Navigating the innovation curve in today’s emerging industries is no longer just about breakthrough ideas—it’s about how effectively science and technology converge to turn those ideas into real-world impact 🚀. From AI-driven research labs to biotech startups and clean energy solutions, the fusion of scientific discovery with advanced digital tools is reshaping how innovation happens. This convergence shortens development cycles, reduces risk, and allows industries to move faster from research to market 🔬⚙️.
As industries climb the innovation curve, collaboration and adaptability become essential 🤝. Scientists, technologists, and entrepreneurs are increasingly working across disciplines to solve complex problems that no single field can tackle alone. Cloud computing, big data analytics, and automation are enabling smarter experimentation and scalable solutions 📊💡. For emerging industries, this means faster iteration, smarter decision-making, and the ability to stay competitive in rapidly evolving markets.
At the top of the curve, sustainable and human-centered innovation takes the spotlight 🌱🌍. Science–technology convergence is not just driving economic growth, but also creating solutions for global challenges such as healthcare access, climate change, and energy efficiency. Businesses and innovators who embrace this integrated approach are better positioned to lead the future—where innovation is agile, responsible, and built to last ✨.
International Research Awards on New Science Inventions🌟
⚡🤖 Transformer-based predictive energy managementis transforming how renewable energy systems operate by using advanced AI models to forecast power generation and consumption with remarkable accuracy. By analyzing time-series data from solar ☀️ and wind 🌬️ sources, transformer models anticipate fluctuations, enabling smarter scheduling and reduced energy losses in modern power networks.
💧🔋 When integrated with hydrogen energy systems, this predictive approach optimizes green hydrogen production, storage, and utilization. Excess renewable energy is efficiently converted into hydrogen via electrolysis ⚙️, stored for later use, and reconverted into power when demand rises, ensuring flexibility, reliability, and minimal curtailment 🔄.
🌱🌍 Together, AI-driven transformers and hydrogen-integrated renewables support a resilient, low-carbon energy future. This intelligent energy management framework enhances grid stability ⚡, lowers emissions ♻️, and accelerates the transition toward sustainable, smart energy ecosystems 🚀.
International Research Awards on New Science Inventions🌟
Digital Science, a global technology company advancing research integrity, security, and impact, today affirmed its support for U.S. government efforts to safeguard taxpayer-funded research, following the release of a new investigative report by the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
The report contains numerous examples of U.S-funded research links with China’s defense research and industrial base—including entities that appear on U.S. government national security entity lists—from June 2023 to June 2025, obtained by using Digital Science’s Dimensions.
Dimensions is the world’s largest interconnected global research database. The platform, which includes Dimensions Research Security, leverages AI to offer unmatched visibility for verifying researcher credentials in critical sectors like defense and high-tech research.
“Safeguarding U.S.-funded research starts with a fundamental understanding of the affiliations, funding, and collaborations of the researchers themselves. Dimensions provides trusted, comprehensive data to quickly identify hidden connections and potential risks,” said Mark Franco, Vice President, Research Security & Intelligence, Digital Science.
“We are proud to support government agencies and oversight bodies with transparent, evidence-based insights that help protect U.S. Federal research investments while preserving the openness that drives scientific progress.”
Foreign influence and the exploitation of open research systems are growing concerns for the U.S.; the committee’s report highlights the importance of balancing “academic freedom and open science with national security interests”. According to a recent congressional hearing of the Committee of Science, Space, and Technology, intellectual property theft and espionage cost the country $600 billion annually. This hearing also highlighted the need for government funding agencies to work together, the expansion of the American-born STEM talent pipeline, and the strengthening of analytic vetting and continuous monitoring.
“As a partner to several federal and defense agencies, Digital Science remains committed to supporting U.S. government stakeholders as they work to protect national interests, uphold research security, and ensure that taxpayer-funded research advances innovation without unintended risk. Together we will strengthen research security, integrity, and compliance,” Franco said.
