What do you look for when you buy wine? Is price the main consideration? Or do you notice quality logos, region of production or alcohol content? Researchers at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture are studying how these attributes affect your decision. Their goal is to identify attributes Tennessee residents and visitors prefer when evaluating wines produced in the state.

The facilities of the Institute of Ceramic Technology (ITC) hosted a meeting to formally establish the Technical Committee of the Joint GEA Environmental Engineering Research Laboratory. The committee is composed of the Vice-Rector for Innovation, Knowledge Transfer and Science Outreach, David Cabedo; the Director General of AICE, Yolanda Reig; the scientific and technical coordinator on behalf of the UJI, Eliseo Monfort; and the scientific and technical coordinator on behalf of AICE, Irina Celades.

In October 2025, the Universitat Jaume I and the Association for the Research of Ceramic Industries (AICE) signed an addendum to their existing collaboration agreement to create the joint research laboratory GEA – Environmental Engineering Group. Its main aim is to promote joint research and innovation activities within the laboratory’s areas of work, fostering knowledge transfer and exchange in environmental engineering.

A new study assesses how China can optimize electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking under its carbon neutrality target. Using the AIM-China/Steel model, it evaluates provincial potential by integrating scrap supply, interprovincial transport, and energy costs. The results show that EAF deployment is jointly determined by scrap availability and transport feasibility. In scrap-scarce regions, expansion is constrained, requiring cross-regional flows or alternative low-carbon technologies.

A new study examines how carbon pricing affects Japan’s transport sector and regional economies. Using a multi-regional computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, the research evaluates the impacts of a 10% emission reduction target. The results indicate that achieving this target requires a carbon price of approximately 4,153 JPY per ton of CO₂, with only a modest aggregate GDP loss. The policy also reshapes transport demand, shifting activity away from high-emission modes such as water and air transport toward lower-carbon alternatives like rail. The findings highlight that policy design—particularly the coverage of the transport sector and the redistribution of carbon tax revenues—plays a crucial role in balancing efficiency and regional equity.

The prevailing international environment is marked by rising geopolitical tensions, necessitating an in-depth examination of its underlying mechanisms. In a recent research article, a researcher from Waseda University highlights that democracies can weaken through shifts in elite alliances triggered by international economic and geopolitical situations, especially emphasizing the crucial role of economic and political elites, such as business leaders and legislators.