• Lab-grown burgers and cricket salads will be the norm by 2054, researchers predict

    What will our dinner plates look like in 30 years? Consumer attitudes towards food ethics and sustainability could see insect proteins and lab-grown meats becoming the norm. That‘s according to the findings of the Co-op’s Responsible Retailing report with research conducted at the University of York. What we eat is a contentious issue. Meat and dairy farming contribute to a rise in the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, whereas vegan diets have come under fire recently as ‘fake meats’ have been shown to be an ultra-processed food and therefore linked to cardiovascular disease. The Co-op predicts that, in the next 30 years, diets will have a greater balance of protein, carbohydrate and fibre and more pulses or seeds, with the diversity of protein options increasing with both high-quality…

  • Virtual reality programme to allow students to speak to AI Holocaust survivors

    School students will be given the opportunity to “talk” to Holocaust survivors through a combination of AI and virtual reality (VR). Developed by the Holocaust Education Trust (HET), the Testimony 360 programme combines digital eyewitness testimony and virtual tours of historical sites associated with the Holocaust. Four Holocaust survivors were recorded, each answering hundreds of questions about their life stories in order to create the programme. Pupils can then ask their questions to a digital representation of the survivors, and the AI will interpret and play back the relevant clip. Each session takes about 2.5 hours and is open to all year 9-13 students. The VR headsets will also allow students to explore key sites linked to the survivor testimonies, including their pre-war home…

  • Amid AI boom Nvidia surges past Apple to become world’s most valuable company

    US chipmaker Nvidia experienced another rise in share price gains yesterday, putting it in the top spot as the world’s most valuable company. During his keynote speech at the Computex tech trade fair in Taiwan at the beginning of this month, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang said: “Today, we’re at the cusp of a major shift in computing. The intersection of AI and accelerated computing is set to redefine the future.” It’s a future the chipmaker is certainly betting on, having made numerous AI-related announcements this year, including its Nvidia Blackwell platform and the Nvidia GH200 Grace Hopper superchip. It is a future its investors are also betting on as shown in the 3.5% surge its shares took yesterday, giving Nvidia a market value of about $3.33tn. This puts Nvidia in the top…

  • Code First Girls teaches 200,000 women coding for free to help plug gender and tech skills gap

    Code First Girls – a provider of free coding courses for women in the UK and around the world – has announced it has taught more than 200,000 women tech skills for free. Starting out in 2012 as a free, part-time course to get female graduates interested in coding, Code First Girls has evolved into a community of coders, instructors and mentors who provide free coding courses for women in the UK and globally. According to research by Tech Nation, only 26% of the tech workforce are women. The representation of women in IT roles has improved in recent years – from 15% in 2020 to 19% in 2023. But even if this trend continues, says BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, it will take another 283 years to match the 48% of women in the wider workforce. Trade association techUK estimates that…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Four European tech start-ups awarded funding from $1bn Nato Innovation Fund

    The $1bn Nato Innovation Fund has directly invested in four European tech companies to help strengthen the defence, security and resilience of Allied governments. The Nato Innovation Fund was founded two years ago to finance deep tech start-ups in defence, security and resilience of Allied governments. The fund is backed by 24 of Nato’s 32 member states. “Enabling capital and support for strategic technologies is key to securing a safe and prosperous future for the Alliance’s one billion citizens,” said Andrea Traversone, managing partner of the Nato Innovation Fund. The fund has now revealed the four start-ups in Europe and the UK that have been allocated funding. They include: ARX Robotics: German defence tech start-up developing autonomous unmanned ground systems with scalable hardware…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Global offshore wind power installations surge by 21% over the past year

    Global installations of offshore wind turbines increased by a massive 21% over the past 12 months, from 61.5GW to 75GW, a report has found. According to RenewableUK, China and the UK have retained their top positions in offshore turbine building at 36.7GW and 14.7GW operational capacity respectively. Germany is third with 8.3GW, the Netherlands fourth with 3.7GW and Denmark fifth with 2.7GW. The symbolic threshold of 75GW is roughly equivalent to the energy requirements of the entirety of the UK in 2020 and the new capacity added over the past year generates enough electricity to power the equivalent of more than 14 million UK homes. The global pipeline of projects at all stages of development (operational, under construction, consented, in planning or at an early stage of development…

