Coral reefs are among the most critically endangered ecosystems on the planet. Warmer ocean temperatures, pollution and unsustainable fishing practices continue to cause mass destruction with severe implications for wildlife, ocean health and society. As coral bleaching events also become more prevalent, delicate reefs are dying fast. Fortunately, scientists are exploring unlikely solutions to restore coral reefs to their former glory with the latest technique using sound. Here is an overview of how soundscapes could change conservationists’ approach to reef restoration and why saving co ..read more

The latest round of the UNHCR’s Refugee-led Innovation Fund is now open to refugee-led organizations (RLOs) worldwide. Speaking about the fund to Innovators Magazine in 2023, Erika Pérez Iglesias, who leads the Refugee-led Innovation Fund, said: “UNHCR’s Refugee-led Innovation Fund proposes a fundamental shift in the way humanitarian and development programming gets designed and delivered, ensuring forcibly displaced and stateless people take centre stage in the decisions affecting their lives.” Selected RLOs will receive up to $45k in funding but the relationships go deeper than that ..read more

At the European Innovation Council Summit, Anna Panagopoulou, Director of ERA & Innovation at the European Commission, said the EU will do everything it can to deliver the twin green and digital transition.  To learn more, I sat down with Anna to get her take on the current state of EU innovation, where it’s heading, and how businesses big and small can play their part. Why is investing in research and innovation crucial to achieving a just transition to a green economy? Europe is the fastest-warming continent and is already experiencing climate impacts, from forest fires d ..read more

E-waste is a growing problem worldwide. However, there’s a silver lining — turning garbage into gold. This process helps the environment by reducing harmful waste and finding worth in places most people wouldn’t expect. Technology changes fast, and more electronic devices end up getting tossed. Turning these discarded gadgets into a valuable commodity can be a delightful surprise that everyone will want to participate in. The environmental realities of e-waste The world is rapidly advancing in digital technology, making e-waste loom large and pose greater challenges to human health and the en ..read more

Pitching for new investment is a sink or swim moment that can strike fear into even the most confident young companies. It’s a big opportunity, a chance to take things to the next level, and for early-stage startups, scaleups and larger SMEs, success or failure will hinge on impressing the person sitting in front of them – so getting the approach right is everything.  But what does it take to produce a great pitch? You want to stand out, of course, but only for the right reasons.   Arriving on stage, you should be armed with a clear, lean, enticing pitch, and for that to happen ..read more

A digital twin innovation that reduces the ecological footprint of public buildings has received €75k after winning the ‘societal challenges’ category at the prestigious European Innovation Procurement Awards in Brussels. The ceremony on Wednesday, presided over by Jo Brouns, Flemish Minister for Innovation, and Elisa Ferreira, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, named France’s REGEN3TIQ, submitted by Beam Cube (BEAM³), the winner in the ‘facing societal challenges: green energy transition’ category, thanks to the technology’s ability to drive down a building’s energy consumption ..read more

Trying to survive the shifting sands of a humanitarian crisis must strain every sinew. And in the maelstrom, calming the storm – a gargantuan task, calls for the types of ingenuity celebrated in Brussels Tuesday at the first-ever European Prize for Humanitarian Innovation (InnovAid). The outright winner, the Signpost initiative, received €250k in prize money for its ‘community-led information service’, which provides ‘critical information to people in emergencies’. Signpost was created through a collaboration between the International Rescue Committee (IRC Germany), NetHope, MercyCorps a ..read more

Europe’s top female pioneers took centre stage Monday as the winners of the 10th European Prize for Women Innovators were revealed at a ceremony in Brussels. The event was held during the launch of the annual R&I Week, with winners named across three categories: Rising Innovator, Women Innovators, and the EIT Women Leadership category. Inspiring Ukraine’s Yuliia Bialetska, the CEO and co-founder of S.lab, which develops alternatives to plastic foam packaging, won the EIT Women Leadership title, for ‘exceptional members of the EIT Community’ and said she will invest her €50k ..read more

Connecting with our deepest desires can help us achieve lasting changes in our lives, says a leading professor of organisational behaviour. In her new book: The Possible Self A Leader’s Guide to Personal Development, Maja Djikic, from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, says tinkering around the edges, trying to tweak our behaviour, or change our mindset, won’t deliver true transformation. Instead, Djikic invites people to engage their own Wheel of Change, by diving into the ‘five key parts of ourselves: Desires, Actions, Emotions, Thoughts, and Body’. Because when a ..read more

In a flow state magic happens. But what exactly is it? And how do we get there? With the help of a little jazz improvisation, a new neuroimaging study from Drexel University’s Creativity Research Lab discovered it is the combination of ‘expertise and letting go’ that puts us ‘in the zone’. Using electroencephalograms (EEGs) to measure areas of the brain indicating high-flow states, the researchers recorded 32 guitar players of varying ability levels, and found that musicians with more experience were able to get into a flow state, and more intensely, than those with less experi ..read more