The tree that doesn't care

The future of aviation is one of the topics we often discuss here in TNW's newsroom. Getting a huge machine full or people and goods to fly in the skies is an awesome fit of engineering, which has brought countless benefits to the society over the past century. Also, planes are just a beautiful thing to look at — the long-grounded hypersonic Concorde being a perfect example.?

However, the sustainability aspect of the industry is concerning to say the least. Although not the biggest polluter, aviation still accounts for some 2.5% of all CO2 emissions (as of 2018), or 1.04 billion tonnes of CO2 per year.?

With all that in mind, we're tracking closely the European startups that work on making flying climate-friendly. This past week, we covered one that's also aiming at re-introducing hypersonic flight at Mach 5; that's some 6,000km/h!

Swiss-based startup called Destinus is developing a hydrogen-powered propulsion system to make this happen, which brings a whole lot of issues and caveats. If those are solved, however, we could be able to catch a net-zero flight from London to New York some day that'd only take 90 minutes!

Check out our story, and do let us know what you think of the future of flying by replying to this email or pinging?@thenextweb?on Twitter.?

What we’re writing about

?? Scientists?renew calls?to rejoin EU’s Horizon after UK unveils backup. Researchers remain concerned about support for innovation?

?? Inside Arm’s vision for the ‘software-defined vehicle’ of the future

?? Mammoth meatball beef?exposes foodtech’s patent problem. Two European startups are fighting over who was the first to "resurrect" the woolly mammoth

??? Swedish startup unveils?first ‘origami’ e-motorcycle?— and €15K price tag. Stilride 1 will launch in 2024.

Announcing TNW Conference 2023: Reclaim the future

As one of the premier tech events and media brands in Europe, we are acutely aware of the power and responsibility that comes with being able to reach millions of people and promote impactful messages. And we believe that this period in TNW Conference’s 17-year history is perhaps more important than ever before.

In the past few turbulent years, we chose not to have an evolving annual theme for the event. Instead, we focused on showcasing our beloved conference as the place where “the next in tech” is discovered, right now. That fundamental aspect will never change, but in 2023, it’s time for us to be bold again.

This summer, let’s go back to when the future excited us. When technology meant hope, innovation, endless possibilities. Not with the all-encompassing techno-optimism of the 2000s, but with a responsible, balanced approach of the 2020s that still leaves us the mental space to be inspired, curious, and empowered.

Join us in Amsterdam?on June 15–16, 2023 to rediscover the excitement and promise that technology holds, and let’s shape a brighter tomorrow together. See you in the future.

Want to read all about it? You can find everything you need to know here.

And if you want to hear what our founder, Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten, and our CEO, Myrthe van der Evre, think about it, you can read BNR's exclusive interview here (Dutch Only).

Keep on shining, people. Until next time!