  • US plans to invest $900m to ramp up deployment of small modular reactors

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced it will fund up to $900m to support the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs). In a statement by the DOE, the development of SMRs will help the US increase its nuclear energy capabilities, drive clean energy goals and create skilled job opportunities. The advantages of SMRs over nuclear power reactors lie predominantly in the fact that they are a fraction of the size of a conventional nuclear power reactor and are modular. These features alone help lower overall project costs compared to large nuclear power plants. SMRs can more easily be built in factories as prefabricated units, then shipped and installed in a variety of settings not suitable for larger nuclear power plants. Another advantage is that SMRs have the ability to meet…

  • Connected health surge in biopharma and medtech, new report finds

    The biotechnology and pharmaceutical (biopharma) industry expects a fifth of its annual revenue to come from connected health services/products in the next five years, according to a new Capgemini report. The connected healthcare market is growing exponentially. The Covid-19 pandemic, and being prevented from seeing healthcare providers (HCPs) face-to-face, spurred on the integration of digital technology into healthcare. From mobile apps and smart medication adherence monitors to the integration of generative AI technologies, the adoption of connected health continues to accelerate post-pandemic. According to Market.US, a market research and analysis company, the global connected health market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 25%, reaching $520.6bn by 2032 from…

  • Comment: Election insecurity – why our government can’t protect us from cyberwarfare

    David Critchley, regional director of UK & Ireland at Armis, draws insights from new research to showcase the risk cyberwarfare poses to democracy, as well as society, in a crucial election year. 2024 will see half of the global population head to the polls. This includes elections in the US, Europe, Africa, India and, of course, the UK. While this should be a cause for celebration, the threat of cyberwarfare is now jeopardising democracy. The digital realm has erupted into an invisible war, where the UK is under constant attack. Yet, in this kind of warfare, everyone is on the front line: every company, every person. There are no borders. That’s what makes this such an effective form of warfare. It’s not simply about data breaches or financial gains either. These attacks are a calculated…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • UK electricity prices could dip 20% by 2028

    Reduced demand for gas coupled with high levels of gas storage across Europe should see baseload electricity prices in the UK drop by around 20% over the next four years, energy experts have said. According to Aurora Energy Research’s latest forecast, carbon prices are also predicted to fall – further lowering prices to an estimated £19/MWh by 2028. As long as the falls are reflected in domestic energy bills, the lower prices should come as some relief to households that have been battered by record-high energy prices since the Ukraine war began in 2022. However, Aurora does not foresee further falls beyond that date due to delays at Hinkley Point C, Britain’s next nuclear power plant. While originally planned to be brought online as early as 2017, it is now not expected until 2029 at…

  • Alstom signs £370m deal for 10 Elizabeth line trains that will secure future of Derby plant

    Alstom, a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer, has signed a contract worth around £370m for 10 new nine-car Aventra trains for Transport for London’s Elizabeth line, along with maintenance until 2046. The Elizabeth line is the fastest-growing railway in the UK. The route passes through 41 stations, stretching over 60 miles, from Reading and Heathrow airport in the west through central London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. According to Transport for London (TfL), the Elizabeth line has seen more than 350 million journeys since it opened two years ago in May 2022. On average, there are around 700,000 passenger journeys on the line every weekday, with the busiest day recorded on 18 April 2024 when there were 787,000 journeys across the line. With passenger demand predicted…

  • Rio Tinto’s lithium mine project in Serbia poised to get green light

    Europe’s electric vehicle (EV) industry could be given a boost if the Rio Tinto lithium mine in Serbia gets the green light, two years after the project was called off. To increase the production of EVs there needs to be a ramp-up in the minerals used to produce them. Lithium is crucial as this light yet energy-dense metal is a key component of the batteries that will power these vehicles. Lithium-ion batteries have resulted in a huge spike in demand for lithium over recent years. However, there has been speculation as to whether there will be sufficient resources to meet demand. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has forecast that the supply of lithium by 2030 will reach 420,000 metric tons, not quite reaching the forecast demand, which is estimated at 443,000 metric tons. However…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Northrop Grumman’s Manta Ray drone completes testing as it is seen gliding in the ocean

