Advertise on podcast: CORDIScovery – unearthing the hottest topics in EU science, research and innovation

Are there as many swifts darting over your head as there have been in past summers? What about the swallows, are they coming back to the old buildings around you and are you tripping over sparrows on the pavements? Still being woken up by the dawn chorus – or is it quieter than it was a few years back? Understanding and conservation go hand in hand and our three guests, with the help of EU research and innovation funding, are researching birds – their behaviours and how to help them survive. David Wheatcroft is a behavioural ecologist and anassociate professor at Stockholm University’s Department of Zoology. He is keen to establish how vocal learning in birds leads to song differences across populations and species. Damien Farine is associate professor at the Australian National University, and an affiliated scientist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. He is intrigued by the interplay between collective behaviour and the environment. Nastasja Scholz is a geophysicist and senior scientist at LUP, an SME which specialises in landscape planning, nature conservation and environmental remote sensing. She is particularly interested in collaborating with dedicated people from various disciplines to explore ways to improve protection and restoration measures benefiting birds.

Many of us are looking around ourselves uneasily at the idea of the amount of nano and microplastics in our environment, so if you are asking yourself what the impact might be, listen on. Talking to us today about the environmental impact of these particles and how they are interacting with our bodies at a cellular level, are our three guests, all of whom have been supported by the EU’s research and innovation funding: Luca Nizzetto is chief scientist at the Norwegian Institute for Water Research, in Oslo. He has coordinatedpioneering international research on plastic pollution in agricultural ecosystems, revealing the widespread occurrence of microplastics and their impact on soil fertility and crops. Alba Hernández Bonilla is a professor of Genetics and the leader of the Mutagenesis Group at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. She is particularly interestedin how emerging contaminants may contribute to long-term human health effects. Mark Morrison is a senior consultant with Optimat, in Glasgow. Morrison is interested in how the bacteria and other contaminants get into our bodies by riding on the outside of plastic micro(nano) particles, and what they get up to once they are there!

Spotting the difference between flour and cocaine – powerful new detectors are around the corner. The volume of small packages coming into the EU has doubled every year since 2022. In 2024 alone, 4.6 billion small packages entered the EU market. Add in all shipping containers from all over the world and you can see what customs officials are up against. Which is why the work being done by our three guests, supported by EU research and innovation funding, is more important than ever. Siiri Salupere is a research fellow in Radiation Protection at the University of Tartu in Estonia where she focuses on ionising radiation and cosmic rays for security applications. Tarvo Metspalu is a product development engineer at GScan in Estonia where he reviews hardware designs and machine learning data pipelines. He has been working on developing a more portable and efficient analysis and detection device for customs. Marco Paleari is a research and innovation project manager at the ‘AI data for digital defence’ unit at ENG, Italy. Paleari has combined innovative approaches to develop highly sensitive scanners.

A good way to understand what’s coming is to look at what happened in the past – so what can prehistoric polar ice tell us about future sea level rise? The highly uncertain behaviour of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets will dominate the future of sea level rise: land ice loss and ocean thermal expansion contribute equally. Our three guests, all of whom have received support from EU research and innovation funding, have been working on improving our understanding of these interactions. Eric Wolff is an honorary fellow at the British Antarctic Survey, who studies past climate and environment, mainly from Antarctic and Greenland ice cores. He is a Royal Society research professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge. Alessio Rovere, a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics at Ca’Foscari University of Venice, is interested in palaeo climate and sea level changes. A director of research at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Gaël Durand specialises in the modelling of polar ice sheets and the dynamics of coastal glaciers, with a focus on their impact on sea level rise. For more info, visit: Rising sea levels – more data for better modelling.

Obesity and being overweight is impacting children in the EU, and worldwide, at epidemic levels: in some countries nearly 40 % of children are affected. The International Diabetes Federation projects the number of people in the EU, with the condition, will rise to over 72 million by 2050. How can we stem the tide? All three of our guests have beensupported by EU research and innovation funding. Here to share some of their findings are: Knut-Inge Klepp, special advisor at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. He is interested in health promotion among children and adolescents, and how to engage with young people in a way that makes a difference. Sharleen O’Reilly is professor of Human Nutrition at UniversityCollege Dublin, Ireland. Her research focuses on trying to improve women and children’s health by preventing chronic diseases, such as heart disease or diabetes, through behaviour change. Jason Halford is a professor of Psychology at the University of Leeds. Jason is interested in obesity, eating behaviour and appetite. He is on the board of the European Coalition for People living with Obesity. For more info, visit: Empowering people to ward off diabetes.

