- 1. Human Centric Generative AI made in Europe
- 2. Enabling virtual worlds and augmented interaction in high-impact applications to support the realisation of Industry 5.0
- 3. Enabling the smart edge
- 4. Emerging quantum technology components
- 5. Food from precision fermentation and algae
- 6. Monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics for new variants of emerging viruses
- 7. Renewable energy sources and their whole value chain including materials development and recycling of components
1. Human Centric Generative AI made in Europe
Background and scope:
The rise of generative AI is astonishing. By seamlessly enhancing human abilities with machine capabilities, this next wave of AI may boost productivity in many sectors, create a new industry and also lead to profound socio-economic changes.
Furthermore, Generative AI is likely to revolutionise human-computer interaction, fostering more intuitive, conversational, and adaptive experiences.
Nevertheless, these advantages are not without some limitations. Current generative AI models function based on predictions rather than understanding, and their extensive capabilities and inherent risks are yet to be fully discovered.
The aim of this Challenge is to foster a European, human-centric approach to AI, tackling prevalent issues like transparency deficit and trust inadequacy. European AI start-ups have the potential to develop the next generation of generative AI models that embody EU values and guarantee Europe’s sovereignty in this critical field.
Specific objectives:
This Challenge aims to support the development of:
- foundation language and multimodal ‘frontier’ models that reach performances at least equivalent to the most powerful state of the art large generative models, capable of meeting the needs of European user industry, scientists, public sector and citizens;
- smaller foundation models with highly promising performance competing with frontier models in specific domains.
It is expected that the developed models go beyond the current state of the art in a way suitable for overcoming the current difficulties and limitations of this kind of tools. Examples of areas in which there could be relevant technological improvements include:
- Reliable content: Generative AI models minimising fictional elements;
- Transparency and traceability: Generative AI models allowing to trace the origin of the information provided.
The targeted applicants are primarily SMEs developing models themselves, but could also include SMEs providing innovative infrastructure, development tools, and critical support to the developers of generative AI solutions, in helping the efficient use of existing models while addressing specific issues such as hallucination or limited models knowledge.
The applicant must demonstrate a genuine commitment to developing and deploying “European-Value driven” AI. This European perspective should become a differentiating factor that will bring a competitive advantage to these companies, and also an important element to de-risk future investments.
Expected outcomes and impacts:
This Challenge is expected to reinforce the development of foundation models, which are “European-Value driven”, in line with the trustworthy and ethical principles as well as the (draft) AI Act.
The AI models developed and deployed under this Challenge are expected to comply with the EU concept for Trustworthy AI81 and the relevant ethical principles82 as well as the (draft) AI Act. In that respect, besides performances, due attention should be paid to data quality, transparency, privacy, and security.
Specific conditions:
Any technology under this Challenge must be developed in a robust manner, paying specific attention to safety, security and ethics considerations in future applications.
[Artificial Intelligence has been identified in the list of critical technology areas for the EU’s economic security and recommended for joint priority risk assessments.83 In order to safeguard the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, or security and to achieve the technological objectives and expected outcomes described above, the following additional eligibility condition applies:
- Beneficiaries and recipients of the grant component of Accelerator funding84 must not be directly or indirectly controlled by a non-associated third country or a legal entity established in a non-associated third country85.
Furthermore, in case of an investment support, specific safeguards may be introduced in the investment agreement (see Introduction, section on Economic Security).]
Sources: EIC Work Programme 2023:
BUDGET : 50 M€
XXXEIC Accelerator: https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-funding-opportunities/eic-pathfinder_en
Enabling virtual worlds and augmented interaction in high-impact applications to support the realisation of Industry 5.02. Enabling virtual worlds and augmented interaction in high-impact applications to support the realisation of Industry 5.0
Background and scope:
As recognised in the Communication on “An EU initiative on Web 4.0 and virtual worlds: a head start in the next technological transition”86, virtual worlds will be an important aspect of Europe’s Digital Decade and will impact the way businesses operate, innovate, produce and interact with customers. This Challenge aims at enabling the use of high-fidelity virtual worlds in high-impact markets and applications promoting Industry 5.0 principles of sustainability, human-centric, and resilience by scaling up cutting-edge innovations for platforms, middleware, tools, and devices.
