Accelerating climate change and rising sea levels are exposing coastal regions to unprecedented threats. Traditional methods of coastal defence need to evolve to meet the challenges of the 21st century. This is where the dune-dike solution comes in: a hybrid, nature-based approach that combines natural dunes with artificial dikes to provide a resilient, adaptable and sustainable coastal defence.
In laser design, the finesse of the resonator in combination with the stability of the mirrors determines how precisely the light beam delivers the desired wavelength. Until now, each wavelength not only requires its own optical resonator, but also a lot of space on optical tables in special laboratories with few sources of interference. The new metamirrors from MightyMirrors will make a decisive difference here.
Offshore wind turbines have become an integral part of energy generation in Germany. They play an important role in power generation, particularly in northern Germany, and require regular maintenance. Biological deposits (biofouling) on the ladders at the access jetty to the wind turbine, the so-called boat landing, pose a high risk for the maintenance crew when climbing over and up. Up to now, the ladders have only been cleaned after a maintenance visit. During an additional outing, the ladders are cleaned manually with a high-pressure lance – a considerable logistical and financial effort.
Wet and intact peatlands are natural CO2 reservoirs and play an important role as water buffers during periods of excessive rainfall and drought. In many areas of north-west Europe (NWE), large areas of peatland are drained for peat extraction, agriculture or forestry. This turns them into CO2 sources rather than reservoirs. By restoring the natural buffer properties, the partners in the EU BUFFER+ project are contributing to climate change adaptation and mitigation in NWE, while at the same time restoring the biodiversity of peatlands and creating new sources of income.
The “Biotech Talent Unlocked” project promotes cross-border cooperation between the Netherlands and Germany in the Ems-Dollart region. The focus is on strengthening bio-based research and businesses with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and thereby achieving the goal of the European Green Deal. One tool reach this aim is to make the existing achievements more visible and thus to retain potential employees in the region.
In the MIGRATe project, Professor Dr James Thackeray, a molecular medicine specialist at the Clinic for Nuclear Medicine at the Hannover Medical School (MHH), will research non-invasive molecular imaging approaches. The aim is to examine inflammatory cells and the activation of fibroblasts in the heart and in the network organs connected to it, and thus to precisely control targeted therapeutic interventions. This should lead to better therapy after a heart attack.