logo
Paper-based devices offer a greener future for consumer electronics

Paper-based devices offer a greener future for consumer electronics

Euronews13-06-2025
Every year, millions of tonnes of electronic waste end up in landfills, largely because small devices are built from materials that are nearly impossible to separate and recycle efficiently. At just 24 years old, Austrian industrial designer Franziska Kerber is working to change that: She has developed PAPE, a sustainable, paper-based alternative to plastic and fibreglass used in the casings of small electronic devices.
​​Thanks to her work on PAPE, Kerber has been recognised as one of the top ten winners – called Tomorrow Shapers – of the 2025 Young Inventors Prize, awarded by the European Patent Office.
'Electronic waste is the fastest-growing waste stream worldwide and most electronic products are not designed in a way for them to be recycled,' Kerber explained. 'So I was aiming to create a product that not only improves recyclability, but creates a full circular system around it.'
Unlike conventional plastics, which often trap valuable materials inside a device, PAPE is designed to dissolve in a targeted process. This allows manufacturers to retrieve electronic components without the need for shredding or chemical separation. PAPE is made from unused paper fibres, is durable and biodegradable, and was designed from the ground up with material recovery in mind.
Kerber's commitment to sustainable design was shaped by both family and education. Her father, a physicist and award-winning inventor, introduced her to dissolvable electronics at a young age. While studying industrial design at FH Joanneum, she became increasingly focused on circular systems and material reuse – realising that solving e-waste requires more than just one recyclable component.
'Even if researchers create dissolvable, recyclable circuit boards, it doesn't really change anything if the rest of the product just ends up as waste again. The whole design has to evolve – otherwise, we're just shifting the problem instead of solving it,' she said.
To develop PAPE, Kerber experimented with compressed paper fibres, refining the product through iterations that tested heat resistance, airflow, and durability. PAPE was specifically created for small consumer electronics like WiFi routers and smoke detectors, which are widespread but rarely recycled properly.
'I hope that this invention reaches a point when people talk about which WiFi router they should buy next, they will think about PAPE because it's just the better sustainable option and I love the design,' Kerber added.
She is now working with startups and companies developing recyclable PCBs to bring PAPE to the market, aiming to shift the consumer electronics industry toward truly circular solutions.
Moreover, Kerber's work contributes directly to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) – highlighting how thoughtful design can reduce waste and help shape a more sustainable future.
The European Space Agency (ESA) isn't ruling out programme cuts or freezes if proposed budget cuts to the American space agency NASA are passed by the US Congress later this year.
NASA's 2026 technical budget request, which was released last week, details possible cuts to 19 European space research programmes and could impact key technologies that ESA supplies to American Moon missions.
The bill still needs Congress' approval, likely to come this autumn.
Josef Aschbacher, ESA's director general, told journalists on Thursday that the council is 'doing its homework' to analyse what the impacts of possible NASA budget cuts could be and how investments made by its member states could be 'used in the most efficient way,' to respond.
Aschbacher assured that no cuts or cancellations were coming until the US "finalised" its position, but that no matter the decision made by Congress, ESA would be "ready" and "well-prepared" to react.
Carole Mundell, ESA's director of science, said the agency had determined 19 research projects could be impacted by the proposed NASA budget cuts.
Mundell said ESA and its international partners could mitigate the damage to all but three of them: the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), a space probe that measures gravitational waves, Envision, ESA's first mission to Venus to measure its different atmospheres, and NewAthena, the world's largest X-Ray observatory.
LISA and Envision have already been approved by the ESA council for funding, and NewAthena will come before the council but is expected to pass in 2027.
ESA also supplies NASA with certain key parts for the NASA-led Artemis missions that would see humans return to the surface of the Moon for the first time since the 1960s.
The ESA builds European Space Modules (ESMs) that provide electricity and oxygen to Orion, the spacecraft picked by NASA for the Artemis missions to the surface of the Moon.
The ESA is also in charge of the Argonaut, Europe's lunar lander programme that would ultimately support these missions.
It is also contributing three key elements for Gateway, the first international space station to be built around the Moon.
The proposed NASA budget said that it will sustain funding for the Artemis II mission, scheduled for early 2026, and the Artemis III mission in 2027, but future missions would cancel the Gateway and retire Orion in the name of finding a more 'sustainable and cost-effective' lunar exploration strategy.
Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA's director of human and robotic exploration, said the agency continues to fulfill its Gateway and ESM contracts with NASA.
Even if cuts are approved, Argonaut and these European capabilities would still be used to support ESA missions, he added.
Neuenschwander said ESA was now exploring with industry how some replacement technologies could be built in the EU.
For example, the NASA cuts target the Rosalind Franklin ExoMars Rover mission, an ESA programme that drills down to the surface of the Red Planet to dig up organic material for further scientific study.
NASA supplies three parts of the rover's technology, including the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA), an astrobiology instrument that does the sample extraction, and an americium radioisotope heater unit (RHU) to power the vehicle.
Both technologies are not currently available to be produced in Europe, Neuenschwander said, but that engagement is starting to build them. The RHU in particular can also be used for future ESA lunar surface exploration missions, he added.
Neuenschwander said ESA could rely on other partners, like the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), in the short term to supply technologies like the MOMA or RHU, but ultimately the goal is to build the necessary technology in Europe.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Nice's Contemporary Art Biennale explores the city's unique relationship to the sea
Nice's Contemporary Art Biennale explores the city's unique relationship to the sea