People often forget just how significant the wine industry is in Europe. Across the EU there are about 2.2 million wine‑growing farms looking after roughly 3.2 million hectares of vines, and every year those vineyards turn out something like 150 million hectolitres of wine, that’s around 20 billion bottles a year. But growers are getting squeezed in two directions: more unstable harvests, and weaker demand. When a bottle is poured, it isn’t just a drink on the table. It’s part of a sector that keeps villages alive and brings billions into the economy. So, what can we do to help the situation? Our three guests, all of whom have received support from the EU’s research and innovation funding programme, have some intriguing ideas. Filipe Neves dos Santos develops autonomous robots and machinery, which can operatesafely on steep slopes, for the agricultural and forestry sectors. He works at the Centre forRobotics in Industry and Intelligent Systems, INESC TEC,in Portugal. Zoe Doulgeri is professor of Robotics and Control of Manufacturing Systems at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Her current research interests include learning and control of unimanual and bimanual robotic object manipulation. Gustavo Pérez González is a senior project manager at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. He specialises in analytical chemistry, specifically to develop secure, traceable and immutable solutions for wine authentication. For more info, visit: Supporting growers to keep Europe’s wine flowing!

There are advances being made in the area of dementia and cognitive ageing. But sometimes it feels like a race against time, so what can the latest research reveal? Evidence-based solutions may help to foster better coordination between health and social care systems across the Europe. Our three guests, whose projects benefited from EU research and innovation funding, are helping to make a complex picture, clearer. Alina Solomon is professor of Neuroepidemiology at the University of Eastern Finland, visiting professor at Imperial College London, and senior researcher at the Karolinska Institute. She is particularly interested in dementia risk detection and therapeutic approaches for dementia risk reduction. Julia Neitzel is assistant professor at the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at the Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Neitzel uses brain scans in large population studies to discover what protects and hurts brain health. Currently professor at the University of Luxembourg, Anja Leist will soon be taking up a professorship at the University of Heidelberg. Her research focuses on sex and gender differences, socio-economic inequalities, and risk reduction in cognitive ageing and dementia. For more info, visit: New insights into dementia risk reduction.

The EU is intending to have all sectors of the economy at net zero greenhouse gas production by 2050. But heavy industry and transport can be challenging to electrify directly. So renewable, low-carbon hydrogen, and its derivatives, are key tools in the box.  To get there, we need to create a stronger demand for the fuel, boost transport and storage networks and secure the renewable affordable electricity needed to generate cost-effective hydrogen. Our three projects today, all of which received support from the EU’s research and innovation funding, have some solutions. Magali Senaux, senior consultant and project manager at Environmental Resources Management Limited, is keen tosee the day when the buses passing you by in the street no longer belch out fumes, instead, leaving nothing but a dribble of water. Melanie Lienerth is passionately interested in hydrogen-powered flight which she brings closer at H2FLY, the company behind a test flight believed to be the first, forward flight of a vertical take-off and landing aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen. Benedikt Hasibar is a project coordinator at Green Gas Technologies at RAG Austria AG – Austria’s largest energy storage company. Benedikt is working on the development of effective and efficient hydrogen storage. For more info, visit: Commercialising the uptake of hydrogen.

This special episode of CORDIScovery comes to you from the EU’s Research and Innovation Days. This episode discusses the effort going into making injectionsneedle-free, new diagnostic tools and therapies for heart conditions such as arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation, how wearable technologies are being harnessed to detect life-threatening conditions such as sepsis, and the influence of urban environments on our health. David Fernandez Rivas leads the BuBble Gun project, aimed at developing a new method for needle-free injections. Stéphane Hatem coordinated the MAESTRIA project, which set out to use machine learning and AI to detect atrial fibrillation and prevent stroke. Bruno Miranda examines how urban and architectural environments affect brain behaviour, and is co-coordinator of the eMOTIONAL Cities project. Andreu Climent is the CEO of Corify Care, a company that has grown to a team of 38 people and has secured over EUR 10 million in investment and revenue. Climent is coordinator of the SAVE-COR project. Christoforos Panteli is developing electronic gas sensors and algorithms for diagnosing sepsis from exhaled breath, which he has explored through the SepsISensoR project. For more info, visit: A glimpse into the future of healthcare.

This special episode of CORDIScovery comes to you from the EU’s Research and Innovation Days. Let’s dive into artificial intelligence and machine learning. Our four cutting-edge projects have all received EU research and innovation funding, showcasing the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in various sectors, including health, environment, industry and culture. Thomas Gutt is the AIMS5.0 project coordinator, which aims to use AI to improve the sustainability of European manufacturing. George Nikolakopoulos, coordinator of the PERSEPHONE project, is professor in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (RAI), at the Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology in Sweden. Sophia Alexandersson is the representative of a partner in the MuseIT project. She is the chief executive and artistic director of ShareMusic and Performing Arts, a Swedish centre for artistic development and inclusion. Alessandro Kartsiaklis is CEO of NaviBlind, which develops technologies for improved accessibility and mobility, particularly aiding blind and partially sighted individuals in navigation and daily tasks. For more info, visit: AI - More than ChatGPT.