Part of Digital Science, Dimensions hosts the largest collection of interconnected global research data, re-imagining research discovery with access to grants, publications, clinical trials, patents and policy documents all in one place. Follow Dimensions on Bluesky, X and LinkedIn.
About Digital Science
Digital Science is an AI-focused technology company providing innovative solutions to complex challenges faced by researchers, universities, government, funders, industry, and publishers. We work in partnership to advance global research for the benefit of society. Through our brands – Altmetric, Dimensions, Figshare, IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, metaphacts, Overleaf, ReadCube, Symplectic, and Writefull – we believe when we solve problems together, we drive progress for all. Visit digital-science.com and follow Digital Science on Bluesky, on X or on LinkedIn.
Media contact
David Ellis, Press, PR & Social Manager, Digital Science: Mobile +61 447 783 023, d.ellis@digital-science.com
Catalysis-mediated dynamic ligand presentation is emerging as a powerful strategy to understand how stem cells interpret their microenvironment 🔬✨. Unlike static biomaterials, dynamically presented ligands can change in response to catalytic reactions ⚙️, allowing cells to continuously sense and adapt to mechanical signals such as stiffness, tension, and force 📐🧲. This dynamic interaction plays a key role in how stem cells attach, spread, and organize their cytoskeleton 🧬.
Mechanosensing does not act alone—it is tightly linked to cellular metabolism 🔄🔥. When stem cells experience mechanical cues, these signals are transmitted through integrins and cytoskeletal networks, ultimately influencing metabolic pathways like glycolysis and mitochondrial activity ⚡🫁. Catalysis-mediated ligand changes fine-tune this process, ensuring that energy production matches mechanical demand, which is crucial for maintaining stemness or triggering differentiation 🌱.
By coupling mechanosensing with metabolism, dynamic ligand presentation offers exciting opportunities for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine 🏥🚀. Designing smart biomaterials that actively communicate with stem cells can improve cell fate control, enhance regeneration, and mimic natural extracellular matrices more accurately 🧫🌍. This approach opens new doors for creating adaptive cell environments that respond intelligently to biological needs 💡🧠.
International Research Awards on New Science Inventions🌟
Digital Science is excited to announce that its 2025 Catalyst Grant has been awarded to two teams working to advance global research through innovations in data visualization.
The winning teams, both based in the United States, will use the funding to develop their ideas, which include visualizations that demonstrate research influence and impact. Their innovations are directly relevant to researchers, academic institutions, scholarly publishers, and funders.
The winning teams from Digital Science’s 2025 Catalyst Grant round are:
FigureTwo transforms static research figures into interactive, data-connected visuals – helping researchers, publishers, and institutions create and share figures that are FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable)-compliant, permanently citable, and mobile-ready, saving time while making scientific results more transparent, discoverable, and impactful.
Pathfinder
Pathfinder, from company Syntheos, maps how ideas spread across more than 100,000 research communities, showing how discoveries in one area influence progress in another. It automatically turns research data into easy-to-read maps and evidence-backed narratives that link directly to the original papers. This helps funders, institutions, and researchers clearly show where their work is making a difference, and spot new opportunities for future impact.
Jeff Lang, Founder and CEO of FigureTwo, says: “We’re excited to be selected as one of this year’s winners of the Digital Science Catalyst Grant. Being considered in the same company as past winners and successful innovators is a true honor, and a recognition of everything we’ve been working toward.
“We have so much to be excited for this coming year. Our full launch is coming in 2026, when users will be able to add interactive figures to publications, and archive them to meet funder mandates. We’re also adding responsible AI automation to help turn research data into beautiful, accessible and interactive figures. This grant allows us to join the community infrastructure of scholarly communications by adding DOIs and long-term preservation.”
Caleb Smith, Founder and CEO of Syntheos, says: “Pathfinder is a game-changer because it turns raw citation counts into traceable histories. Essentially, we’re making the history of an idea visible, but more importantly, verifiable. Ultimately, our goal is simple: we want to make traceable, reproducible impact the new normal for science.
“The Catalyst Grant is critical for us because it’s allowing us to invest more in the trust layer of the product. The goal is to move from a powerful prototype to a standard, so that when we say an impact exists, you know it will hold up under audit.”