LeMonde

time06-07-2025

  • LeMonde

Nice's Contemporary Art Biennale explores the city's unique relationship to the sea

The first United Nations conference on the need to protect oceans took place in New York in 2017. The third and most recent was just held in Nice, on June 13. But for nearly 75 years, it has been common knowledge that humans' horrible habit of polluting the seas that surround and sustain them could lead to disaster. This was revealed in 1951 by The Sea Around Us, a groundbreaking book by Rachel Carson (1907-1964). A marine biologist, Carson was also the author of S ilent Spring (1962), which, for the first time, linked the rise in cancer cases to the widespread use of pesticides. For this contribution, Carson was considered a trailblazing environmentalist and is credited with the ban on DDT. These themes are at the heart of the sixth Nice Contemporary Art Biennale, organized by Jean-Jacques Aillagon and Hélène Guenin. The artists and organizers have spared no effort, with 11 different exhibitions linked to the event, all spread across the city. Though uncommon for a biennale, these exhibitions are not limited to contemporary art but also tell the unique story of the city's millennia-old connection to the sea. For example, did you know that the Baie des Anges (the Bay of Angels) owes its name to a strange fish − a half-ray, half-shark − that once thrived there? The angel shark (Squatina squatina) has now been decimated, notably because of trawling, and is currently listed among the 100 most endangered species worldwide. A (very small) taxidermied example can be found at the Villa Masséna at the exhibition "Nice, du rivage à la mer" ("Nice, From Shore to Sea"). If allowed to grow, the animal can exceed 2 meters in length.

Where are you most likely to live to 100 and why?
Where are you most likely to live to 100 and why?

Euronews

time02-07-2025

  • Euronews

Where are you most likely to live to 100 and why?

