Impact Stories archive

How we use social research to understand the human side of technological change — and turn evidence into knowledge people can use.

Reflections from the panel “Innovating Communities: Exploring drivers and barriers of public engagement in social housing,” held during the International Social Housing Festival 2025.

The EU-funded dRural project has entered its final quarter, revealing significant improvements in the quality of life for rural inhabitants through a digital marketplace platform. A video news release highlights the project's success in Extremadura (Spain) and Dubrovnik-Neretva (Croatia).

Bordering Russia, Narva is an Estonian city of some 50,000 inhabitants in the extreme northeast of the country. Lying halfway between Tallinn and Saint Petersburg, it historically relied on strong ties with Russia. Yet, since the annexation of Crimea and especially the invasion of Ukraine, Russians have snubbed it, thus dealing a severe blow to the city's economy. Recently stressed by a conference on cultural management, targeting Western visitors and increasing the attractiveness of its region are now the main priorities to revive Narva’s tourist sector.

Watch the STARDUST video news release and learn how Tampere in Finland and other cities are embracing the drive for carbon neutrality and liveability.

Internationally renowned for the stunning architecture of its City of Arts and Sciences, by local architect Santiago Calatrava, Valencia (Spain) has been this year selected among the 100 European cities that will take up the challenge to become climate neutral by 2030.

The speed of antigen tests and the sensitivity of PCR-tests can be combined to fight COVID-19 and to rapidly detect other viruses.

In 2019 M. Stanley Whittingham won a Nobel Prize for discovering lithium intercalation into electrodes. Now, he forecasts how battery architectures will exploit this phenomenon better, and how the industry can improve recycling and sustainability