- The project, led by the Paper Engineering Research Group (CELBIOTECH) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC), aims to obtain different subproducts from the waste generated during industrial hemp cultivation, also known as hemp fibre. The proposed processes are technologies already used in biorefineries and the paper industry but with different raw materials.
- Microalgae-based wastewater treatment systems have demonstrated the ability to recover nutrients from wastewater and produce valuable biomass for agricultural applications while also recovering energy through the anaerobic digestion of residual biomass. In the Cyan2Bio project, in which the Group of Environmental Engineering and Microbiology (GEMMA) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) is participating, an additional step will be taken in the valorisation of microalgae biomass to obtain biopolymers suitable for transformation into bioplastics alongside pigments, thereby replacing fossil-based materials.
- Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and age-related disorders, have been widely studied due to their significant impact on individuals and society. So far, these are incurable and debilitating diseases that lead to progressive degeneration and death of nerve cells, resulting in cognitive and mobility impairments. Tremors, mainly at rest, slowness of movement (bradykinesia), limb rigidity, and issues with gait and balance are typical motor disorders related to Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, due to progressive muscle atrophy, these issues can lead to falls, which in turn result in further complications and risks to quality of life.
- The energy transition is reshaping the foundations of the power grid, driven by the massive deployment of renewable generation based on power electronics and the gradual disconnection of conventional fossil-based generation. In this context, grid operators will require support systems to provide flexibility, as renewable generation is highly variable.
- The Biological Treatment of Gaseous Pollutants and Odours Group (BIOGAP) at UPC is participating in the BIOMETCRI project, which aims to implement an innovative biotechnological process to recycle batteries from electric and hybrid vehicles, recovering valuable metals such as cobalt, lithium, nickel, and manganese.
- The company Natural Machines and the Heat and Mass Transfer Technological Centre (CTTC-UPC) at the UPC have completed the EFICIENT3D project, during which a low-energy cooking system was developed by integrating advanced heat transfer technologies into the 3D food printer, Foodini, commercialised by Natural Machines.
- The Biomaterials, Biomechanics, and Tissue Engineering (BBT) Research Group at the Institute for Health Research and Innovation (IRIS) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC) is leading DYNAMIC, a project aimed at creating multifunctional, stimuli-responsive biomaterials that not only promote bone regeneration but also intelligently and effectively combat bacterial infections.
- Since the early 21st century, the agricultural sector has faced significant challenges, such as the increasing demand for quality products and a lack of generational replacement. In this context, the agri-food sector is compelled to follow the example of other industries and prioritise digitalisation and automation to ensure sustainability and competitiveness.
- The project, led by the Centre for Advanced Technologies in Mechanics (CATMech) research group at UPC, aims to minimise the by-product waste in hemp cultivation through the development of a competitive industrial plant, reduce energy consumption, and increase comfort in buildings through research into innovative insulation panels in bioconstruction.
- RootBot aims to develop and demonstrate an autonomous robotic electromagnetic detection system equipped with ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and advanced navigation technologies to map the root systems of fruit trees and soil moisture. This project seeks to optimize agricultural resource management, particularly water, and contribute to more sustainable farming through the use of innovative technological tools.
- The Group of Environmental Engineering and Microbiology (GEMMA) at UPC is leading the PROALGAE project, aimed at producing new alternative proteins from biomass derived from microalgae and cyanobacteria cultivated using by-products from the agri-food industry. These alternative proteins aim to provide a sustainable ingredient to meet the growing global demand for protein, applicable in the development of food and feed.
- An international research team led by the UPC has created a hybrid device that combines, for the first time ever, molecular solar thermal energy storage with silicon-based photovoltaic energy. It achieves a record energy storage efficiency of 2.3% and up to 14.9% total solar energy utilisation.
- Energy consumption in training and inference of artificial intelligence (AI) models, such as large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4, has become a critical challenge due to its environmental impact and the costs associated with high-performance computing (HPC). The energy required to train these models and interact with them increases significantly as the models grow in size and complexity.
- The adoption of 6G applications will have a positive impact on a broad range of innovations set to transform our society in the future. These include autonomous vehicles that reduce accidents, more efficient emergency services, and connected drones that expedite the delivery of medical supplies between healthcare centres, to name a few examples. These and other emerging solutions continue to evolve, driven by the constant technological advancements in communications. The implementation of these new technologies requires a process that inevitably involves testing in environments as true to real-life conditions as possible.
- The European project LIFE Biogasnet, coordinated by the Biological Treatment of Gaseous Contaminants and Odours Group (BIOGAP) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC), has validated a new biogas purification technology that improves the quality of this resource, produced in urban solid waste treatment plants and wastewater treatment facilities, while reducing the carbon footprint, thus promoting the concept of a circular economy. The new solution is based on efficient, low-cost biological technologies, combining a biotrickling filter with a nitrification bioreactor.
- As part of the USEFUL project, the Centre for Sensor, Instrumentation and Systems Development (CD6) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) has equipped a low-emission vehicle that will drive through the streets of Terrassa with optical sensors integrated into a complex system for data computing, visualisation, and storage. This car will collect and store thousands of anonymous driving data points, which will be used to develop more accurate algorithms for autonomous driving.