People who reach their 100th birthdays this year have seen quite a lot. Born in 1925 between two World Wars, they've witnessed the advent of everything from penicillin to TikTok. But very few people have crossed that mark. Worldwide, there are about 630,000 centenarians – people aged 100 or older – and the vast majority live in just 10 countries, according to the latest estimates from the United Nations. These 10 countries span Asia, Europe, and North America, and they run the gamut on size, economic strength, politics, healthcare quality, and social structures. One in five centenarians, or about 123,000 people, live in Japan, which also has one of the world's highest life expectancies at 88 years for women and 82 years for men. It is followed by the United States, which has about 74,000 centenarians, China (around 49,000), and India (38,000). Considering the number of centenarians relative to population size, however, the US and China drop down the list and European countries such as France, Greece, and Italy rise closer to the top. Japan remains exceptional, with 100 centenarians per 100,000 people, behind only Hong Kong, with a rate of 133. 'Japan is at the top of all lists,' Solveig Cunningham, a professor who leads health, ageing and longevity research at the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute, told Euronews Health. That's likely due to a combination of nutrition, exercise, and a healthy 'living environment,' Cunningham said. But the real test would be to track the health of people who immigrated to Japan decades ago, and see if they fare as well as native Japanese people as they age. What drives extreme longevity? Extreme longevity has long puzzled scientists and captivated the public, spawning countless books, TV shows, headlines, and self-help guides. One popular explanation is the theory of 'blue zones,' or geographic regions where people live remarkably long lives due to a combination of healthy diets, active lifestyles, strong social relationships, and genetics. But researchers have also raised questions about whether these 'blue zones' are real, or simply a matter of flawed data. One study made waves last year when it flagged two reasons why some countries appear to have so many centenarians: administrative errors with birth certificates, and fraud in pension and benefit systems. Cunningham said there likely are some 'data aberrations,' but they probably do not account for bigger picture trends, particularly because countries with the most centenarians also tend to have longer life expectancies overall. 'If we think these are places where people generally live longer, it's not surprising that a larger proportion will make it there,' she said. Even countries with lower life expectancies could be home to a surprising number of centenarians. 'In places where you have pretty high mortality early in life, the people who survive are outstandingly strong,' Cunningham said. It doesn't appear that there's a 'magical concoction,' she added. For now, there are still more questions than answers when it comes to extreme longevity, but demographers and health experts say the keys to ageing well are simple: regular exercise, healthy food, access to medical care, getting enough sleep, avoiding alcohol and tobacco, and managing stress. 'I don't know how much I personally would buy into [claims on the benefits of] fish oil and chocolate and a glass of wine,' Cunningham said.

Why Vienna is Europe's hidden gem for life sciences
Why Vienna is Europe's hidden gem for life sciences

