In collaboration with universities across the world, Nicholas Hedger (University of Reading) and Tomas Knapen (Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience & Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) explored the depths of the human experience. They discovered how the brain translates the visual world around us into touch, thereby creating a physical embodied world for us to experience. “This aspect of human experience is a fantastic area for AI development.”

An innovation from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering represents a major advance in stretchable, bendable digital displays for next-generation electronics and medical devices. The lab had previously created a high-efficiency electroluminescent material that could stretch to more than twice its original length while still emitting a fluorescent pattern. But two layers—the cathode layer and the electron transport layer—had to remain rigid for the screen to work. In the new publication, an innovative aluminum gel and a novel family of conductive polymers overcame those two last rigid hurdles.

KTU, Lithuania, scientists have developed a method to convert textile waste into both alternative fuel and high-value cement additives. Their findings show that textile ash can replace up to 7.5% of conventional cement and increase material strength by up to 16%, while recycled polyester fibres improve concrete performance by 15–20%. The research offers a sustainable pathway for managing textile waste and reducing CO₂ emissions in cement production.

A new method has been developed to recycle textiles using non-toxic solvents - with almost 100% recovery rate.

A paper released in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts describes a fully bio-based barrier film that outperforms PET and PE in oxygen blocking while carrying an integrated curcumin indicator. Dialdehyde nanocellulose (DCNF) generated by 1 h periodate oxidation is blended 75% with pristine cellulose nanofibres; vacuum filtration builds a self-cross-linked sheet that is then dip-coated with an ethyl-cellulose/curcumin solution. The resulting 40 g m-2 membrane transmits 79% visible light yet transmits only 6.9 cm3 m-2 d-1 O2 (120-fold improvement over unmodified CNF) and 43 g m-2 d-1 water vapor—comparable to commercial polypropylene. Over 500 min the composite scavenges 91% DPPH radicals and suppresses > 99.9% growth of E. coli and S. aureus. When attached to refrigerated shrimp, the yellow label turns orange-brown as volatilised amines raise local pH, giving an irreversible but easy-to-see spoilage alert within 2 d. The approach requires no metals or synthetic antioxidants, making it a candidate for home-compostable, intelligent food packaging.

A Swansea University academic has been honoured with the prestigious SEMI Academia Impact Award, recognising his outstanding contributions to semiconductor research, innovation, and industry-academia collaboration in Europe.

Researchers at the Institute of Science Tokyo have developed a groundbreaking neural-network-based 3D imaging technique that can precisely measure moving objects—a task long considered extremely challenging for conventional optical systems. Presented at the International Conference on Computer Vision (ICCV) 2025, the new neural inverse rendering method reconstructs high-resolution 3D shapes using only three projection patterns, enabling dynamic 3D measurement across diverse applications in manufacturing inspection, digital twin modeling, and performance capture in visual production.