20 years after the retiring of the Concorde, a supersonic airliner that took passengers from Paris to New York in just 3.5 hours, the aviation industry is once again dreaming big about the future of sustainable – and fast! – air travel. This week, Horizon Magazine talked to scientists working hard behind the scenes to design pioneering aircraft for next generation air travel. For the past few years, it feels like Europe has moved from one crisis to the next: the COVID-19 pandemic was followed by the war in Ukraine, spiking energy prices and record high inflation, while extreme flooding, wildfires and droughts have become a yearly occurrence. In an interview with Professor Maarja Kruusmaa, member of the EU's Group of Chief Scientific Advisors, we look at the role of scientific advice in EU crisis management. Increasing pressure on water supply is leading to new ways of thinking about existing and underused resources. Wastewater, for example, can be cleaned and added back into the water supply. The EU has partnered with India to develop new circular economy approaches to cleaning up wastewater, using methods inspired by and respectful of nature. | 