Local France

time24-06-2025

  • Local France

Why Vienna is Europe's hidden gem for life sciences

With its impressive architecture and coffee house-lined streets, Vienna is a city like no other. Situated on the banks of the Danube, it is steeped in history and has long been a cultural capital of Europe. These days, however, the city is just as defined by its future as its past. Thanks to forward-thinking research centres, top-ranked universities and an expanding base of life sciences companies, Vienna is a rising powerhouse in biotech, medtech, and pharmaceutical research. With its impressive architecture and coffee house-lined streets, Vienna is a city like no other. Situated on the banks of the Danube, it is steeped in history and has long been a cultural capital of Europe. These days, however, the city is just as defined by its future as its past. Thanks to forward-thinking research centres, top-ranked universities and an expanding base of life sciences companies, Vienna is a rising powerhouse in biotech, medtech, and pharmaceutical research. Morning in Vienna's city centre, home to a growing community of global researchers 'Life sciences are one of Vienna's key drivers of innovation,' said Dominic Weiss, Managing Director of the Vienna Business Agency, which supports the ecosystem through funding programs, location scouting and other expert support, such as immigration advice. 'Over many years, life sciences companies ranging from international pharmaceutical giants to startups working on the bleeding edge of technology have repeatedly chosen to move to, invest and expand in this city, collaborating with local universities to create an internationally competitive hub that produces game-changing therapies, devices and diagnostic tools.' The sector is made up of over 750 organisations, generating about €22.7 billion a year. The vast majority of revenue – just over 80 percent – stems from the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors alone. More than 49,000 people currently work in life sciences – and the numbers are rising as ever more international experts are drawn into the ecosystem. 'Part of what makes Vienna an attractive location for life science companies is that the city combines an excellent research landscape and university talent pool with a great deal of attractiveness for top international researchers and executives,' Weiss added. 'Moving to Vienna is not a hard sell.' Combining top-ranked livability, affordability and a strong work-life balance, it's no wonder that international researchers and entrepreneurs are choosing to call Vienna home. In fact, around 40 percent of the Austrian capital's two million residents were born abroad, giving the city a truly diverse feel. Discover how Vienna is welcoming international researchers Thriving life sciences hub Some of the world's top life science firms – including pharma giants Takeda, Boehringer Ingelheim and Novartis – have offices in Vienna. Meanwhile, cutting-edge research institutions working on everything from tissue regeneration and cancer therapies to prosthetics are well established in the Austrian capital. What really sets Vienna apart is how closely connected this ecosystem is. Research labs, clinical research facilities and companies are often within walking distance of each other. 'This spatial density creates collaboration opportunities and translational potential that researchers find on par with top global locations,' says Dr Michael Stampfer, Managing Director of the Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF). Groundbreaking research is underway in facilities such as the Vienna BioCenter, which has more than 2,000 scientists covering fields like cancer biology, immunology, and RNA therapeutics. One standout project is US biochemist Elly Tanaka's work in regeneration biology. By studying animals that can regrow limbs and tissues, Tanaka's lab at the IMP is researching potential treatments for human diseases. And the city isn't slowing down. The soon-to-launch AITHYRA Institute, a revolutionary research hub for biomedical AI, will be one of the first of its kind in Europe. With Michael Bronstein, DeepMind Professor of AI at the University of Oxford, at the helm, the institute will bring together experts and apply state-of-the-art technology to better understand diseases, speed up diagnoses, and help develop new treatments. Dr Stampfer sees this growth as part of a larger trend. He describes Vienna's life sciences sector as being 'on a qualitative and quantitative growth course', which means there are 'lots of attractive positions available' for international talent. Explore research institutes and opportunities in Vienna Young pharmacy researchers. Supportive community and funding opportunities Moving to a new country can feel daunting but there is plenty of support for newcomers. The Vienna Business Agency offers free consultations, events and guidance to researchers and entrepreneurs on everything from funding applications to finding a flat. Support is also available at the WWTF, which provides research funding as well as a Dual Career Service to assist researchers and their partners in settling in Vienna. According to Dr Stampfer, researchers are 'pleasantly surprised by our comprehensive support system for international scientists and the efficiency of our funding administration'. LISAvienna, the city's life sciences platform, offers targeted support for biotech and digital health startups, including help with grants, contacts and networking. Vienna is also gaining recognition on the global stage. Researchers are publishing in prestigious journals, while centres such as the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), are winning competitive European Research Council grants. 'We also witness an expanding life sciences startup ecosystem, and venture capital funds taking a closer look at what is happening in Vienna,' Dr Stampfer adds. Meanwhile, international recruitment is strong, particularly among early-career scientists. This can be seen in initiatives such as the WWTF's Vienna Research Groups programme. Dr Stampfer says the rising number of young people coming to Vienna 'creates a vibrant research environment with fresh perspectives'. Working in one of Vienna's many welcoming cafés. Life beyond the lab Science isn't the only reason for choosing Wien. The city is regularly crowned one of the most liveable in the world due to its excellent infrastructure, healthcare, cultural scene and green space. Residents enjoy affordable and efficient public transport alongside family-friendly policies like free childcare for young children. Vienna's international connections are another advantage. Thanks to a major airport and fast train links it's easy to travel around Europe or further afield. 'The central European location and rich cultural landscape exceed expectations, even for those with high initial hopes,' says Dr Stampfer. Of course, there is the odd Viennese quirk. 'Researchers might be a little surprised by the playful grumpiness of our local coffee house waiters – and the many urban legends around it,' adds Dr Stampfer. 'But this is something people get used to quickly.' 'Building the future' From Freud's psychoanalysis to Schrödinger's quantum theory, Vienna has long attracted brilliant minds. That tradition has continued with major contributions to fields such as gene editing, attosecond physics and quantum entanglement. Now, new projects in digital medicine and AI-driven health research are opening up even more possibilities. With centres like AITHYRA on the horizon, a flourishing startup scene and a growing international community, Vienna is quickly becoming the top choice for researchers and entrepreneurs looking for a European base. Through the platform ViennaBusiness, the city is now offering expert consultations and other support to international researchers and life-science companies interested in exploring the city. 'It's exciting to see great minds flourish in Vienna,' says Dr Stampfer. 'We are building the future here.' Vienna: Discover a city where your research can thrive – and life beyond the lab is just as rewarding.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store