Weak Signals contributed by Cornelia Daheim
Environmental reasons and increasing chaos from a rising number of cars has led to European cities increasingly banning individual transport. Many European cities have already created designated zones for pedestrians and additi...
Less Bias Against Public Transport in Emerging Countries
Increasing public awareness towards sustainable mobility and a broad acceptance for public transportation services in Europe have helped to change the negative perception of it in emerging countries. It is perceived less as the...
Research on Aircrafts Propelled by Alternative Fuels
Great efforts in research aim at developing the usage of alternative fuels in aeronautics. A wide spectrum of classical solutions as plant oils, synthetic fuel, or even radical ones like organic materials may lead to several po...
Enhanced research on robot swarm intelligence might soon allow robots to communicate and build a system. Cooperation is organized, self-dynamic, and self-contained by intelligent robots. such capabilities are already demonstrat...
An intelligent road-on-vehicle is technically possible and might lead to a safety enhancing infrastructure. Many feature are already technically realised - though not implemented yet. A permanent road-to-car communication could...
Increasing research on enhancing human performance: e.g. modification of biochemical processes in the body, implants for monitoring body status and releasing drugs as well as nanotech-enhanced tissue, bones and brain.
First integrated multimodal supply chains and business-overarching application of intertwined databases enable seamless just-in-time deliveries without stop-overs (e.g. in capital-intensive deposits) across the continent, leadi...
Due to rising costs, doctors are less often being consulted, but patients medicate themselves. The probability of undetected diseases and risks for overdoses rise.
Due to the ageing society and the need for nursing, new forms of living are being established: e.g. elderly people live together in "care-communities" and live in multi generation houses to be taken care of and look after each ...
Mental Health from Retail Stores
Along with the general rising awareness for health and its commercialisation, mental health is becoming a commercial good as well; e. g. brainfood and brain training games were already introduced.
New drugs are continuously introduced. The drug consumption of legal and illegal drugs to improve one´s performance rises (neuro-enhancement). The consumption has already risen immensely: legal forms of amphetamine are given t...
First Side Effects of Nanotechnology-Based Consumer Products
The number of cosmetical and medical products as well as food, that incorporate nanotechnology is rising daily. Risks and side affects of products cannot be foreseen yet; nevertheless, some side effects have already been seen i...
Increasing Migration Due To Climate Change
Extreme weather phenomena such as hurricanes, storm floods or droughts are already causing migration, especially in parts of Africa and Asia (e.g. in India about 4 mio. people leave their homes temporarily every year). Besides ...
Price Decline in Decoding the Human Genome
The complete decoding of the human genome has been realised, but the procedure is still rather costly. Nevertheless, it is only a matter of time until techniques of decoding the human genome have become fast, cheap and therefor...
Research on personalised medicince promises earlier intervention and even prevention of diseases, an improved diagnosis and more efficient drug therapy when treating diseases. It is inter alia based on the results of mapping th...
Non-stop final descents of aircrafts are usually interfered by the large number of aircrafts in the airspace being guided by few beacons located in the runway. First tests show that the additional application of virtual GPS-bea...
Improvements in Personal Sensory Device Interfaces
Neuromorphic engineering develops personal sensory device interfaces that promise to enhance human senses such as hearing and vision and to improve communication through providing information to people about their environment.
Integration of all - so far decoupled - air transport systems such as systems for traffic management, runway lightning control, baggage handling, passenger check-in and flight information display. The airport can be run by a ce...
New Approaches for Stem Cell Based Therapies
Stem cell based therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson´s and Huntington´s disease is close. Stem cell therapies might also be applied to other diseases.
Intelligent Health Infrastructure at Home
Smart technical devices and diagnosis structures are increasingly developed, tested and are slowly been introduced to e.g. monitor and treat elderly, chronically sick or post-clinical patient at home.
Increased User Innovations in Sustainable Transports
Due to the further spread of virtual communities and online innovation platforms, customer innovations in the field of automotives and transport slowly advance.
Increased communication of EU research projects
EU projects and initiatives work on the communication of the EU research to draw attention to the Union. This might lead to a rise of public awareness towards the EU in general.
Migration flows increase and thereby cultural diversity. New hybrid cultures start to develop as already observed in music (Hindu rap), Food (Fusion Food) or language.
TV screens are increasingly used at waiting rooms of hospitals and practices to inform and entertain the patient.
International Rise of Widespread Diseases
Setbacks for the fight against diseases such as polio or tuberculosis as the parents in industrial countries are taking the decision not to vaccinate their children.
Innovative multichannel control concepts enable intuitive control of aircrafts and all instruments. This leads to a reduction of human effort and reduced reaction times in critical situations; furthermore, ergonomically designe...
Increased Public Awareness of Sustainable Mobility
Frequent reports and discussions in the media about global warming and environmental pollution lead to a fundamental change in mobility behaviour and an increasing utilisation of "green means of transport".
Water Pollution Warning System
Researchers work on a water pollution warning system. This would constantly analyse water quality. Differencies can immediately be recognised by science centres and thereby warn of pollution and a risk for diseases caused by wa...
Micro/Nano Electromechanical Systems (NEMS/MEMS) as Redeemer
Research on NEMS and MEMS promise quantum jumps in several fields, such as drug synthesis, drug delivery, nanosurgery, nanotherapy, gemome synthesis, diagnostics, novel actuators and sensors, disease diagnostics and prevention ...
Personal Responsibility for Health Care
Cubacks in welfare based on an ageing society cause higher health care costs. Increasingly people have to take care of costs for themselves. More and more private insurances covering additional costs are established. Therefore,...
Increased Awareness for Work-Life Balance in EU Workplaces
There is an increase in research on improving the work-life balance that will eventually increase productivity and efficiency of employees in the EU.
Digital natives - young people that grew up with the internet - are used to digital devices and services. However, it is mostly old patients who might increasingly profit from technology-based self-services, as digital haemodyn...
EU-Regulations for Clinical Research
The EU increasingly passes directives regulating clinical research
Increase of Allergies and Autoimmune Diseases
The number of people - especially children - that have to deal with different kinds of allergies and autoimmune diseases increases. Besides an increasing refusal of chemical products, there is also a greater demand for improve...
Increasing Migration of Medical Personnel
Due to a shortage of medical personnel in several areas of the EU, there is an increasing migration of medical personnel within the EU. Increasingly, medical personnel from outside the EU fills the gap aswell
Few research institutes have already established platforms integrating "several people" in research projects. Similar to open innovation platforms, everyone, e. g. university students or people dealing with similar themes at wo...
Transplantation of Tissue-Engineered Organs
First tissue-engineered organs were already transplanted.
Rising interest for health science and health policy
Due to a rising awareness for health issues in an ageing society, people become aware of the importance of health research as well.
