶05

SEPT.
07▶10

Berlin, GERMANY

Vienna, AUSTRIA

Copenhagen, DENMARK

S Y M P O S I U M
10TH INTERNATIONAL 
SYMPOSIUM ON OPEN 
COLLABORATION

The  10th  International  Symposium  on 
Open  Collaboration  (OPENSYM  2014) 
will be held from 27 to 29 August 2014 
in Berlin, Germany. 

The  conference  will 
focus  on 
collaboration research including wiki and 
social  media,  Wikipedia,  open  source 
software,  open  data,  open  access  and 
IT-driven open innovation research. 

The event seeks to foster collaboration 
and exchange between scientists from 
different  areas  of  expertise  including 
computer  science,  social  science  and 
law. It is also open to all those with an 
interest  in  open  collaboration  and  its 
impact.

For further information, please visit: 
http://www.opensym.org/os2014/

C O N F E R E N C E
NINTH INTERNATIONAL 
JOINT CONFERENCE  
ON SOFTWARE 
TECHNOLOGIES

The Ninth International Joint Conference 
on  Software  Technologies  (ICSOFT 
2014) will be held from 3 to 5 September 
2014 in Vienna, Austria. 

Software technologies are essential for 
developing  any  enterprise  information 
system encompassing a large number 
of  research  topics  and  applications. 
These range from programming issues 
to the more abstract theoretical aspects 
of software engineering. 

This conference aims to bring together 
researchers, engineers and practitioners 
working in areas that are related to new 
software  paradigm  trends  and  main-
stream software applications.

C O N F E R E N C E
EUROSENSE 2014:  
A SENSE OF LIFE

A conference entitled ‘EuroSense 2014: 
A Sense of Life’ will be held from 7 to 10 
September  2014  in  Copenhagen, 
Denmark. 

Consumer  research  has  advanced  a 
great  deal  over  the  years.  Although 
there  are  still 
tick-box  style 
questionnaires  being  passed  around 
testing  rooms,  today’s  research  digs 
deeper  into  the  science  behind  our 
choices. 

This conference will focus on sensory 
science  in  consumer  research.  It  
will address the complex intertwined 
areas related to consumer choice and 
discuss  approaches  towards  gaining  
a  better  understanding  of  consumer 
psychology.

For further information, please visit: 
http://www.icsoft-ea.org/

For further information, please visit: 
http://www.eurosense.elsevier.com/
index.html

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SEPT.
20▶27

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Venice, ITALY

C O N F E R E N C E
NINTH CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE 
DEVELOPMENT OF ENERGY,  
WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS

The Ninth Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environmental 
Systems will be held from 20 to 27 September 2014 in Venice, Italy.

The conference is dedicated to the improvement and dissemination of knowledge on 
methods, policies and technologies for increasing the sustainability of development. 

It will focus on energy, water and environment systems including wastewater treatment, 
integration of local energy resources and their application to the sustainable development 
of Mediterranean cities and surrounding regions.

For further information, please visit:  
http://www.mediterranean2014.sdewes.org/index.php

 
 
 
 
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A comprehensive overview  
of European energy research  
at your fingertips!
http://setis.ec.europa.eu/energy-research/

Aiming to support cutting-edge projects, the Energy Research 
Knowledge Centre (ERKC) is a community portal that allows 
energy researchers and policymakers across Europe to share 
ideas and findings and identify potential partners and resources.

The ERKC web portal collects and organises validated, referenced 
information on energy research programmes and projects being 
currently undertaken in Europe and beyond. It is also a source of 
news on innovative work being carried out in the EU.

ERKC  publications  analyse  the  policy  implications  of  energy 
research results and provide an overview of innovative research 
across the spectrum of energy technologies. One such overview 
- a Thematic Research Summary on Bioenergy - will be available 
on the portal in the near future.

The  ERKC  was  set  up  under  the  umbrella  of  the  European 
Commission’s  Strategic  Energy  Technologies  Information 
System (SETIS). A recent publication of SETIS also deals with 
bioenergy and is available here: http://setis.ec.europa.eu/
setis-magazine/bioenergy

Free subscriptions, orders and downloads

The research*eu magazines are free of charge.

To subscribe to either research*eu results magazine or research*eu focus, please go to: 

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To order a single issue of a research*eu results magazine, please go to:  

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