5 space-age technologies that the EU just launched into orbit

Oct10
by on October 10, 2023 at 3:09 pm
Posted In: Insider


A new EU mission has sent some suitably space-age tech into the cosmos. On a Vega rocket that launched from the European spaceport in French Guyana on Monday, the union sent six satellites and nine experiments into orbit for testing. The programme aims to boost the EU’s space sector and broader tech innovations. According to the bloc, the mission is “closing the gap between the development of a technology and its commercialisation.” That may prove a tricky task, as some of the concepts are straight out of a sci-fi movie. Here are our five favourite projects getting the in-orbit testing.…

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French startup bags €40M for unique CO2 battery recycling tech

Oct09
by on October 9, 2023 at 2:05 pm
Posted In: Uncategorized


Lyon-based Mecaware has raised €40mn in funding to industrialise its battery recycling technology, designed to produce strategic raw materials. Founded in 2020, the startup has positioned itself in the recycling of end-of-life batteries and production scrap of battery manufacturing plants. Its technology, born from research at the University of Lyon, is based on a chemical process that uses CO2 to separate different metals in battery cells in order to recover, restore, and reuse them. Mecaware says that its metal extraction process is not only eco-friendly and cost-effective, but also one of a kind worldwide. With the fresh capital — backed…

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EU’s AI Act will hurt smaller companies, US warns

Oct06
by on October 6, 2023 at 1:36 pm
Posted In: Uncategorized


The EU’s landmark AI Act would hurt smaller European companies and only benefit big players who can cover the high costs of compliance, the US warns. According to documents seen by Bloomberg, the State Department’s analysis of the upcoming legislation is sounding the alarm on the European Parliament’s version of the act. Of particular worry are the rules surrounding large language models (LLMs), which form the base of most generative AI products. The analysis found a number of these rules “vague or undefined.” It also raised concerns over the act’s focus on the development risks involved in AI models, rather…

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Drone startup launches grocery delivery in Germany

Oct06
by on October 6, 2023 at 12:31 pm
Posted In: drones, Electric vehicle


This Thursday, German startup Wingcopter launched a drone and electric cargo-bike delivery project to bring everyday consumer goods to remote rural areas in Central Germany.  Just as with ordinary grocery delivery, customers in Michelstadt, Hesse, will be able to place their orders via a website and decide on a convenient delivery time slot. Autonomous Wingcopter drones will then deliver non-perishable products from a local supermarket to a drop-off point outside of villages. The final stretch to the customer’s door will be covered by cargo-bikes (with human) from e-bike producer Riese & Müller.  Initially, the pilot project, named “LieferMichel,” will offer…

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UNESCO, Dutch join forces on ethical AI supervision project

Oct06
by on October 6, 2023 at 9:58 am
Posted In: Uncategorized


The recent AI boom has forced governments across the globe to consider frameworks with which to address the technology’s unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Against this background, UNESCO has teamed up with the Dutch Authority for Digital Infrastructure (NCCA) to launch an AI supervision project. The project — also backed by the European Commission — aims to equip the EU’s national agencies with the necessary tools and knowledge to ensure compliance of AI systems with the requirements of the upcoming AI Act and with UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of AI. The UN agency first published its guidelines in 2021 as…

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