Although virtual worlds are not a new concept, they have only recently started to become feasible. They owe their technical, economic, and social viability to the maturity of a range of enablers, such as the underlying technology building blocks and the connectivity infrastructure. However, the existing technological advances and cutting-edge innovations need to be scaled-up for a mainstream adoption of virtual worlds in industry. This requires implementing a human-centric approach in the technology design and deployment, based on partnerships with industry, involvement of end-users, such as workers or customers, and cross-sector cooperation.
In addition, this Challenge aims to orient the application of the solutions developed with virtual worlds technologies to Industry 5.0 Challenges, which are pressuring industry in a complex global economic, ecological and social context. The Challenge would thus fund solutions responding to industry needs for upskilled talent, resource efficiencyandcosteffectiveness,aswellaslowercarbonemissions. Suchapproaches are necessary to ensure that both industry and society reap the benefits of the technologies to the fullest potential by, for example, lowering their cost, applying their use to sustainability or industry resilience challenges, to enhancing collaboration in work environments and workers’ learning, or improving ergonomics.
Specific objectives:
The specific objective of the Challenge is to support the development and deployment of advanced virtual worlds technology solutions for industry which are human centric, sustainable, and resilient in their design and / or user contexts. The introduction to the market of innovations in the following areas and their scale up in exploiting new market opportunities is encouraged:
▪ Artificial Intelligence, e.g., for intelligent human-centric agents that interact with users, to create and script adaptive virtual worlds and interaction scenarios, and to provide more intuitive and accessible immersive experiences in dynamic Industry 5.0 application contexts: innovation management or operations management, such as collaborative worker platforms, rapid waste- less prototyping in virtual labs, knowledge valorisation across different teams, as well as remote working in challenging environments.
▪ Distributed ledger technology, e.g., for enabling secure and transparent transactions and for facilitating the management of digital assets in and across virtual worlds or in relation to linked physical assets in industrial applications, for instance in order to support adoption of technology applications for multi - site Industry 5.0.
▪ Spatial computing and location mapping, e.g., for spatially aware virtual worlds applications through accurate positioning of objects and users, realistic physics simulations, or for virtual world experiences closely tied to industrial physical locations and spaces.
▪ Digital twins for resilient and safer transport technologies and sustainable urban mobility systems. Digital twins can also help to optimise performance and decision-making in industrial contexts, including the development of sensors and sensor fusion analysis.
▪ Wearables, smart textiles and smart objects to complement and enrich users’ interactions through virtual worlds, e.g., for realistic, immersive or embodied experiences and interactions with improved ergonomics and cost-effective enabling applications contributing to Industry 5.0 goals.
▪ Development of AR/VR solutions for worker augmentation and learning, for remote expert assistance& development management, including for skills training or customer onboarding in industrial applications.
Expected outcomes and impacts:
Proposals are expected to aim at a sufficient integration of high -risk innovations with state-of-the-art building blocks (proprietary or not) towards compelling in-situ demonstration of clear added-value from using virtual worlds in high-impact markets, supporting the realisation of industry 5.0, with clear up-take in the market and scale up exploitation.
Expected outcomes of the innovations include:
▪ enabling skills upgrades, talent attraction, employee well-being and knowledge retention; and
▪ cost-effectiveness and resource efficiency for industryInteroperability between solutions is a key point for the free movement of users and tools between virtual worlds and avoids the phenomenon of gate keepers.
Specific conditions
The AI models developed and /or applied under this Challenge must comply with the EU concept for Trustworthy AI87 and the relevant ethical principles88 as well as the (draft) AI Act. In that respect, in addition to performance, due attention should be paid to data quality, transparency, privacy, and security. In addition, the AR/VR and AI tools should be developed and / or applied based on human-centricity principles. This European perspective should become a differentiating factor that brings a competitive advantage to these companies, as well as being an important element in de-risking future investments.
