Experts of Femtonics, a spin-off of the Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (IEM -HAS), and of the National Institute of Clinical Neurosciences were the first in Central Europe to successfully use a surgical robot for brain surgery on a patient with epilepsy. The purchase of the robot was made possible by a HUF 1.13 billion fund disbursed by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office. With this, as the founder of Femtonics says, they can carry out developments that may soon put microscopic diagnostics in brain surgery along with non-invasive cancer testing on a new footing.

Having earned success to his own businesses and acquired considerable experience, Péter Balogh and his company, Baconsult have been engaged in passing the knowledge on and supporting the highest-potential Hungarian start-ups for two years now. They are running a mentoring programme and, in addition, allocating a state funded incubation package of nearly HUF 700 million to ten of the most promising Hungarian start-ups.

The incidence of tumours in children is much lower than in adults, and the treatment of leukemia, one of the most frequent tumorous disease in children often leads to full recovery. However, in the case of solid tumours the prospects are worse than this. The researchers working on a winning project in the National Competitiveness and Excellence Programme funded from the NRDI Fund take a unique approach to acquire new knowledge of paediatric solid tumours which may enhance the delivery of new effective medication.

Does life other than ourselves exist somewhere in the universe, and if so, how could we trace it? What conditions are necessary for the development of living organisms – whether similar to or different from the ones on Earth? Can we find extra-terrestrial wet environments being favourable for the development of life? These questions are exciting for scientists and laymen alike. This is why we “interrogate” planet Mars during an international expedition in which Hungarian researchers also take part.

The recycling of scrap rubber – such as scrap tyres – is a key environmental issue. It is, however, more challenging than you would think: due to its vulcanised matrix material with a stable cross-linked structure, scrap rubber can be “degraded” and reprocessed only to a limited extent. Researchers at the Department of Polymer Engineering of Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) have promising research results in the devulcanisation of the cross-linked structure which opens up new ways for the industrial recycling of crumb rubber.

DNA is the cornerstone of every living organism: our uniqueness, our whole existence is encoded in these miniature spirals. Mihály Kovács, researcher at the Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest (ELTE) set out to understand how DNA repair mechanisms work. He submitted his project proposal to the European Research Council (ECR) for funding but despite the positive professional evaluation the project was finally not selected for funding. With a bridge funding from the NRDI Fund, the excellent research biologist can continue his work under predictable conditions, preparing for another international competition with the promise of success on the horizon.

Those who have a car, almost certainly use something that was manufactured by Bosch. The German company has been present in Hungary for 117 years now and has always been at the cutting edge of innovation and scientific research. Launched in 2013, the company’s development programme was implemented in cooperation with the Institute for Computer Science and Control of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, and the University of Miskolc, in search of solutions to the changing needs of the automotive industry. The project was supported with HUF 2 billion (nearly EUR 6.5 million) by the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund in the framework of the ERNYO_13-1-2013 programme. At the closing event of the three-year development process visitors could hold in their hands the next-generation electronic battery sensor, which ensures lower battery consumption and longer lifecycle, as well as the voltage controller which will be built in hybrid electric cars. These devices are already manufactured in Bosch’s manufacturing unit in Hatvan, Hungary. Visitors could also watch a short video about how the displayed, smart sensor based camera and radar systems assist driving and parking.