Innovations in European healthcare in the wake of COVID-19

05/19/21 • 47 min

CORDIScovery – unearthing the hottest topics in EU science, research and innovation

Healthcare professionals working flat out for a year, living through experiences nothing could really prepare them for; health systems stressed to breaking point; a population facing fear, insecurity and grief without the human contact to make these bearable – the pandemic will cast a long shadow. Dr Hans Kluge, the World Health Organisation’s Europe Director warns we are facing a growing mental health crisis the impact of which is likely to be long-term and far-reaching.

Lars Montelius is the Director–General of the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, and a professor in Nanotechnology at Lund University, Sweden. He is exploring the interface between nano technology and life sciences. What will the next gen sensors look like? How is nano tech going to change how we do things?

Professor of Human Computer Interaction and Digital Health in the School of Computing and Communications at Lancaster University, Corina Sas is interested in mental health technologies and refining how humans can convey emotions to computers. Do devices have a role to play in helping us deal with mental health challenges?

However sophisticated the digital solutions are, will people always prefer face to face contact with a psychiatrist? Dr Elena Phillips, based at the Hamburg Centre for Health Economics has some answers.

Pity the public health authorities charged with working out what cutting-edge tech to fund. Can that decision be simplified? Check out what the President of Italian Health Economics Association, Aleksandra Torbica, is working on.

For more info on the projects featured, visit: https://europa.eu/!yNXdqV

For more info on the projects featured, visit: https://europa.eu/!yNXdqV

Previous Episode

The new synergies of shopping

Shopping: can robot assistants woo shoppers back to the post-pandemic high street? A cashless society – the term resonates more than ever as people grow more reliant on contactless payments and online transactions. But is that a green light for fraudsters and, if so, could a biometric credit card be around the corner? However we go about paying for it, buying more online means more returns. One EU funded project is doing great work to make the process greener and less expensive for retailers and consumers.

Frank Sandeloev, CEO of CardLab Innovation, has extensive experience in the development of electronic biometric systems. He’s particularly interested in cybersecurity, fraud prevention and their intersection with privacy. Will a credit card that reads your thumbprint and creates a one-time only token when you use it be in your wallet anytime soon?

Between sizes and feeling guilty about all those jeans you’ve bought online and returned?

Daphne Pijnappel might make you feel better – she’s working on finding an efficient way to put returned goods back on the market.

Online shopping is what we are becoming accustomed to, but what about the future of high streets and malls? Is there a role for robots? The prototype developed by the MuMMER project may be able to help. Mary Ellen Foster, is a Senior Lecturer in Human-Robot Interaction at the University of Glasgow, tells us more.

For more info on the projects featured, visit: https://europa.eu/!H93c7p

Next Episode

EU researchers tackle pollution

In many areas the pandemic has reduced our impact on the natural environment, but what happens when we emerge from the restrictions and fire up our economies again? Will we also be firing up our production of pollution?

From oil spills that threaten our seas, to the stinks that ruin our day, pollution touches us at all levels.

How can citizen scientists help? What can we do to keep the air around us free of viruses and particulate pollution? Can we really make the polluter pay for oil and waste-water spills in our seas and oceans? Our guests today are all leading researchers who have been using support from the EU to get some answers.

Rosa Arias is a chemical engineer with a background in odour pollution. Her particular focus is on citizen science and science communication, and how that supports responsible research and innovation. Rosa is involved in D-Noses project that gives people the tools they need to record data from one of the most sensitive sensors we have, our noses!

Rinsing the air around us to extract viruses and pollution is something Fabio Galatioto has been working on. ISCLEANAIR has come up with disruptive technology to shake up our approach to air purifiers at home, work and on our streets.

Drones come into their own when it comes to spotting oil spills and unmanned vehicles can take the samples that can point the finger at the polluter quickly and safely. Ioannis Dontas, a physicist whose focus is on material and surface sciences, tells us more about how the IMRESSIVE project is using of earth observation data to protect the environment.

For more info on the projects featured, visit: https://europa.eu/!7QD9yj