iawards are the first awards of their kind to be backed by the British government, working in partnership with leading entrepreneur James Caan. They will shine a light on new technologies and innovations, showing how they can translate into the innovative products and services that improve our daily lives. They will stimulate commercial interest, as well as helping to bridge the gap between business and the general public.

The objective of the consultation is to help prepare a new EU strategy for the information society, as the current i2010 strategy is coming to a close this year. All citizens and organisations are welcome to contribute to this consultation.

The European Commission's Digital Competitiveness report shows that Europe's digital sector has made strong progress since 2005: 56% of Europeans now regularly use the internet, 80% of them via a high-speed connection (compared to only one third in 2004), making Europe the world leader in broadband internet. Europe is the world's first truly mobile continent with more mobile subscribers than citizens (a take up rate of 119%).

Researchers in Sweden are breaking boundaries in the field of nerve cell communication by creating the first artificial nerve cell capable of communicating with human nerve cells. The research will fuel understanding in the pathophysiology, molecular targets and therapies for the treatment of various nervous system disorders such as Parkinson's disease. The findings have been published in the journal Nature Materials.

The American Health Information Management Association has announced the official opening of a Global Services Office in Brussels, Belgium, establishing itself as the first multinational membership association serving health information management professionals on a global scale.

A team of EU-funded researchers has succeeded in embedding sensing devices directly into textiles to create garments that are not only comfortable and practical to wear, but also smart. The devices will help physicians keep an eye on their patients. Healthwear (Remote health monitoring with wearable non-invasive mobile system) was supported with EUR 990,000 by the EU's eTEN programme.

On 22 July the European Commission called on EU Member States to pool their resources and better coordinate research efforts to combat Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. The proposals adopted by the Commission follow a 2008 recommendation by the Council of the European Union to launch a joint programming initiative in this field in 2009.