    Northrop Grumman, the multinational aerospace and defense technology company, has for the past four years been developing a massive uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) called Manta Ray for the US military. In 2020, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a military research and development agency, released a request for proposals on a new class of UUV that is capable of performing long-duration, long-range and payload-capable undersea missions without human supervision. Northrop Grumman answered the call with a type of UUV called an extra-large glider, which features a propulsion mechanism that includes an hydrodynamic hull and a buoyancy system that enables the craft to glide forward using minimal power to undertake long missions. Taking its name from the massive ‘winged…

  • Report warns that UK is heading towards its ‘first deepfake election’

    With voters heading to the polls in just a matter of weeks, a Centre for Policy Studies report warns that with deepfake content already spreading rapidly, this could become the UK’s first deepfake election. You may have come across some suspicious videos on social media platforms recently. Perhaps you have seen a satirical TikTok video showing Rishi Sunak saying that he could not care less “about energy bills being over £3,000”? Or maybe a video of the shadow health secretary Wes Streeting calling his Labour colleague Diane Abbott a “silly woman” on Politics Live? A report from the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) called Facing Fakes warns that given the current general election campaign, we should be particularly wary of deepfakes aimed at spreading election misinformation and disinformation…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Labour Manifesto: party plans energy, rail and infrastructure shake-up

    The Labour Party has finally unveiled its manifesto for the next general election, making pledges to introduce measures designed to improve the UK’s energy and transport infrastructure while bolstering industry. Energy Labour has reaffirmed its commitment to create a new publicly-owned energy firm called Great British Energy that will aim to boost domestic electricity production through investments in low-carbon sources such as renewables and nuclear. As part of the plans, it will work with the private sector to “double onshore wind, triple solar power and quadruple offshore wind by 2030”. It will also boost investment in carbon capture and storage, plus hydrogen and marine energy, and will ramp up long-term energy storage. The UK’s current plan, as announced under the Tories, is to fully…

  • Swimming microrobots deliver cancer-fighting drugs directly to metastatic lung tumours

    Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed microscopic robots, known as microrobots, that swim through the lungs to deliver cancer-fighting medication directly to metastatic tumours. The lungs are the most prominent organ for cancer metastasis. This is cancer that has developed in other areas of the body, or other parts of the lungs, and then spread through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to the lungs. Currently there is no specific treatment tailored for advanced metastatic tumours in the lungs. Chemotherapy is a common approach; however, its effectiveness has proven suboptimal due to poor lung accumulation and targeting issues. The microrobots deliver drug-loaded nanoparticles to the tumours to inhibit the progression of lung metastasis. To create the microrobots…

  • Designing Hyper Energy Efficient Facilities

    This webinar will mainly focus on some key regulations and standards for: Last update of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD 2024), published in the Official Journal of Europe on May 8, 2024Deploying and prescribing building automation, controls and building management standards as key contribution for the Energy performance of buildings (ISO 52120-1, IEC 63044 Serie,etc.)Prescribing the measures required for energy-efficient and prosumer electrical installation in buildings (IEC 60364-8 Serie)Being prepared for Buildings Electrical Flexibility (EN 50491-12 serie, IEC 63402 serie, example of GOFLEX indicator-France)Designing and measuring Energy data collection for buildings in conjunction with ISO 50001 (EN 17267, IEC 62974-1, IEC 61557-12)This Webinar offers a guide to these…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Thermal Health Monitoring for the Built Environment: Accelerating Product Development with COMSOL Simulations

    This webinar will explore how lean technical teams can leverage simulation to reduce the cost and increase the speed of product development cycles in the advanced materials sector. In developing next-generation printed electronic sensors for thermal health monitoring, Vector Homes has invested in digital tooling to accelerate development. Digital twins are used to verify printed sensor performance and guide future design iterations. Collaborations with the Energy House 2.0 allow for characterising in situ real-world performance in a state-of-the-art environmental chamber. Vector Homes is working to accelerate and decarbonise affordable house-building in the U.K. It is collaborating with housing associations, contractors and developers to reduce the cost, carbon footprint, and complexity…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Scientists urge drastic cuts to nitrous oxide emissions to prevent rampant global warming