Digital Science CEO Dr Daniel Hook says: “Through our Catalyst Grants, Digital Science is proud to invest in novel innovations that have the potential to make a difference to individual researchers and the global research ecosystem alike. We congratulate the 2025 Catalyst Grant winners, who have impressed us with their unique approaches to critical issues faced in research, and their use of data visualizations to provide meaningful insights and outcomes for researchers, scholarly publishing, and funders.”
Steve Scott, Director of Portfolio Development at Digital Science, says: “We expected that our 2025 theme of Data Visualization would result in some novel entries at the intersection of science, design and data – and our winners have more than risen to that challenge.
“FigureTwo stood out to us due to the team’s deeply relevant publishing and product background, resulting in an elegant solution. Pathfinder brings a team with a deep bibliometrics and science-mapping pedigree, and a product that already aligns with our customers and products. It’s exciting for us to invest into these teams, and we can’t wait to see what they will produce in the year ahead.”
See comments from our 2025 Digital Science Catalyst Grant winners.
About Catalyst Grant
The Digital Science Catalyst Grant is an international initiative to support innovation in new software tools and technologies, to advance research and create meaningful change.
The program supports and invests in early-stage ideas in the novel use of technology, with an award of up to £25,000 for the most promising ideas that aid research and further its impact on society.
The Catalyst Grant is awarded to innovative individuals or startups without the need for a complete business or development plan. Several previous Catalyst Grant winners have developed important products and solutions within Digital Science itself.
About Digital Science
Digital Science is an AI-focused technology company providing innovative solutions to complex challenges faced by researchers, universities, funders, industry, and publishers. We work in partnership to advance global research for the benefit of society. Through our brands – Altmetric, Dimensions, Figshare, IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, metaphacts, Overleaf, ReadCube, Symplectic, and Writefull – we believe when we solve problems together, we drive progress for all. Visit digital-science.com and follow Digital Science on Bluesky, on X or on LinkedIn.
Media contact
David Ellis, Press, PR & Social Manager, Digital Science: Mobile +61 447 783 023, d.ellis@digital-science.com
🌿 Biopolymeric Compounds from Olive Oil By-Products: A Sustainable Boost for Agriculture 🌿 The olive oil production chain generates significant by-products such as olive pomace and wastewater, which are rich in valuable biopolymers. These natural compounds, when carefully extracted and processed, can be transformed into innovative materials for agricultural use. Instead of being treated as waste, olive oil by-products are now gaining attention as eco-friendly resources that support circular economy principles ♻️ and reduce environmental impact.
🌱 Enhanced Controlled-Release Biofertilizers for Smarter Farming 🌱
Biopolymeric compounds derived from olive oil by-products act as excellent carriers for nutrients, enabling controlled and sustained release into the soil. This slow-release mechanism improves nutrient uptake by plants, minimizes leaching losses, and reduces the need for frequent fertilizer application 🚜. As a result, crops receive balanced nutrition over time, leading to healthier growth and improved productivity.
🌍 Environmental and Economic Benefits for the Future 🌍
Using olive oil chain by-products as biofertilizers not only promotes sustainable agriculture but also offers economic benefits to olive-producing regions. Farmers benefit from improved soil fertility and reduced chemical fertilizer dependence, while the environment benefits from lower pollution and waste valorization 🌾. This innovative approach represents a promising step toward greener, more resilient food systems for the future ✨.
International Research Awards on New Science Inventions🌟
🌟 Visionary Business–Science Achievement Award celebrates trailblazers who seamlessly integrate scientific excellence with business innovation. This prestigious honor recognizes individuals transforming research insights into scalable solutions that drive economic growth and societal advancement. 🚀
🔬💼 Award recipients demonstrate exceptional leadership in translating cutting-edge science into practical applications. Their work bridges academia and industry, fostering collaboration, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development across global markets. 🌍
🏆 By spotlighting visionary thinkers, this award inspires the next generation of innovators to pursue impactful, interdisciplinary careers. It reinforces the power of science-driven business strategies in shaping a smarter, more resilient future. ✨
International Research Awards on New Science Inventions🌟
Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a promising thermochemical process that converts wet, multi-component biomass into energy-dense solid fuel under moderate temperatures and pressures. It offers an efficient pathway for waste valorization and sustainable bioenergy production ♻️🌱.
