In 2006 the Technical Building Code (CTE) has come into force in Spain. The Code provides for a reduction of energy demand of buildings from architectural design and a reduction of conventional energy consumption through the use of solar thermal water to produce heating and photovoltaic panels to generate electricity.

Compared with modern hybrids, traditional crop varieties are not only cheaper and easier to access but also more genetically diverse and therefore more resilient to environmental stress such as lack of water or nutrients.

The new label-free detection kit  has been developed by the Spanish BIOD (Bio-Optical Detection) company, recently established.

Despite being such a common problem, the decision-making process regarding the treatment of lumbar or low back pain is slow and it is hard for clinicians to decide if a patient actually requires a surgical treatments and to predict if these will be successful.

“ Water and Sanitation Services in Europe.

Silicon, the conventional semiconductor used to build up electronics, is processed at very high temperature – over one thousand Celsius degrees - and it is difficult to recycle.

From 13th to 16th September 13 to 16 Barcelona hosted the 2011 ISEE (International Society for Environmental Epidemiology) congress.

A consortium connected to the project ProNano coaches researchers to reach the market with their innovations, by technology licensing or by creating new spin out companies.

Researchers who need help with bringing their innovations to the market can get assistance from established offices of technology transfer .

In a hotel lobby in Madrid we meet Umberto Guida. The 46-year-old works in Brussels for the International Association of Public Transport.

Bacteria and other microorganisms that cause infections are remarkably resilient and can develop ways to survive drugs meant to kill or weaken them.

Whether to go for a deluge system like the one which worked wonders for the emergency services during the 2007 Burnley Tunnel fire in Melbourne, Australia, or rather opt for a water mist model spraying small droplets of about 100 micron with a low terminal velocity and a high surface to volume ratio, several European countries are rethinking fire suppression mechanisms for their tunnels.

90% of the world’s population lives less than 2,700 km from a desert. If less than 1% of the world’s deserts were used to concentrate solar power, enough electricity could be produced to supply the entire planet.

Reducing the energy requirements of buildings is an absolute priority in Europe. The energy demonstration project SARA has developed several public-access eco-buildings in France, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, UK and Uzbekistan.

Guidebooks’ days are numbered. Tourist offices should be concerned. Time Out and the like should worry too. People will no longer need them for directions or to arrange their evenings, whether at home or abroad.