Solar power towers can play an important role in energy transition. They convert sunlight into heat that can be stored or used to generate electricity. Until now, however, data to test new methods for more efficient and reliable systems have been lacking. In a world first, researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) are now publishing freely accessible operational data from the Jülich Solar Tower test power plant. This provides a foundation for developing new AI methods and digital twins. The results were published in Nature Energy. (DOI: 10.1038/s41560-026-02070-1)

Imagine navigating a sprawling subway system or a dark tunnel where Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals cannot reach. 

New research led by Aston Business School says the UK must strengthen its role in shaping the global standards that underpin technologies such as AI, semiconductors, 5G, 6G and internet infrastructure if it is to convert scientific strength into industrial leadership. The report, Harnessing Global Standards for Technological Leadership: A Comparative Study of the UK and Other Leading Nations, was led by Professor Cher Li of Aston Business School, in collaboration with Dr Xin Deng at Alliance Manchester Business School and Dr John Moffat at Durham University Business School. 

Winterthur, 10 June 2026 – The roads, railways, and waterways that Europe uses to transport goods and people are deeply interconnected. But they often behave as separate systems. The EU-funded MOVEO project wants to find better ways to integrate these systems to make transport safer, more efficient and more reliable.

New culture system enables the stable, scalable, and low-cost production of clinical-grade intestinal organoids, as reported by researchers from Science Tokyo. Whereas conventional organoid cultures rely on materials and substances unsuitable for clinical use, this innovative strategy uses clinical-grade collagen and good manufacturing practice-compliant reagents/factors and techniques to achieve drastically enhanced growth. The results put us one step closer to organoid-based regenerative therapies for conditions like inflammatory bowel disease.

A night dive off Papua New Guinea to study wild sharks that can walk on land has surfaced with something even more rare – a species unknown to science. “New shark species don’t come along that often, and it’s most definitely the first one named after me,” said a surprised Dr Christine Dudgeon of the University of the Sunshine Coast about the metre-long specimen she caught by hand and carefully guided back to the study boat. 

Hydrogen is widely seen as a key player in the net-zero energy transition, but its large-scale use faces a hidden barrier: underdeveloped insurance. New article in Engineering points out unique risks of hydrogen systems—from flammability and embrittlement to supply chain delays—that insurers struggle to quantify. With few tailored policies available, projects risk higher costs and limited funding. Closer cross-sector cooperation and innovative insurance tools could help unlock hydrogen’s full potential.

Researchers have developed an electricity-driven catalytic system that converts lignin, an abundant plant-based aromatic polymer, into valuable phenolic chemicals and fuel-related molecules with high efficiency. By combining a Ru@Bi/N-C catalyst with a HPW-HFIP electrolyte, the system directs active hydrogen toward useful reactions while suppressing hydrogen gas formation, offering a greener route for upgrading biomass into sustainable chemicals and aviation-fuel precursors.