Press releases - NextGEM

BioEM 2024 in Chania, Greece 16-21 June 2024

Panos Chatziadam — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 11:15:14 +0000

We are delighted to announce BioEM 2024, the premier international conference in the field of bioelectromagnetics, taking place from June 16th to 21st, 2024, in the picturesque city of Chania, on the beautiful island of Crete, Greece. This event is supported by NextGEM, and its project coordinator holds the chair of the local organising committee.

BioEM is renowned as the largest and most significant global conference in bioelectromagnetics, drawing participants from academia and industry worldwide. BioEM 2024 marks the third annual meeting of the new BIOEM Society, a merger between the Bioelectromagnetics Society (BEMS) and the European BioElectromagnetics Association (EBEA).

The conference will be hosted at the luxurious Minoa Palace Resort Hotel, a 5-star beachfront property in Platanias, just 12km west of Chania and a 30-minute drive from Chania International Airport. The Minoa Palace Conference Center offers state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge design, and a stunning view of the Aegean Sea, making it an ideal venue for conferences, workshops, and exhibitions.

BioEM 2024 promises an enriching experience, facilitating the exchange of scientific knowledge, highlighting the latest research, and fostering professional relationships. The five-day program will feature invited talks by renowned scientists, special sessions, workshops, tutorials, technical and poster sessions, and social events.

A special focus will be on student contributions, nurturing the next generation of researchers. Students will have opportunities to present their work, enhance presentation skills, engage in competitions, and network with peers from around the world.

Beyond the conference, BioEM 2024 invites you to explore the historical city of Chania, the second largest in Crete and a popular tourist destination. Crete, the birthplace of the ancient Minoan civilization, offers a unique blend of history, culture, mountains, and sea. Its strategic location has made it a cultural crossroads where myths and history intertwine, making every corner of the island a story waiting to be discovered.

We look forward to welcoming you to BioEM 2024 in Chania, Crete, for an unforgettable scientific and cultural experience.

For more information please visit the BioEM 2024 official site!

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FORTH co-hosted NextGEM’s 4th and CLUE-H’s 2nd meetings in October 2023

Andreas Gavrielides — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 14:01:52 +0000

Fifteen months after the kick-off meeting of NextGEM, FORTH welcomed all project members again to the premises at Heraklion, Crete, Greece on October 10th – 12th, 2023.

During the first two days, representatives of research institutions, universities, public and government organizations, small and medium enterprises, and industrial partners from 10 different countries shared their developments toward the NextGEM project’s main goal “to ensure EU citizens’ safety when employing existing and future Electromagnetic field (EMF) based telecommunication technologies.”

The NextGEM plenary meeting started with a brief introduction to project management activities followed by the corresponding presentations from partners in charge of each work package. Significant progress was made within them, and some are approaching their completion such as the identification of the stakeholders’ needs and concerns in an ever-changing telecommunication environment, determining past and present EMF exposure patterns and characteristics, and designing the architecture of the NextGEM platform to support the complete lifecycle of generated EMF data inclusively and openly.

A contribution worth mentioning is the development of ERMES, a computer software aiming to model the EMF distribution on organisms with different body shapes and predict EMF incidence on superficial and deep layers of the body. In parallel, significant advances were made in the design of wearable sensors to monitor the EMF intensity absorbed by the end-users during everyday activities in real-time.

The radiofrequency exposure systems used at the partners’ premises and the first results involving exposure of protein solutions to EMF were presented regarding the biological experiments. Additionally, preliminary measurements were described to set up the experiments with human cells and C. elegans. Experiments with human volunteers are in earlier phases since the necessary ethical approval is still in progress.

The need to homogenize experimental conditions among partners to achieve a better harmonization of results was pointed out, allowing the development of optimal hazard and risk assessments.

Partners working on designing and implementing the NextGEM Innovation & Knowledge Hub (NIKH) shared their progress. NIKH is an online tool devoted to storing the innovations and research outputs produced within the project, including external scientific knowledge obtained from past research or synergies, and offering a network to EMF stakeholders. A brief discussion was held regarding the different case studies’ planned activities and strategies designed to maximize the impact of NEXTGEM through partners’ and stakeholders’ engagement and awareness activities.

