According to data from Startup Estonia and the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, the turnover of Estonian start-up sector companies in the first quarter of this year was 1.2 billion euros, growing by approximately 40% compared to a year ago. At the same time, the turnover of Estonian start-ups up to 5 years old grew by over 60%, and they have also attracted 70% of all investments in the start-up sector.

A stark picture of global air quality emerges from IQAir's 7th annual World Air Quality Report, released today. Analyzing data from over 40,000 air quality monitoring stations across 8,954 locations in 138 countries, territories, and regions, the report reveals that a mere 17% of cities worldwide met the World Health Organization's (WHO) annual guideline for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) of 5 µg/m³.

The comprehensive dataset, compiled and analyzed by IQAir's air quality scientists, underscores the pervasive nature of air pollution as a critical global challenge with significant implications for public health and environmental engineering efforts.

Is renting clothes instead of buying them truly better for the planet? As the textile industry faces growing scrutiny for its environmental impact, clothing rental services promise consumers the opportunity to refresh their wardrobe frequently while lowering their carbon footprint. But is this solution as eco-friendly as it appears?

This is the question tried to find an answer in the recent study by Pauline Munten, Valérie Swaen and Joëlle Vanhamme. 

Following article is published in The Conversation by authors.

Once again, Switzerland’s research sector has demonstrated its leadership in cutting-edge technology. Scientists at EPFL in Lausanne have unveiled a groundbreaking robot that moves like a bird. Dubbed "RAVEN" (Robotic Avian-inspired Vehicle for multiple Environments), the robot can run, jump, and take to the skies with remarkable agility, drawing inspiration from the natural world.

Starting in spring 2023, the scientific TREC expedition (TRaversing European Coastlines) is an international exploration of life in water, sediment, soil, and air along Europe's coasts. Its aim: to understand how coastal ecosystems function, influence each other, and adapt to natural changes and the impact of human activities. Scientists will now analyse the collected data to study, amongst many other things, how climate change, chemical pollution, biodiversity decline and antibiotics resistance spread can be monitored and understood  at the molecular and cellular level.

On the occasion of a delegation trip to Ukraine, Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Robert Habeck opened the new production facility of Quantum-Systems GmbH in Ukraine. The plant opening took place on 18 April in the presence of the Ukrainian Minister of Strategic Industry, Oleksandr Kamyshin, and the Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defence, Ivan Hawryliuk. 

When Varanto is completed in 2028, it will be the world’s largest seasonal thermal energy storage facility in terms of size (1,1 million cubic meters) and capacity (90 GWh).

Vantaa Energy is building a seasonal thermal energy storage facility in Vantaa, Finland. Seasonal thermal energy storage is called Varanto. When completed in 2028, it will be the largest in the world by all standards (1,1 million cubic meters and 90 GWh). The operating principle of the seasonal thermal energy storage is to store heat in underground caverns so that it can be used to heat buildings via the district heating network whenever it is needed.

Elcogen, a European manufacturer of technology that enables delivery of efficient, affordable green hydrogen and electricity, is pleased to announce that Baker Hughes has made a strategic investment in the Company.

Combined with equity investment from Hydrogen One Capital Growth plc, HD Hyundai and Mirae, as well as project grants from the European Commission, including an IPCEI project, totalling more than €24m, and a proposed debt of €15m, Elcogen has now raised more than €140m for the continuous development and scaling of its market leading solid oxide technology, enabling affordable green hydrogen and accelerating the energy transition.

 Apptronik, a leader in next-generation general purpose humanoid robots designed to change the way we live and work, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Mercedes-Benz. As part of the agreement Apptronik and Mercedes-Benz will collaborate on identifying applications for highly advanced robotics in Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing.

Der Online-Fertiger FACTUREE (www.facturee.de) has won the “INDUSTRIE 4.0 AWARD 2023” in the “Manufacturing Platform” category. The international operations consultancy ROI-EFESO has been honoring the pioneers of industrial digitalization with this globally renowned industry award since 2013. FACTUREE receives the award for its innovative form of procurement: online production. This model creates flexibility, reliability and independence and enables the digitalization of purchasing in the industry.