    Emissions of potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N20), which have been rising steadily since 1980, could have “dire consequences for the planet”, researchers from the Global Carbon Project (GCP) have said. It’s estimated that agricultural production accounted for around 74% of human-driven N2O emissions in the 2010s – a gas thought to have 300 times more global-warming effect than carbon dioxide. In a report – Global nitrous oxide budget (1980-2020) – researchers attribute its production primarily to the use of chemical fertilisers and animal waste on croplands. It is also produced from stationary combustion sources, predominantly from the burning of coal at electric power plants. At a time when greenhouse gas emissions must decline to reduce global warming, in 2020 and 2021 nitrous…

  • New report calls for urgent action as shipping industry falls behind climate goals by 17%

    A report from the Sea Cargo Charter reveals that the shipping industry fell behind minimum international climate goals by 17% on average in 2023 – a shortfall of 165 million metric tonnes of CO2e. Shipping accounts for 3% of global CO2 emissions. Currently, dry bulk, general cargo and tankers account for around 400 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. With global trade predicted to quadruple by 2050, there is an urgent need for the industry to reduce emissions. The UN maritime agency, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), sets climate goals for the maritime industry. In July 2023, the IMO revised its greenhouse gas (GHG) strategy, setting a new ambition to reach net zero GHG emissions from international shipping by 2050. The Sea Cargo Charter (SCC), a global transparency initiative…

  • EU study finds pricing carbon emissions does not result in economic losses for regulated firms

    A EU study examining the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) policy found that pricing carbon emissions does not have a negative economic impact for those manufacturing firms regulated under the policy. A study by Imperial College Business School, in collaboration with the University of Virginia and University of Mannheim, examined whether the ETS, which came into force in 2005, has resulted in a decline in economic activity for those manufacturers that have been regulated under the policy. The ETS is a ‘cap and trade’ policy that establishes a price for the right to emit CO2. This is achieved by imposing a cap on the total emissions from more than 12,000 power and manufacturing plants in 31 countries across Europe. The cap covers 40% of the EU’s emissions. The researchers found the manufacturing…

  • Yara officially opens Europe’s largest green hydrogen plant in Norway

    Norwegian chemical company Yara International has opened the largest green hydrogen and green ammonia production facility in Europe at Herøya Industrial Park, Norway. During an inauguration event, the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, officially opened Yara’s 24MW renewable hydrogen plant at Herøya Industrial Park. Hydrogen at the plant is produced with electrolysis of water and renewable energy, replacing natural gas as feedstock. This shift is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 41,000 tonnes annually from the site. Since it was founded in 1905, Yara has established itself as a global crop nutrition company, producing, distributing and selling nitrogen-based mineral fertilisers and related industrial products. Its ambition now is to drive the green transition…

  • Evil Engineer: The Bioship of my dreams

    This month, the Evil Engineer brings a villain reaching for space with an unconventional ship back down to Earth. Dear Evil Engineer, You might recognise my name. I am indeed that biotech entrepreneur, who – after making Evil + Treachery magazine’s 30 Under 30 list in 2018, then the cover two years later when my start-up reached unicorn status – was exposed by a newspaper investigation and companion documentary series. Since then, I’ve been charged with a list of crimes that would make an FTX founder blush. My lawyer has advised me that I am certain to be condemned to decades in prison. So, I’m going to forfeit my bail and escape somewhere with no extradition treaty: space. I plan to drift through space for the rest of my life, an astronomical nomad. For this, I’ll need a spaceship…

  • Brompton’s new folding bike features wheel rims made from 100% post-consumer aluminium scrap

    On its mission to manufacture a completely net zero bike by 2050, London-based folding bike company Brompton has partnered with Hydro, a German aluminium and renewable energy company, to create an aluminium wheel rim made with 100% recycled, post-consumer aluminium scrap. Founded in 1975, Brompton still makes every one of its folding bikes by hand in its London and Sheffield factories. Featuring a three-part fold, a Brompton is able to transform into a small locked package in under 20 seconds. Having become a certified B Corp recently and with the aim of producing net zero bikes by 2050, Brompton is now looking to its supply chain and the environmental footprint of the materials used during manufacturing. According to a study by the European Cyclists’ Federation, the materials used to…

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