The ECO-BUILD Project, funded under the EU FP6 will conclude in April of 2010. Since its commencement in 2007, the project has researched innovative technologies, policy and programmatic measures for improving the overall energy performance in the building sector. ECO-BUILD will present its project outcomes together with policy recommendations at its final conference organized in the framework of the EU Sustainable Energy Week 2010. The lessons learned from the Eco-buildings cluster group, and the Smart-Eco project will also contribute to understanding how to overcome long-standing obstacles within the building sector and the value of embracing a new approach for the design, construction and operation of new and/or refurbished buildings.

Fore more information and the programme of the conference, visit the ECO-BUILD Website.

In January 2010, a new research project, in which the ICCR is a partner, was launched: ‘Privacy – Appraising Challenges to Technologies and Ethics (PRACTIS)’. It is co-ordinated by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Technology Analysis and Forecasting (ICTAF) of Tel Aviv University and will have a duration of three years. The vision underlying the project is one of a society aware of the challenges to privacy posed by emerging technologies and equipped to meet them. PRACTIS will assess the potential impacts of emerging technologies and new scientific knowledge on privacy. It will propose ethical frameworks and legal procedures for coping with potential risks to privacy. Furthermore, it will explore novel policy options for addressing individuals’ changing privacy needs in the light of new technologies, as well as examining new ethical frameworks in law and the implementation of guidelines for new technology or product development. For more information see the project page.