Science and Enterprise

Tag: Europe

  • Fuel Cell Powered Forklifts Built for Demo Project

    A fleet of 30 forklift trucks that run on hydrogen fuel cells are being built and tested for use at ports and loading docks in Europe.  The trucks are being built under the auspices of the HyLIFT-DEMO project, funded by the EU. The 2.5 ton forklifts are being built by the Danish forklift manufacturer Dantruck…

  • Global Venture Capital Volume Up in Q1, Deal Number Down

    The volume of venture deals for companies in the U.S., Europe, Canada, Israel, China, and India jumped 20 percent to $9.8 billion in the first quarter of 2011 compared to the same quarter in 2010. However, the number of deals worldwide declined 7 percent in the first quarter, to 967. The data compiled by Dow…

  • Diagnostics Companies Get European Grant for Bladder Cancer

    Molecular diagnostics companies MDxHealth SA in Liege, Belgium and NovioGendix B.V. in Nijmegen, Netherlands have received a $1.1 million grant from Eurotrans-Bio to advance their bladder cancer program. NovioGendix is a spin-off company from Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre (RUNMC). Eurotrans-Bio is a European Commission initiative to encourage cross-border research and development between small companies…

  • Researchers, Designer Develop Lighter Sound-Absorbing Fabric

    Researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (French acronym EMPA), along with a silk weaving company and textile designer, have developed lightweight, translucent curtain materials that absorb room noise. The Swiss textile maker Weisbrod-Zürrer AG and designer Annette Douglas were part of the team. Sound absorbing surfaces that decrease sound wave…

  • Dutch-Chinese Project to Simulate Shipping Port Traffic

    Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands and Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China will develop a traffic model for shipping in congested port areas, which they hope will provide a better understanding of the ports’ capacity and improve safety. The project is part of a program by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific…

  • UV Device Kills Computer Keyboard Bacteria

    Environmental tests at University of Hertfordshire in the U.K. support claims that a device for killing bacteria on computer keyboards works as advertised. The university’s Biodet lab tested the Germ Genie made by Falcon Innovations in High Wycombe, U.K., and reported the results at recent industry and academic meetings. The results of the university’s tests…

  • New Process Devised For Efficient Hydrogen Production

    A research team at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland has discovered that catalysts based on the element molybdenum can make possible a more cost-effective and sustainable process for producing hydrogen. Their findings appear in the journal Chemical Science (paid subscription required). Hydrogen is an abundant element on earth, but still remains difficult…

  • Manuka Honey Shows Potential For Drug-Resistant Wounds

    Research at University of Wales Institute, Cardiff suggests that manuka honey can help reverse bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Cardiff biologist Rose Cooper will report on her findings this week at a meeting of the Society for General Microbiology. Manuka honey is produced by bees fed on the flowers of the New Zealand manuka bush, and…

  • Faster Process Developed for Ultrasound Materials Testing

    Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Non-Destructive Testing (IZFP) in Saarbrücken, Germany have developed a faster process for testing industrial materials with ultrasound. The new methods provide three-dimensional images at up to 100 times the speed of conventional ultrasound. Ultrasound now has the technical capability to be a quality assurance tool for industrial materials —…

  • Drug Trial Reports Reduced Movements in Parkinson’s Patients

    A clinical trial of the investigational drug safinamide indicates the drug can reduce dyskinesia or involuntary movements in some patients with mid-to-late stage Parkinson’s disease. The findings will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Honolulu, Hawaii. Study author Ravi Anand, with Newron Pharmaceuticals in Bresso, Italy, says the…