The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) has presented ten of its "groundbreaking innovations" that could change life as we know it if adopted by the institute's industrial partners.
LIST is what is known as a Research and Technology Organisation (RTO). The institute has described its mission as an RTO as "not only to convert existing scientific knowledge into usable technologies, but also to contribute to the common good by accelerating the country's socio-economic development".
Looking towards the future, LIST has listed the following ten of innovations:
1. A vaccine against cancer tailored specifically to each individual: LIST has stated that it is on the verge of making a contribution to personalised medicine, thanks to biological field-effect transistors (BioFET). These are sensors that enable reliable chemical detection. LIST is trying to make use of a large number of nanosensors (FinFET), which could be a revolutionary innovation for personalised medicine, such as in the fight against cancer or autoimmune diseases;
2. Touchscreens that allow us to feel what is displayed as if it were real: LIST has successfully integrated extremely thin piezoelectric actuators on glass without the need for cumbersome external ceramics, thus paving the way for 3D printing of these materials and, therefore, their industrialisation. This makes it possible to generate localised vibrations felt in our fingers. Thanks to new haptic technologies, individuals will be able to feel the materials on the screen of a tablet or even the car windscreen. This technology could revolutionise humans' relationship between the virtual world and reality;
3. Materials with extraordinary properties, thanks to a plasma robot: LIST researchers use plasma (the fourth state of matter) and its deposition on an industrial scale to treat a material on three-dimensional shapes. The aim is to give the surface of this material new properties (for example, to make it corrosion-resistant, adhesive, antibacterial, self-cleaning, etc.);
4. Closer monitoring of air quality, thanks to LIST's mobile laboratory: LIST's environmental monitoring vehicle contains a unique combination of biometerological and chemical measuring equipment, which makes it possible to evaluate surrounding air quality almost everywhere, without depending on an external electricity supply. It is also possible to analyse nanoparticles and their chemical composition almost in real time and in combination with meteorological variables. Nanoparticles may be harmful to human health and there are currently no regulations for handling them;
5. Putting a stop to animal testing, thanks to LIST's lung model in vitro: LIST has developed the first 3D in vitro test that can identify respiratory sensitisers and distinguish them from respiratory irritants, thus avoiding experiments on animals in the future. LIST has thus confirmed that it is seeking to be part of a world that has greater respect for animal rights;
6. Cognitive environments for better teamwork in the workplace: LIST develops cognitive environments, which are connected physical spaces that provide workers with digital tools, allowing them to complete their tasks while detecting and measuring their activity. These environments can therefore improve workers' performance and their experience for multi-user tasks such as designing, decision-making and problem-solving. The technologies in such spaces consist of a combination of artificial intelligence, sensors, data analysis and data visualisation, collaborative tools and connected objects that interact with users and adapt to suit them;
7. Fewer pesticides, thanks to precision agriculture: Satellites to monitor the nutritional composition of wheat fields, and drones to detect vine diseases are two examples of remote sensing technologies used by LIST researchers to make precision agriculture possible. The aim is to reduce the use of fertilisers and pesticides by using an application based on the needs of the soil: a win-win both for nature and for farmers, who, according to LIST, will make savings by doing this;
8. Life-saving smart maps: Floods have a significant impact on the environment, society and the economy and this is said to be an increasingly common phenomenon in the future with climate change and population growth. In this context, LIST has developed HASARD, a satellite mapping software based on observation of the Earth that uses satellite images to automatically produce accurate floodwater maps almost in real time;
9. Organic waste converted into green energy and fertilisers: LIST has also announced that it is helping to design a circular local bioeconomy by working on the renewable and sustainable production of energy, biofertilisers and green chemical products. In particular, LIST is working on anaerobic biowaste digestion as a natural microbe-based process, which produces biogas that can be stored and used as energy (and sometimes also fertiliser);
10. Digital twins for better city life: LIST has described a digital twin as a digital double of an object, a process or a system, which allows it to be tested in a virtual and secure environment to check that it works properly, and/or to carry out simulations for forecasting purposes. LIST is helping to create digital twins in order to monitor the performance and environmental impact of buildings and to provide useful information to shape neighbourhoods and cities. LIST has stated that this will also allow citizens to interact easily with their neighbourhood or town.
These innovations are also presented in full on the LIST website at: https://www.list.lu/en/news/what-will-your-future-look-like-thanks-to-list/.
