|
|
EU APPROVES 119 MILLION EURO FRENCH NANOTECHNOLOGY AID
The European Commission has approved 119 million euros ($165m) of French government aid to companies for research on nanotechnology and energy efficiency.
The Commission, executive arm of the European Union, signed off on 80 million euros for a programme known as NanoSmart and 39 million euros for an energy programme called ‘Homes’. “The two programmes are in the strategic areas of nanotechnology and energy efficiency. The Commission has verified that the positive effects of the aid for consumers and for European re
READ MORE |
|
BP FACES $300M FINE
Oil major BP Plc faces fines in excess of $300m to settle civil and criminal probes related to market manipulation charges and a Texas refinery explosion that killed 15 workers in 2005. The London-based company will pay $303m to settle civil charges that it tried to manipulate propane prices in the United States by cornering the market in February 2004, a source familiar with the matter has said. BP declined to comment on either of the cases, as did The Commodity Futures Trading Commission. BP announced major restruc
READ MORE |
|
NOBEL PRIZE FOR PHYSICS AWARDED FOR HARD DISK TECHNOLOGY
This year’s Nobel Prize for Physics has been awarded to Albert Fert and Peter Grünberg for their part in developing the technology that is used to read data on hard disks. It is thanks to this technology that it has been possible to miniaturise hard disks so radically in recent years. Sensitive read-out heads are needed to be able to read data from the compact hard disks used in laptops and some music players, for instance.
In 1988 the Frenchman Albert Fert and the German Peter Grünberg each independently discovered
READ MORE |
|
AIR TRAVEL TO INCREASE
Some 2.75 billion passengers will take domestic and international flights by 2011, an increase of 29 percent on the total passenger traffic in 2006. IATA, the Geneva-based International Air Transport Association, said the number of travellers taking cross-border flights would increase to 980 million from 760 million in the next five years, with an annual growth of 5.1 percent. On domestic routes, passenger demand is expected to hit 1.77 billion by 2011, compared to the 1.37 billion who flew in 2006, due in part to exp
READ MORE |
|
MORE NUCLEAR BY 2030
The world’s output of nuclear power could nearly double by 2030, fuelled by demand from energy-hungry emerging economies and fears about security of supply and climate change, the UN said recently. However, the share that nuclear energy will contribute to global electricity production is set to decline over the same period, the International Atomic Energy Agencey (IAEA) said in its latest annual projection of growth of nuclear power. Most of the forecast expansion in nuclear-generated electricity will take place in th
READ MORE |
|
SAUDI EUROFIGHTERS
Saudi Arabia has said that it has signed an agreement with the British government to buy 72 Eurofighter Typhoon jets from BAE Systems for 4.43 billion pounds. A deal including the jets as well as weapons and long-term maintenance of the aircraft is expected to raise its value by 20 billion pounds, analysts say. A spokesman for the UK’s Ministry of Defence declined to comment on the report, stating that negociations were still ongoing.
READ MORE |
|
CONSULTATION LAUNCH OF ‘RESPONSIBLE NANOCODE’ FOR BUSINESSES
A consultation on seven principles of responsible practice for organisations working in the rapidly developing area of nanotechnologies has been launched.
The ‘Responsible NanoCode’ has been drafted by a working group established by the Royal Society, Insight Investment, the Nanotechnology Industries Association and the Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network. The working group also includes representatives from companies, scientists, governments, non governmental organisations and trade unions including the chemic
READ MORE |
|
BRUSSELS SEEKS POWER TO VET NON-EU ENERGY ENTRANTS
The European Commission has asked EU member states to give it the power to vet and block attempts by non-EU companies to take big stakes or control of European gas and electricity networks.
In a move aimed at potential entrants such as Russian gas monopoly Gazprom and Algeria’s Sonatrach, the European Union executive proposed a safeguard clause making such purchases conditional on compliance with European policies.
“The package contains safeguards to ensure that in the event that companies from third countries wis
READ MORE |
|
BRITAIN TO START PHASING OUT HIGH ENERGY LIGHTBULBS
Britain will begin phasing out energy-guzzling incandescent lightbulbs early next year in favour of low energy varieties as part of its battle against climate change.
The aim of the as yet voluntary deal with the major makers, retailers and energy utilities is to cut up to five million tonnes of climate warming carbon dioxide emissions a year by 2012 by cutting electricity demand.
“I am delighted that major companies have said they are prepared to help deliver this ambitious timetable and offer products which will
READ MORE |
|
WAVE FARM GOES AHEAD
A controversial wave power project off Britain’s southwest coast has received government planning approval. The Wave Hub, 10 miles (16km) off the holiday resort of St Ives, Cornwall, will provide a giant electrical socket on the seafloor where wave power companies can connect to Britain’s power grid and test new machines. Its developers have clashed over the past year with some of Britain’s half a million surfers, who feared it would blight their favourite beaches. An enviromental impact assessment showed that the Wav
READ MORE |
|
| |
| Brains and beauty |
Furness and West Cumbria’s West Coast is about to experience a major investment that will strengthen the tourism and industry s ...
|
| National Stadium, Beijing |
At the pinnacle of its construction, the National Stadium in Beijing had 7,000 workers toiling over the infrastructure. ...
|
|
|
No smoke without fire
It seems that commentators, industry heads, central bankers and, dare I say it, Industrial Focus’s own journalists have made so ...
|
Innovation for the nations
Hope for the future has arisen from the turmoil of the last few months, as industrial technologies have spun out some marvels o ...
|
|
|
 |
HIGH
LOW
|
Supposedly the construction
materials of the future, composites are increasingly seen in
applications where optimum efficiency is paramount including
aircraft construction and renewable energy. As two research
examples show in this video, composites really are the future
for efficiency.
|
|
|
|