Budget 50 M€
XXXEIC Accelerator: https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-funding-opportunities/eic-pathfinder_en
Enabling the smart edge3. Enabling the smart edge
Background and scope
The concept of the smart edge encompasses a wide range of devices situated in or near the location where data is acquired or generated. As data processing moves closer to the edge of the network, a new generation of smart edge devices is emerging, requiring innovative solutions for low-power processing, sensing, and communication.
The concept of smart edge recognises the limitations and challenges of relying solely on centralized cloud-based processing. By bringing intelligence closer to the data source, smart edge offers several advantages for instance with real -time processing at the edge, there is a significant reduction in latency, which is crucial for applications that require immediate responses and actions. Other advantages include bandwidth optimization that is particularly important in scenarios where network connectivity is limited or expensive, enhanced privacy and security by keeping sensitive data locally and reducing the exposure of data during transmission, as well as real-time decision- making without relying on cloud connectivity or remote servers. The potential market size for smart edge solutions is expected to be significant, driven by the increasing adoption of edge computing, IoT, and AI technologies across various industries,, with an expected growth rate between 30% and 40% until 2023, according to most market analysts.
Specific objectives
The objective of this Challenge is to promote the development of novel semiconductor components and integrated smart systems for next-generation edge devices with significant impact. The proposals should focus on development of smart integrated devices where the competitive advantage may lie in the system approach or in one of the key components or technologies, such as the following:
- Edge Processing – involving the design and/or integration of edge processors that minimize energy consumption and enable real-time decisions: low- and ultralow-power processors, open-source processor cores, embedded System-on- Chip processors, programmable processors (e.g.,FPGAs), AI accelerators, and neuromorphic processors. Processors will require low-latency non-volatile memory for local data storage; some NV-RAMs allow for highly efficient in- memory computing and analog computing. Security is another critical aspect and may involve cryptographic accelerators and hardware security modules.
- Edge Sensing and Imaging- including the design and/or integration of components for data acquisition: optical sensors, Lidars, Radars, T-o-F sensing, biometric sensing, environmental sensing, chemical and gas sensing, and MEMS.
- Edge Communication - covering the design and/or integration of connectivity and communication technologies on chips for edge devices: 5G and 6G wireless communication, low-power wireless communication, optical connectivity, mesh networking, software-defined networking, and security protocols for edge and IoT applications.
- Edge Power Management - involving the design and/or integration of components to efficiently manage and utilise power, such as those based on wide bandgap materials. This includes solutions for dynamic power management, sleep mode optimization, battery optimization, and energy harvesting for sustainable and autonomous operation.
- Integrated Smart Edge Devices - referring to highly integrated customised edge devices based on System-on-Chip integration, System-in-Package integration, heterogeneous integration, and modular design of components, such as chiplets, for integration into customized edge devices through advanced packaging technologies, including 2.5D and 3D packaging, enabling improvements in device miniaturisation, performance and reliability.
Relevant examples of the use of integrated chips in edge devices include smart cameras, wearables, hearing aids, AR/VR gear, industrial automation devices, drones, as well as network edge nodes, 5G/6G base stations, and autonomous vehicles. Proposals should demonstrate high potential for commercial deployment in key EU industry sectors such as industrial automation, information and communication, mobility, health and well-being, agri-food, security, and energy.
Expected outcomes and impacts
This Challenge should lead to deep-tech innovations for next-generation edge and IoT semiconductor ships devices that will have important impact for the smart edge, including:
- Industrial Automation: enabling real-time monitoring of machinery, predictive maintenance, and automated decision-making to increase productivity, reduce downtime, and improve safety in industrial settings.
- Mobility: enabling intelligent transportation systems and new mobility services and models, (e.g.,automated vehicles) significantly improving efficiency, effectiveness, safety, and sustainability.
