HORIZON EUROPE: New technologies and solutions for reducing the environmental and climate footprint of RIs

Expected Outcome

Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:

• reduction of environmental (including climate-related) impacts;
• optimisation of resource and energy consumption integrated through the full life cycle of research infrastructures;
• increased long-term sustainability of European research infrastructures.

Scope

The aim of this topic is to deliver innovative technologies and solutions which reduce the environmental and climate footprint of RIs through the full life cycle of research infrastructures. Proposals should identify common methodologies, among the concerned RIs, to assess environmental impact and strategies to reduce it, as well as efficiency gains in the broader ecosystem.

Proposals should address the following aspects, as relevant:

• new technologies and solutions for research infrastructures enabling transformative resource efficiency (e.g. energy consumption) and reduction of environmental (including climate-related) impacts, including, when relevant, more sustainable and efficient ways of collecting, processing and providing access to data;
• validation and prototyping;
• training of RI staff for the operation and use of the new solutions;
• action plans to deploy the new developments at wider scale and ensure their sustainability;
• measures to ensure an environmentally effective integration of the solutions in the local contexts;
• societal engagement to foster acceptance of the solutions in the local and regional communities.

Consortia should be built around a leading core of at least 3 world-class research infrastructures, being ESFRI infrastructures, European Research Infrastructures Consortia (ERICs) and/or other world-class research infrastructures of European interest and can include a wider set of RIs. Other technological partners, including industry and SMEs, should also be involved, thus promoting innovation and knowledge sharing through co-development of new technical solutions for research infrastructures.

Proposals should built on and explain any synergies and complementarities with previous or current EU grants, including grants funded under other parts of the Framework Programmes.

In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.

A research infrastructure is of European interest when is able to attract users from EU or associated countries other than the country where the infrastructure is located.

Deadline

9 March 2023

For further information: Funding & tenders