On the third day, the 2^nd CLUE-H Annual meeting was held. NextGEM, together with the other Horizon Europe projects SEAWave, ETAIN, and GOLIAT, which were selected for funding under the call HORIZON- HLTH-2021-ENVHLTH-02-01 “Exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) and health”, form the European Cluster EMF and Health (CLUE-H). CLUE-H aims to optimize collaborations, establish common strategies, avoid overlaps, and increase the impact of individual projects.

During this meeting, the Coordinators and representatives briefly presented the different projects constituting the Cluster and the activities carried out within the cluster working groups. Some results were also presented by young research scientists involved in the projects, which activated a stimulating discussion. Finally from the 1^st of November 2023, the leadership of the CLUE-H is given from SEAWave to NextGEM for the next 14 Months.

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NextGEM’s presence at BioEM2023

Panos Chatziadam — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 10:07:00 +0000

In a striking display of commitment to advancing the field of bioelectromagnetics, Project NextGEM made waves at BioEM2023, the world’s premier conference in this domain. Held from June 19th to June 23rd in the historic city of Oxford, UK, this year’s event witnessed Project NextGEM’s active participation and impactful contributions.

European Commission Funding and EMF Research

The conference began on a high note with Rita Araujo from the DG Research & Innovation of the European Commission taking the stage. She presented the EC-funded research on electromagnetic fields (EMF) and health, a critical area where NextGEM plays a pivotal role as part of the Research Cluster on EMF CLUE-H. This presentation set the stage for highlighting the importance and relevance of our project on the global stage.

Leadership in Key Sessions

Two key members of the NextGEM team, Mats-Olof Mattsson and Myrtill Simkó, assumed the role of session chairs, underlining their expertise in the “in-vivo” session. Their involvement showcased NextGEM’s leadership within the bioelectromagnetics community.

Genotoxicity Research Insights

Maria Rosaria Scarfi delivered a thought-provoking presentation during the conference, sharing a systematic review of the evidence regarding the genotoxicity of radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields from in vitro studies on mammalian cells. Chaired by Olga Zeni, this presentation contributed significantly to ongoing discussions on the effects of RF electromagnetic fields on biological systems.

Poster Presentations: A Visual Impact

The NextGEM project team made a strong visual impact with the presentation of four posters. These visually engaging displays served as a platform to communicate their groundbreaking research findings and initiate stimulating discussions among fellow conference attendees.

Shaping the WHO RF EMF Health Risk Assessment

Maria Rosaria Scarfi also assumed the role of session chair for the “Reviewing for the WHO RF EMF Health Risk Assessment” session, with a focus on the requirements for studies to be informative. This underscores NextGEM’s integral role in informing health risk assessments related to RF EMF exposure, particularly in vitro studies.

Numerical Dosimetry Expertise

Nikolaos Petroulakis, showcased his expertise by co-chairing a session on numerical dosimetry. This highlighted NextGEM’s dedication to understanding and modeling electromagnetic field exposure, a vital aspect of bioelectromagnetics research.

Supporting Emerging Talent

Olga Zeni’s participation in the closing ceremony and her involvement in student awards demonstrated NextGEM’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of bioelectromagnetics researchers.

Announcing BioEM2024 in Chania, Crete, Greece

As the coordinator of Project NextGEM and chair of the local organizing committee for the next BioEM conference, Nikolaos Petroulakis, made an exciting announcement. BioEM2024 is scheduled to take place from June 16th to June 21st, 2024, in the picturesque city of Chania, Crete, Greece. This forthcoming event promises to be a significant gathering for the bioelectromagnetics community.

In conclusion, BioEM2023 was a resounding success for Project NextGEM, with its substantial contributions leaving a lasting impact on the field of bioelectromagnetics. The team’s dedication to advancing research and fostering collaboration was palpable throughout the conference, setting the stage for even greater achievements in the future.

