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How can public space be designed in such a way that it is safe, accessible, and inviting for everyone? Geographer Gerd Weitkamp studies how people move through their living environment, but also how they experience it. In particular, he examines what this means for their health, well-being, and social participation. ‘If you make an environment safe, for example for an eight-year-old child, or accessible for older adults, then it becomes safer and more accessible for everyone.’

In the coming weeks the nominees for the Ben Feringa Impact Award 2026 will introduce themselves and their impactful research or project. The winners will be announced on 9 June. This week: Sofie, Feyona, Caroline and Klarissa and their research of the wainscotting at Museum Janning.

In the coming weeks the nominees for the Ben Feringa Impact Award 2026 will introduce themselves and their impactful research or project. The winners will be announced on 9 June. This week: Matilde Ficozzi and Dario Rodighiero with the research on visualizing data with the Grounding AI Map.

Davide Grossi is an expert in the field of collective decision making and computation. On June 12, he will deliver his inaugural lecture titled: Computing Democracy: Algorithms in Democratic Renewal

The Trichogramma turkestanica is one of the smallest insects we know, and it produces only tiny amounts of pheromones to communicate with other members of the species. Researchers of the University of Groningen, Wageningen University, and the University of Regensburg have succeeded in elucidating the composition of such a pheromone, thereby showing that it is possible to identify molecules on the basis of just nanograms.

The European Commission is working on a revision of the public procurement directives. The current rules, which Dutch public authorities must follow when procuring services, supplies, and works on the market, date from 2014. Willem Janssen, professor by special appointment of Public Procurement Law at the University of Groningen and an assistant professor at Utrecht University, is calling for a number of radical changes to enable public authorities to procure goods and services in a more sustainable and strategic manner.

Scientists have always been on the lookout for materials with new, useful properties. Anastasiia Krushynska takes a different approach: she designs and creates metamaterials, whose properties are determined by their structure. These materials have different properties, for example, enabling the development of more precise machines or bone-friendly implants.

The KIWI Aerospace student team from the University of Groningen and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences has achieved an impressive international performance with their mini-satellite KSAT1. At the international CanSat finals in Mexico City, the team from Groningen finished in the global top 10.

Seven proposals submitted by UG lecturers have been awarded a Comenius grant. The Comenius programme plays a vital role in enhancing higher education in the Netherlands. A Comenius grant allows education professionals to implement innovative ideas in teaching.

The projects are part of a Dutch–Japanese programme exploring alternatives to conventional computer chips. By combining photonics, quantum and neuromorphic technologies, the consortia aim to develop faster, more energy-efficient systems for applications such as AI, medical imaging and climate research.