⚙️📊 Prediction and Analysis of Fuel Properties
By analyzing feedstock composition and HTC operating conditions, key solid fuel properties such as carbon content, calorific value, and hydrophobicity can be accurately predicted. Data-driven modeling improves process understanding and supports reliable performance optimization 🔍🧪.
🚀🌍 Energy and Sustainability Impact
Optimized HTC enhances fuel stability, reduces moisture sensitivity, and improves combustion behavior. This approach enables cleaner solid biofuels, supports circular bioeconomy goals, and contributes to low-carbon energy systems for future applications 🌿🔥.
International Research Awards on New Science Inventions🌟
Solar energy is a clean and sustainable solution for greenhouse drying, especially when combined with advanced solar collectors. Parabolic trough solar collectors concentrate sunlight efficiently, generating high thermal energy ideal for drying agricultural products while reducing dependence on fossil fuels. 🌱☀️
🔄 Role of Two-Axis Tracking Systems
A two-axis tracking system allows the parabolic trough to follow the sun throughout the day and across seasons. This continuous alignment maximizes solar radiation capture, improves thermal efficiency, and ensures uniform drying conditions inside the greenhouse. 📡⚙️
📈 Performance and Sustainability Benefits
Performance evaluations show that two-axis tracked parabolic trough systems deliver stable temperatures, faster drying rates, and lower energy losses. This technology enhances product quality, shortens drying time, and supports eco-friendly agricultural practices. 🌍🌿
International Research Awards on New Science Inventions🌟
Integrating Kharon’s data and insights with Dimensions Research Security platform to empower institutions to proactively identify foreign affiliations of concern, export control, and compliance risks
Tuesday 16 December 2025
Kharon, the premier compliance technology and data provider spanning sanctions, export controls, and other economic restrictions, and Digital Science, a leading technology company serving stakeholders across the research ecosystem, today announce they have entered into a strategic partnership.
The collaboration brings together Kharon’s risk intelligence and Digital Science’s world-leading Dimensions Research Security platform to help universities, funders, and government agencies identify and mitigate foreign influence, export control, and compliance risks, all while preserving the openness that drives global collaboration.
This joint solution enables institutions to:
Reveal hidden risk pathways by mapping affiliations and connections that indicate potential exposure to high-risk or state-linked entities.
Automate and streamline workflows using Dimensions’ dashboard architecture, embedding Kharon’s insights directly into existing research management frameworks.
Scale research security operations through integrated, API-driven analysis that supports large-scale due diligence and continuous monitoring.
Enhance audit readiness and compliance alignment by maintaining defensible records aligned with evolving research security mandates worldwide.
Safeguarding Research in a Complex Global Landscape
Institutions today face growing pressure to balance academic innovation with the need to protect sensitive research from undue influence and emerging geopolitical risks. Across jurisdictions like the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia, new policies, including National Security Presidential Memorandum – 33 (NSPM-33), the Trusted Research Guidance, and Canada’s Policy on Sensitive Technology and Affiliations of Concern, are reshaping expectations for transparency, due diligence, and responsible collaboration.
Kharon’s unmatched capabilities are designed to meet rapidly evolving compliance and regulatory expectations, enabling research security officers (RSOs) and export control officers (ECOs) to quickly identify hidden affiliates of concern and ties to restricted parties in China and other jurisdictions of increased risk. Kharon’s leading offering combines advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence with subject matter expert validation and full sourcing transparency, empowering RSOs and ECOs to make defensible recommendations based on Kharon’s insights drawn from publicly available and reliable sources.
