Natural disasters do not stop at national borders. Early warning, better preparedness and coordinated action on a European level are necessary to cope with the impact of severe weather on infrastructure and people.

In summer 2015, a heatwave swept over large parts of southern and central Europe causing severe drought and heightening the risk of forest fires. In May and June 2016, thunderstorms and heavy rainfall occurred over wide stretches of Europe – from France and Germany to Poland and Hungary.

Virtual Research Environments (VREs) could guide the skeptical research communities along the 'last mile' towards Open Digital Science, according to an international team of scientists who have published their Policy Brief in the open access journal Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO).

A team of researchers from the University of Jaen have created a spin-off to commercialise software that lets you create digital musical scores. The software is called Beatik and allows the conductors to follow a composition without having to turn the page, incorporating annotations whilst they study and even sharing them with others. The idea began when they were researching other technological uses applied to music.