Selene Verri

Making peatlands a green economy in Ireland's Midlands

Emissions from dried peat are a major issue in the Irish Midlands. The Peatlands for Prosperity project is pioneering paludiculture, transforming carbon-producing land into a sustainable source of economic opportunity. #SmartRegions

NEUTRALPATH: Affordable housing for climate-neutral cities

Green urban policies can backfire when environmental gains coincide with rising property prices and changing neighbourhood demographics. The latest episode of the ICONS Innovation Stories podcast, "NEUTRALPATH: Affordable Housing for Climate-Neutral Cities" starts with this challenge, taking the listeners from Barcellona gentrified super blocks to Zaragoza's tailored social programs that support houses retrofitting.

Hydrogen: the quiet revolution for Europe's cities - Castilla y León Hydrogen Valley

Hydrogen is quietly revolutionising heavy urban mobility and energy storage across the continent. It presents a crucial path to decarbonization, highlights Luigi Crema, President of Hydrogen Europe Research. Yet, he calls for immediate action to secure this future: "We now have the technological leadership.

The future is geothermal: Hungarian city leads the way with renewable energy

The city of Szeged is harnessing the power of geothermal energy - it offers numerous advantages as a sustainable resource and reduces the demand for fossil fuels.

Flying greener to cut pollution: the hydrogen challenge - Overleaf

Hydrogen is the most promising technology for less polluting aviation. The first flights have proven successful but its production remains very energy consuming, its storage challenging and the existing infrastructure unsuitable. See how industry, researchers, and EU projects are taking up these challenges to get ready for take-off

NEUTRALPATH: The road to climate neutrality: reshaping urban mobility

In the latest episode of the ICONS Innovation Stories podcast, "NEUTRALPATH - The road to climate neutrality: reshaping urban mobility," we look at how European cities are rethinking transport to cut congestion, reduce emissions and make daily movement cleaner and more accessible.

Old concepts, new paradigms: the business model challenge in the smart city era

How to monetise environmental benefits? What’s the value of reducing traffic and emissions? Economic savings and traditional methods are not enough: to calculate the profitability of smart and sustainable cities, we need to rethink the concept of business model.

Smart and for all: the city of the future is human and inclusive

Smart Cities: what’s in it for the citizens? Technology should empower people, but sometimes it becomes an end in itself rather than a means to an end. Cities must address problems like the digital divide, use technology to help the less privileged categories, and know when to intervene or step back to foster social values and inclusivity

Being human to be Smart: the cities' challenge in the AI era - MatchUp

Accounting for over 70% of global CO2 emissions, cities are key in reducing our carbon footprint. But technology is not enough, experts warn, to address the new challenges. To be really "smart", a city must take into account the main recipients of this transformation: the citizens.

Innovation and digital at the service of the rural world

How to retain local brains in a village of 7000 souls like Buncrana, Ireland? Developing innovation and digital through a technology hub close to home. #SmartRegions

Ethical diamonds? Nanotechnology makes it possible

International laws prohibit the trade of diamonds from countries in conflict, but for now, it is impossible to be certain of the origin of the precious stones. A Polish laboratory has found the solution. #SmartRegions

How Pilsen's historic brewery became innovation hub

Pilsen gave the world its famous lager beer. Today one of the Czech city's old breweries has been transformed into a state-of-the-art technology park. #SmartRegions

The Flowers of Rojava - A Feminist Revolution in Northern Syria

In Rojava a woman can fight in many ways. Some do it with a Kalashnikov, to defend their land. All of them do it in their everyday lives, getting invested in the struggle for equality and freedom. An award-winning film listed on IMDB.

Nelle piaghe del Leone

A narrative reportage of my travels across the borders of Kurdistan, exploring the lives of men and women caught between conflict, identity, and dreams for the future. Also available in e-book format.

"Notre système économique traite les gens et la planète comme s'ils étaient jetables"- Naomi Klein

L'essayiste canadienne Naomi Klein propose un New Deal vert. Pour elle, il n'y a pas une seule politique climatique. Ce qui compte dit-elle, "c'est la façon dont vous organisez une économie et une société pour qu'elle ne soit pas en guerre contre la vie sur Terre."

Turkey has place in a Europe of "liberté, egalité, and fraternité" says Pamuk - Interview