By pairing Kharon’s industry-leading intelligence with Dimensions’ world-class database of linked research information, spanning 159 million publications, 7.9 million grants, 170 million patents, 42 million datasets, nearly one million clinical trials, and over 70 percent of publications available in full text, users benefit from unmatched visibility into the relationships, outputs, and affiliations that may pose risks within institutional research portfolios.
According to Kharon’s Vice President of Partnerships, Paul Gerbino: “Our partnership with Digital Science underscores our shared commitment to helping academic institutions navigate an increasingly complex landscape. We understand that research thrives on collaboration built on trust, and we’re proud that together we’re equipping institutions with the information they need to uphold that trust with greater ease. This marks an important step in expanding our impact across the sector.”
Digital Science’s Executive Vice President of Academic, Jonathan Breeze, said: “Now more than ever, we recognize that research integrity and security are critical issues for researchers, their institutions, governments, and industry alike.
“At Digital Science, we’re pleased to play an important role in helping to safeguard research security, and in helping institutions with their government compliance. Thanks to our partnership with Kharon and our complementary strengths, we are excited to enhance our offerings even further.”
Kharon helps leading organizations identify a range of sanctions and compliance risks that are critical to managing financial crimes, supply chain exposure, export controls, investment risk, and other key areas. Combining cutting-edge technology, artificial intelligence and data science with industry-leading research, Kharon provides the critical insights required for a comprehensive view of risk and commercial threats.
Digital Science is an AI-focused technology company providing innovative solutions to complex challenges faced by researchers, universities, funders, industry, and publishers. We work in partnership to advance global research for the benefit of society. Through our brands – Altmetric, Dimensions, Figshare, IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, metaphacts, Overleaf, ReadCube, Symplectic, and Writefull – we believe when we solve problems together, we drive progress for all. Visit digital-science.com and follow Digital Science on Bluesky, on X or on LinkedIn.
Media contact
David Ellis, Press, PR & Social Manager, Digital Science: Mobile +61 447 783 023, d.ellis@digital-science.com
Resource scheduling and capacity allocation optimization in integrated electricity–heat–gas–hydrogen energy systems play a critical role in building resilient and low-carbon energy infrastructures. By coordinating multiple energy carriers within a single framework, these systems enhance overall efficiency, reduce operational costs, and improve the utilization of renewable resources such as wind and solar power. Smart optimization ensures energy is delivered where and when it is needed most, minimizing waste and maximizing reliability.
🔄💡 Advanced optimization models and intelligent scheduling algorithms enable real-time balancing between electricity generation, heat supply, gas networks, and hydrogen production or storage. These tools account for demand uncertainty, renewable intermittency, and system constraints, allowing flexible energy conversion and storage across sectors. As a result, integrated systems can respond dynamically to fluctuations while maintaining stable and secure energy delivery.
🌍🚀 The optimization of capacity allocation supports long-term planning by identifying the most cost-effective investments in infrastructure, including electrolyzers, thermal storage, and gas-to-power units. This holistic approach accelerates decarbonization, supports hydrogen economy development, and strengthens energy security, making integrated multi-energy systems a cornerstone of sustainable and intelligent future energy networks 🌿🔋
International Research Awards on New Science Inventions🌟
Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) is an emerging large-scale energy storage technology that stores electricity by liquefying air at low temperatures ❄️⚡. During peak demand, the liquid air is regasified and expanded to generate power, making LAES a clean, flexible, and grid-friendly solution for renewable energy integration 🌍🔋.
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) regasification releases a significant amount of cold energy that is often wasted 🧊🔥. By integrating LNG cold energy recovery with LAES, the air liquefaction process becomes more efficient, reducing compression work and thermodynamic losses. This synergy improves round-trip efficiency and enhances overall system performance ♻️⚙️.
Thermodynamic analysis of the integrated LAES–LNG system evaluates energy and exergy flows to identify performance gains and optimization opportunities 📊❄️. Results show reduced energy consumption, higher efficiency, and lower carbon impact, highlighting the potential of cryogenic energy coupling for sustainable and resilient future power systems 🌱⚡.
International Research Awards on New Science Inventions🌟