This special episode of CORDIScovery comes to you from the EU’s Research and Innovation Days. This episode looks at two key challenges that are deeply connected to our future – food security and the health of our oceans. Researchers, all of whom benefited from research and innovation funding from the EU, are developing innovative solutions to make food systems more resilient and to safeguard marine ecosystems. Maulana Ikram Wibisana is a geovisualisation data scientist and is part of the AI4SoilHealth project. Jérôme Gasperi is an Earth observation expert and the product manager of the European Digital Twin of the Ocean (EDITO) at Mercator Ocean International. For more info, visit: Smarter decisions for our oceans and soil.

This special episode of CORDIScovery comes to you from the EU’s Research and Innovation Days. The future of energy and mobility – two areas at the heart of Europe’s transition to a greener, smarter and more sustainable economy. From smarter air traffic control to advanced electric vehicles and more fuel-efficient aircraft, research and innovation are helping to reshape our transport and its relation to the energy supply. Gabriel Garcia Rodriguez manages the ECHOES project which aims to extend VHF coverage into oceanic, polar and other remote areas to improve aviation safety and efficiency. The HiEFFICIENT project, coordinated by Christoph Abart, is promoting resource-efficient and decarbonised transportation, focusing on electronic power circuits and systems of electrified vehicles, testing systems and charging infrastructures. The Racer project (part of the GAM-2020-FRC project) was led by Jérome Geneix. Racer is developing a commercially viable aircraft that flies as fast as an aeroplane but can also hover like a helicopter, particularly effective in rescue missions. For more info, visit: Driving the future of sustainable mobility.

This special episode of CORDIScovery comes to you from the EU’s Researchand Innovation Days. Moving from a linear model to a circular economy can lead to a cleaner and more competitive Europe by reducing waste and reusing resources. Our guests discuss how to reach this objective. Mattia Comotto, head of circular economy and sustainability at the Aquafil Group, focuses on using bio-based ingredients from sugars to produce sustainable plastics. Ivar Palk, who coordinated the RAIKU bio packaging project, is interested in using wood as a natural, biodegradable packaging material which uses natural resources more efficiently. Esthèle Goure managed the WASTE2FUNC project, which focused on converting food and agricultural waste into biosurfactants and lactic acid for consumer products, offering an alternative to fossil-based surfactants. For more info, visit: It’s not waste until it’s wasted!

Artificial intelligence: are we heading for a dystopic future, or one in which a labour force is relieved from menial tasks?Machine learning is second-guessing us; is this making our lives easier, or is it intrusive? Corporates are hoovering up content to train large language models in ways that are hard for users to control. But there is no doubt that AI, and related tools, are pushing back the boundaries of research. AI can be framed as technology that impacts us negatively, but today’s guests are achieving results and gaining knowledge that would not have been possible without it. John Kelleher is the director of the ADAPT ResearchIreland Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology andprofessor of Computer Science at Trinity College, Dublin. Jane Ohlmeyer is professor of Modern History at Trinity College Dublin, chair of the Irish Research Council, andan expert on New British and Atlantic Histories. She is applying AI to the recovery of the lived experiences of ‘ordinary’, non-elite women in early modern Ireland. Béla Mihalik is a senior developer at Ideas Science,in Hungary. He specialises in the application of AI and deep learning to develop novel tools that can rapidly screen potential biothreats in the form of pathogens and bacteria. For more info, visit: Pushing back the boundaries of research with AI.

In his novel Animal Farm, Orwell’s character claims: “Four legsgood, two legs bad.” Would the tyrannosaurs agree? Or did bipedalism give them an evolutionary advantage? Examining how birds, crocodiles and other animals move can tell us about the biomechanics of extinct animals, and the impact that had on their survival. Beyond moving, the way in which dinosaurs interacted with their environment shaped the world around them. The co-evolution of species and ecology over deep time offers insights about modern ecosystems, so what can welearn from a long-vanished world? John Hutchinson is a fellow of the Royal Society and a leaderin the field of evolutionary biomechanics. Davide Foffa is a postdoctoral researcher in palaeobiology at the University of Birmingham. He uses palaeontological data to understand the origins and evolution of ecosystemsthrough major evolutionary events such as mass extinctions. Sara Varela is a palaeoecologist at the faculty of biology at the University of Vigo, in Spain. She considers the relationship between climate and life on Earth, and how past climate changes affected the geographic ranges and evolutionary pathways of species. For more info, visit: https://link.europa.eu/ckRfxR