- Smart Cities: enabling real-time monitoring of traffic, energy usage, air quality, leading to reduced congestion, improved sustainability, and enhanced quality of life for city residents.
- Health and Well-being: enable remote patient monitoring, personalized treatment plans, and real-time analysis of medical data to improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and increase access to care.
- Agriculture: more efficient and sustainable by enabling precision farming techniques to increased crop yields, reduced water usage, and enhanced environmental sustainability.
- Environmental Monitoring: to improve resource management, early warning systems for natural disasters, and enhanced environmental sustainability.
Specific conditions
[This area has been identified in the list of critical technology areas for the EU’s economic security and recommended for joint priority risk assessments.90 In order to safeguard the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, or security and to achieve the technological objectives and expected outcomes described above, the following additional eligibility condition applies:
- Beneficiaries and recipients of the grant component of Accelerator funding91 must not be directly or indirectly controlled by a non-associated third country or a legal entity established in a non-associated third country92.
Furthermore, in case of an investment support, specific safeguards may be introduced in the investment agreement (see Introduction, section on Economic Security).]
Budget 50M€ (For challenge 3 & challenge 4)
At least 30% of this budget will be allocated to the Quantum technology components and at least 30% to the semiconductor chip development areas. The remainder will be flexibly allocated to either area in function of the successful submissions.
XXXEIC Accelerator: https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-funding-opportunities/eic-pathfinder_en
Emerging quantum technology components4. Emerging quantum technology components
Background and scope:
The focus of this Accelerator Challenge is on fostering innovation in the area of quantum information processing components. Europe is a global leader in research in quantum technologies. Translating this level of R&D excellence into market innovation is a strategic priority, but companies set up to do that mostly struggle to get the necessary funding to scale-up. Supporting European deep tech start-ups in the development of hardware components, including specific components for quantum technologies, is key for strengthening Europe’s technological sovereignty and is critical for transitioning innovations from lab to market. Quantum technologies represent a major paradigm shift of the way we develop devices at nanoscale. These novel technologies are expected to have significant effect on the entire European economy. Advancing innovation capabilities in the area of quantum technologies can increase the strategic innovation and engineering capacities of Europe, giving rise to a range of new products and business models. The latter will enable European companies to take a leading role in a market, which is expected to grow from EUR 1.7 billion in 2021 to EUR 94 billion by 2040 in an aggressive disruption scenario. This strategic area is particularly focused on the development of emerging, fault- tolerant quantum computing hardware components (e.g.,by using different types of qubits and a new methods for controlling them), quantum sensors that work in real environment, as well as quantum communication devices that can be deployed in a real environment for practical applications such as quantum repeaters, devices for quantum-based encryption etc. Innovation in any segment of the value chain for the development of quantum technology components is addressed. Quantum computing (QC) and quantum simulation has already attracted investments from large multinational companies and governmental research and innovation programmes. Yet, QC hardware still suffers from large error rates during computation. In addition, none of today’s solutions (and even proposed solutions and those demonstrated on a small scale), come close to the need for a control system that scales to many thousands of qubits. Quantum sensors have a very wide range of applications and have already made significant improvements in recent years in both quality and fabrication methods. However, large number of them can only operate in tightly controlled environment such as laboratories or very specific testbeds. Quantum communication is of crucial importance for ultra-secure communications and Europe needs to scale up the production of the underlying components and systems to deploy quantum-based infrastructures based on trusted European technology.
Specific objectives
The objective of this Challenge is to support ground-breaking innovations that have a high potential to develop:
- Full stack fault-tolerant quantum computing with:
- improved performance
- significantly simplified QPU (Quantum Processing Units) integration with control electronics
- scalable control systems (scalable to tens of thousands of qubits, needed for meaningful practical applications)
- software development
- Quantum sensing components to function in real/harsh environment for various application areas, such as ecotoxicology, pharmaceuticals, biomedical, space, corrosion detection in power plants, gas/oil tanks, raw material detection, medical imaging, automotive and many more.
