Shell

Inspired by the shiny lining of mollusk shells, researchers created a cement composite 19 times more flexible and 17 times more crack-resistant than regular cement. Its properties could be applied to brittle ceramic materials like porcelain and concrete.

Gaining an understanding of how an egg's hard outer shell is anchored securely to a soft inner membrane, researchers believe could improve reconstructive surgeries like the repair of torn ligaments, which requires integration of soft and hard materials.

Oil giant Shell is planning the biggest wind-to-hydrogen project in Europe, a colossal 10-gigawatt offshore wind farm in the North Sea feeding a massive electrolysis plant on dry land that'll pump out a million tonnes of clean H2 a year by 2040.

Shell Lubricants has teamed up with Connecticut-based AirFlow Truck Company on "the Starship," a concept big rig fitted with various fuel-saving technologies that is being sent from sea to shining sea on a road trip to test its performance.

​When it first rolled onto the scene as a prototype in 2013, the OX pointed to a future where high-payload trucks could be shipped to developing nations, put together within a day and then used to cart people and cargo over rough terrain. We’ve just gotten a little closer to this reality.

​The perks of a cup of coffee don’t have to end when the grounds are dumped in the trash. Now a London-based company has partnered with Shell to turn the leftovers from this human go-juice into biofuel to help run the English capital’s expansive bus network.

​Although sea shells of various types have been studied as sources of inspiration for impact-resistant manmade materials, the conch shell is known for being particularly tough. And while the reason was already understood, it hadn't been replicated using engineered materials – until now, that is.

​Cashless payments have rolled out on phones and smartwatches, but up until now they hadn't made it into cars. That's set to change, thanks to a collaboration between Jaguar and Shell that allows drivers to pay for their fuel using the touchscreen in their car.

Having previewed the competing teams and tried out one of the cars ourselves in the run-up to the event, we're now able to reveal the results of the 2016 Shell Eco-marathon Europe, which was held in London over the weekend. The overall winning team was French team Microjoule-La Joliverie.

Having covered the Shell Eco-marathon so many times over the years and with the teams gearing up for this year's competition, we thought it was about time we tried our hand at driving one of the cars ourselves. Suffice to say, we won't be winning any efficiency awards anytime soon.

Since 1985, the Shell Eco Marathon has pitched teams of students against each other, in an attempt to see who can travel the furthest using the energy from one liter of fuel.​ It's a simple premise which belies a complex mix of design and engineering challenges.

Shell is perhaps best known for producing what goes into cars, rather than cars themselves. Now, the firm has taken the wraps off a car that it says will use a third less energy in its lifetime than a typical city car and around half the energy to build and run than a typical small family car.