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Meet our partner – Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM)

Andreas Gavrielides — Mon, 01 May 2023 17:47:04 +0000

The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) (link) works towards a healthy population living in a sustainable, safe and healthy environment. RIVM pursues those goals based on independent scientific research. Working with our commissioning clients, we identify the research that is needed and conduct studies accordingly. We provide advice to the government, to professionals and to members of the public, and share our knowledge. RIVM works on preventing and controlling infectious diseases, good healthcare and a healthy lifestyle, and living in a safe, clean environment. Within this last task, we monitor radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) and are active in the RF-EMF exposure field of research. Even though RIVM is owned by the Dutch government, we are independent in the performance of its commissioned projects.

Among the research-specific groups in NextGEM, RIVM has more experience with communicating with stakeholders outside of science, such as authorities and citizens. In the Netherlands (and many other places across the world), 5G is a topic that generates a wide range of opinions. In the Netherlands, RIVM is active in the knowledge platform for electromagnetic fields (link), which informs the population about pressing questions and the current state of research. RIVM will use this expertise to help generate practical guidelines for citizens and authorities based on the research done in NextGEM. Additionally, RIVM is a knowledge and research institute working on many work packages in NextGEM, such as developing new measurement devices for 5G, experiments on biological and health-related effects of EMFs, and case studies assessing the risks and impacts of 5G.

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NextGEM featured in Revista Española de Salud Pública

Andreas Gavrielides — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 08:35:10 +0000

Our project has been featured in a review in the Revista Española de Salud Pública on Synthesis of the Report Trends in the incidence of brain cancer in Spain between 1985 and 2015 and its possible relationship with the use of mobile phones.

Spanish:

https://www.sanidad.gob.es/biblioPublic/publicaciones/recursos_propios/resp/revista_cdrom/VOL97/RESENAS_BIBLUOGRAFICAS/RS97C_202303026es.pdf

English:

https://www.sanidad.gob.es/biblioPublic/publicaciones/recursos_propios/resp/revista_cdrom/VOL97/RESENAS_BIBLUOGRAFICAS/RS97C_202303026.pdf

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NextGEM supports the International Conference in the field of BioElectromagnetics (BioEM2024)

Andreas Gavrielides — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 10:12:23 +0000

The International Conference in the field of BioElectromagnetics (BioEM2024) will be held in Chania, Crete, between the 16th – 21st of June 2024. The NextGEM project Coordinator, Nikolaos Petroulakis, PhD, will be the chair of the local organizing committee, supported by the NextGEM project and ICS-FORTH.

We look forward to welcoming you all!

More information at https://lnkd.in/eVBRX2gZ.

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EMF and Health Cluster (CLUE-H) Kick-off in Thessaloniki 22 September 2022

Nikolaos Petroulakis — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 08:37:00 +0000

CLUE-H is Launched in Thessaloniki, Greece, on 22 September 2022

How much are we exposed to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields? How is our electromagnetic environment changing with the introduction of new wireless technologies, in particular 5G? Is there any impact on our health and the environment?

These questions will be answered over the next five years by the European Research Cluster on EMF and Health (CLUE-H), which was officially launched on 22th September 2022, with a kick-off meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece.

The CLUE-H network involves more than 70 European research organisations in four research consortia (ETAIN, GOLIAT, NextGEM, SEAWave), with additional contribution from scientists in the USA, Korea and Japan. The total funding will amount to more than €29 million from the Horizon Europe 2021-2027.

The results are expected to fill the knowledge gaps that exist regarding the impact of wireless technologies on health and the environment. They will be essential in ensuring a safe deployment and use of future wireless networks which will benefit citizens and society, for example in health, transport, e-government and smart cities.

The Projects

ETAIN is a 5-year project that aims at developing and validating approaches to assess impact of existing and novel technologies from a planetary health perspective. Simultaneously, ETAIN will explore options for exposure reduction, and interact with the public and stakeholders about exposure levels and possible associated risks. ETAIN is coordinated by Utrecht University, the Netherlands.

GOLIAT will monitor exposure to 5G and other sources of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields in order to study its potential effects on human health. In parallel, the project will assess how exposure to EMF and their possible risks are perceived by citizens. GOLIAT is coordinated by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by ”la Caixa” Foundation.

NextGEM will ensure EU citizens’ healthy living and a safer working environment when employing existing and future EMF-based telecommunication technologies. This will be accomplished by generating relevant knowledge that identifies appropriate control measures of EMF exposure in the residential, public, and occupational settings, trustable by people and in line with the regulations and laws issued by the public authorities. NextGEM is coordinated by the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), Greece.