- Quantum communication devices that can be deployed in a real environment such as quantum repeaters, devices for quantum-based encryption etc.
Expected outcomes and impacts
This Challenge is expected to support the EU in taking a leading role in the development of cutting-edge quantum computing/simulation and quantum sensing and quantum communications that can be used in real environment and deployed in various areas.
In mid and long term, this Challenge is expected to expand the quantum capabilities of Europe, underpin its economic resilience and digital sovereignty. It should pave the way for Europe to be at the cutting-edge of quantum capabilities by 2030 as envisioned by the 2030 Digital Compass: the European way for the Digital Decade Policy Programme
Specific conditions
Any technology under this Challenge must be developed in a robust manner, paying specific attention to safety, security and ethics considerations in future applications. While the European Union has done a lot to respond to major technological challenges in recent years, in light of the risks that certain economic dependencies and technical evolutions can present, it now needs a comprehensive strategic approach to economic security, de-risking and promoting its technological edge in critical sectors.
[Quantum has been identified in the list of critical technology areas for the EU’s economic security and recommended for joint priority risk assessment.93 In order to safeguard the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, or security and to achieve the technological objectives and expected outcomes described above, the following additional eligibility condition applies:
- Beneficiaries and recipients of the grant component of Accelerator funding94 must not be directly or indirectly controlled by a non-associated third country or a legal entity established in a non-associated third country95.
Furthermore, in case of an investment support, specific safeguards may be introduced in the investment agreement (see Introduction, section on Economic Security).]
At least 30% of this budget will be allocated to the Quantum technology components and at least 30% to the semiconductor chip development areas. The remainder will be flexibly allocated to either area in function of the successful submissions.
Budget 50M€ (For challenge 3 & challenge 4)
At least 30% of this budget will be allocated to the Quantum technology components and at least 30% to the semiconductor chip development areas. The remainder will be flexibly allocated to either area in function of the successful submissions.
XXXEIC Accelerator: https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-funding-opportunities/eic-pathfinder_en
Food from precision fermentation and algae5. Food from precision fermentation and algae
Background and scope:
Land based agricultural production is the source of approximately 95% of human food nutrients (UN FAO). Intensive and often inappropriate practices in agriculture have however resulted in severe soil degradation, thereby reducing the capacity of soils to support food production and other important ecosystem services such as the regulation of water, nutrients and carbon cycles. Soil degradation is further accelerated by the effects of climate change leading to significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the release of nutrients. When combined with an increasing human population, likely to increase net demand for food by a further 60%96, there is a clear rationale to explore complementary routes to food production that are efficient, resilient, and sustainable, thereby helping the sector realise its net zero ambitions. This Accelerator Challenge focuses on supporting the production of food from precision fermentation and algae that decouples food production from the soil and environmental conditions. It looks to support the development of viable alternatives that complement agriculture, and capable of producing foods rich in proteins, fats, carbohydrates, dietary fibres, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients by bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and algae in quantities that are comparable to, or even greater than, foods of traditional plant or animal origin. Such foods may also thus deliver precision nutrition that provides consumers with healthier alternatives with regard to reference intakes of nutrients, thereby contributing to maintain the overall health of the general population. These foods could be produced from agricultural side streams and wastes instead of high-value crops, and used for human consumption, as a nutritional supplement, ingredient, or for animal feed. The benefits of such a shift include ease of production, independence from climate conditions, reduced pressure on natural resources such as land and water, reduced hazards associated with the use of pesticides and antibiotics, and cost-effectiveness. A shift from the current livestock production system would also reduce dependency on feed imports, with beneficial effects on reducing global biodiversity losses.
Specific objectives:
In support of the EU Soil Mission, the EU Green Deal, Farm to Fork strategy, Fit for 55 and REPowerEU policy actions, the key goal of this Challenge is to support the production of sustainable and nutritious food from precision fermentation and algae.
