Author: administrateur

24 Nov Engineering approaches and contributions in times of COVID-19. A contribution to the debate and to the development of possible solutions – Publication

Real Academia de Ingenieria (Spain) (RAI)
2020
The title: Engineering approaches and contributions in times of COVID-19. A contribution to the debate and to the development of possible solutions. The date of publication: 2020 Authors: Academicians of the Royal Academy of Engineering Main themes: COVID-19 Nature of publication: Engineering Report availability (link, paper version...): Link, paper. In the concerning and challenging context of the pandemic, several RAI academicians proposed to contribute their knowledge and experience in relation to some of the fields related to the pandemic. In accordance with this initiative, the following document Engineering Approaches and Contributions to in times of COVID-19 has been prepared, contributing to the debate and the proposal of possible solutions. It includes the works of the academicians Mr Enrique Castillo, Mr César Dopazo, Mr Javier Jiménez, Ms Nuria Oliver and Mr Daniel Ramón, in several cases with other non-academician authors.
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24 Nov Reflections on Bacteria, Food and Health – Publication

Real Academia de Ingenieria (Spain) (RAI)
2020
The title: Reflections on Bacteria, Food and Health The date of publication: 21st January 2020 Authors: Daniel Ramón Vidal Main themes: Food production Nature of publication: Inauguration as full member academician Report availability (link, paper version...): Link, Paper Daniel Ramón Vidal has always worked with microorganisms. At first with fungal species that were of interest to the pharmaceutical industry as antibiotic producers. A few years later, after joining the CSIC, with bacteria, yeasts and fungi relevant to food production. Today he is still working on it, but in a private company, trying to develop microorganisms that improve consumers’ health. His view of how the microbial world influences the production and nutritional assimilation of food has changed significantly in the last decade, largely due to the advent of so-called massive genomic sequencing techniques. http://www.raing.es/es/publicaciones/discursos-de-ingresos/reflexiones-en-torno-las-bacterias-la-alimentaci-n-y-la-salud
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01 Nov Beyond Covid-19: laying the foundations for a net zero recovery

Royal Academy of Engineering (UK) (RAEng)
2020
Authors: National Engineering Policy Centre (see report for working group members and contributors) In this briefing the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC) calls for an economic recovery that pivots the UK towards a net-zero future, rather than one that locks us into a high-carbon future. It offers five foundations, accompanied by actions that the government, engineering community and others could take, which will secure a low-carbon and resilient recovery.
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24 Oct Exploring the icy moons of giant planets – Publication

Real Academia de Ingenieria (Spain) (RAI)
2020
The title: Exploring the icy moons of giant planets The date of publication: 26th October 2020 Authors: Juan Ramón Sanmartín Losada Main themes: White Paper Nature of publication: Closing of the academic year Report availability (link, paper version...): Link, paper. The closing lecture is based on a White Paper, Bare-Tether Missions Paradigm for Exploration of OceanWorlds in Plumes of Icy Moons Enceladus, Europa, and Triton which he had submitted, with the unique Topic, OceanWorlds, to the Decadal Survey on Planetary Science and Astrobiology 2023 -2032 From NASA and the National Science Foundation http://www.raing.es/es/publicaciones/lecciones-inaugurales/exploraci-n-de-lunas-heladas-de-los-planetas-gigantes
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05 Oct Understanding COVID-19. Report of the COVID-19 Advisory Team at the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN)
2020

A report delivered by a team of scientists, working under the supervision of Prof. Jerzy Duszyński, president of the Academy, presents the current state of knowledge about SARS-CoV-2 virus, COVID-19 disease and its medical, psychological, economic and social impacts. In an accessible manner, this document provides forecasts of the COVID-19 epidemic for the upcoming winter season and recommendations for citizens and institutions. The publication includes information about the course of the disease and treatment, phases of pandemic development and its implications for human health. The study provides verified information on prevention and presents current works on coronavirus vaccines. Among other topics covered are preparations for a winter COVID-19 peak, including the opening of educational institutions, and the risk of co-infection.

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01 Oct The Future of Electricity Transmission in Ireland

Irish Academy of Engineering (IAE)
2020
The Irish Government has published the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP 2021–2030) which sets out targets for reducing Ireland’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions over the next decade. The plan aims to increase the penetration of renewable electricity generation to 70% by 2030 by incentivising the construction of up to 9.2GW of new renewable energy projects. This amounts to approximately 80% of all current generation capacity in the country. This paper is the first of a series to be produced by the Irish Academy of Engineering examining various hurdles that must be overcome if such a transition is to be successfully accomplished over the next decade. These hurdles include among others: • Large scale investment in new transmission capacity in order to efficiently connect the new generation to the existing transmission system (National Grid). • Measures to ensure short-term system stability given the likely connection of large amounts of non-synchronous generation. • Measures to manage the intermittency inherent in new renewable technologies. • Electrical interconnection to other jurisdictions and the market issues associated with the potential large-scale import and export of electricity. In this paper the IAE focuses on the first item on the above list and seeks to set out the issues – initially from a European perspective. The Academy has raised ten questions in the final summary which it believes require urgent consideration if the NECP targets are to be achieved. Principal among these is the social acceptability of transmission investment among the community at large. Based on European experience, the Academy suggests that the Government must take direct ownership of this issue.  
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01 Sep Global political economics in times of COVID-19. Rebound or collapse

Real Academia de Ingenieria (Spain) (RAI)
2020
On 30 September 2020, Mr Ricardo Hausmann, academician of the RAI and Professor with a Chair in International Economic Policy Rafik Hariri Growth Lab. Harvard University, gave an online master lecture on "Global Political Economics in times of COVID-19. Rebound or collapse". http://www.raing.es/es/actividades/conferencia-magistral-la-econom-pol-tica-mundial-ante-el-covid-19-rebrote-o-colapso  
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