SEAWave will quantify the differences in exposure between 2G-4G and 5G networks for the entire population, including children and workers. The project will also generate important data for assessing the health risk from exposure to the high frequency bands (5G FR2), especially with regards to the potential for skin carcinogenicity. SEAWave is coordinated by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.

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Launch of the European project NextGEM

Andreas Gavrielides — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 07:49:00 +0000

The 48-month EU-funded NextGEM project, which was launched on the 1^st of July 2022, will ensure EU citizens’ healthy living and a safe working environment when employing existing and future EMF-based telecommunication technologies

NextGEM project partners during the Kick-off meeting at Heraklion-Crete in July 2022

NextGEM project held its kick-off meeting on 19-21 of July 2022, at the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH) premises in Heraklion, Crete, Greece. NextGEM is a 48-month Horizon Europe project officially launched on 1st July 2022 with a total budget of 7.56 M€ funded under the “Exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) and health” call.

NextGEM vision

The NextGEM vision is to ensure EU citizens’ healthy living and a safer working environment when employing existing and future Electromagnenic Field (EMF)-based telecommunication technologies. This will be accomplished by generating relevant knowledge that identifies appropriate control measures of EMF exposure in the residential, public, and occupational settings, trustable by people and in line with the regulations and laws issued by the public authorities. For that, NextGEM will provide a framework for generating health-relevant scientific knowledge and data on new scenarios of exposure to EMF in multiple frequency bands. The project also aims to develop and validate tools for evidence-based risk assessment. NextGEM will also create the NextGEM Innovation and Knowledge Hub (NIKH) for EMF and Health, offering a standardised way for European regulatory authorities and the scientific community to store and assess project outcomes and insights into how EMF exposures affect health.

Three case studies are planned to demonstrate and validate NextGEM’s results on different groups of geographical and socio-economic conditions. The first one will investigate the potential effects of indoor levels of radiofrequency exposure of vulnerable people on reproduction and development. The second will focus on optimised outdoor urban planning and 5G design architecture and investigations for public awareness of cancer-related health hazards. Finally, the third will focus on the potential health effects of mmWave EMF exposure in indoor and outdoor environments.

NextGEM Consortium

The Institute of Computer Science of FORTH (ICS-FORTH) is the coordinator of the NextGEM project, and the consortium consists of 20 organisations based in 10 different countries (Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and Israel).

Among the 20 organisations, there are 4 Research Institutions (FORTH, Italian National Research Council – CNR, Spanish National Research Council – CSIC and International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering – CIMNE), 6 Universities (University of Cassino, Hague University of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, and University of Zurich), 5 Public and Government organisations (Italian National Institute of Health – ISS, Belgium Institute for Health – Sciensano, Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment – RIVM, Spanish Ministry of Health, and Dutch Radio Communications Agency), 3 Small and Medium Enterprises (eBOS Technologies, SciProof International and Sphynx Analytic Limited) and 2 Industrial partners (Intracom Telecom and Telecom Italia).

Each partner brings unique expertise, essential for the implementation of the project; including measurements and modelling of the EMF sources, investigation of potential health effects by experimental and human studies, investigating possible causal links between EMF exposure level and duration on potential health effects and performing risk assessment, and development of an innovation and knowledge hub to be used by scientists, authorities, and for citizens’ awareness.

EMF and Health Cluster

NextGEM project along with the three other Horizon Europe projects selected for funding from the call HORIZON- HLTH-2021-ENVHLTH-02-01 Exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) and health (SEAWave, ETAIN, GOLIAT) will form the EMF and Health Cluster to optimise synergies, avoid overlaps and increase the impact of the projects.

More Information and Contact

The project will include a communication and dissemination programme full of activities to maximise the impact of the results generated and increase general awareness on the subject, and a website and social media available to the general public to be updated with the project outcomes. Website: nextgem.eu Twitter: @NextGEM_eu Linkedin: nextgem-project/

Dr. Nikolaos Petroulakis, Project Coordinator, ICS-FORTH, email: npetro@ics.forth.gr

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