Innovations must go beyond incremental changes to the state of the art and deliver novel production processes that must deliver energy and resource efficient, low- emission foods that are integral to a healthy diet. The approaches taken must be scalable based on a range of process parameters such as, but not limited to light, temperature, and pressure to allow custom modification of the final product to a range of operating environments including those with high, or even extreme, resource constraints without compromising the potential gains from a shift to food from precision fermentation and algae. Further, innovations must also ensure a closed circle production process to prevent the release of micro-organisms or other contaminantsthroughwastestreams. Allprojectsmustthereforeprovidealifecycle assessment taking into account environmental, social and economic considerations.
The specific objectives of this Challenge are the development and scaling up of interdisciplinary solutions in the areas of:
- Bacteria, yeast or fungi-based fermentation systems
- Macro-and micro-algae based novel aquaculture systems.
Proposals are expected to consider regulatory aspects alongside issues surrounding consumer acceptance and articulate suitable strategies to support market entry within and beyond the EU.
Expected outcomes and impacts:
This Challenge aims to improve the sustainability, efficiency, and resilience of the European food supply chain through decoupling food production from the soil and minimising environmental impacts including water pollution. It looks to support radical technological innovation with possible disruptive effects on existing markets to secure additional food sources while preserving the environment and supporting biodiversity at the same time. Viable alternatives are critical to address challenges linked to climate change and the environment including biodiversity loss and pollution. In doing so, this Challenge will foster EU technological autonomy and leadership in delivering scalable food production processes that can generate benefits to consumers in Europe and beyond. Further, the development of novel foods and processes may also help provide consumers with healthier alternatives thereby decreasing the incidence of food- related health conditions amongst the general population.
Budget : 50 M€
XXXEIC Accelerator: https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-funding-opportunities/eic-pathfinder_en
Monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics for new variants of emerging viruses6. Monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics for new variants of emerging viruses
Background and scope:
Pandemics and large-scale outbreaks can claim millions of lives and cause significant levels of social and economic disruption. mRNA-based prophylactic vaccines and therapeutics played a critical role in enabling a return to normalcy following the global SARS-CoV2pandemic. However, the pandemic exposed global vulnerabilities to future such events with the emergence of new variants of the virus of high concern. This calls for the development of variant-proof antiviral therapeutics that can maintain treatment efficacy even as viruses evolve.
Current evidence suggests that monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), have the potential to deliver such targeted antiviral therapies that can complement vaccination in the event of future outbreaks. mAbs-based therapies can deliver high specificity in the treatment of viral infections and provide immediate protection, in the case of immunosuppressed individuals who are often at the highest risk of infection.
Several mAbs received emergency use authorisation (EUA) from regulatory agencies worldwide during the SARS-CoV2 pandemic and work underway through the World Health Organisation (WHO) sees their potential being explored in areas such as HIV, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) alongside their preventative potential in the case of HIV. Researchers are also exploring the use of mAbs for infections such as Malaria and Leishmaniasis. Despite the increasing use of mAbs-based therapeutics for a wide range of diseases, the emergence of new variants of high concern for known or emerging pathogens remains a major challenge for the humanity. To address this global challenge, this EIC Challenge will support the development of mAbs-based therapeutics against new variants of emerging pathogens of high concern, as a line of defence complementary to new vaccines.
Specific objectives:
In the era of pandemic preparedness and precision medicine, the overall goal of this EIC Challenge is to support the development of strategic approaches leading to broad spectrum mAbs-based therapeutics against new variants of emerging pathogens of high concern. Applicants to the Challenge can address:
- Broad-spectrum mAbs-based therapies
- More effective mAbs-based therapies (e.g., address the issue of inter-individual
- Clinical administration of broad spectrum mAbs-based therapeuticsto
- Rapid production of mAbs-based therapies: technological innovations that
- Administration of mAbs-based therapeutics: new technologies that can simplify the administration of mAbs, thereby extending the half-life of the antibody or injecting mRNA coding for a mAb.
variability)
outpatients with mild symptoms in overwhelmed hospitals or in dealing with
hypersensitivity to treatment
can allow for the production of a mAb, including test batches during the development phase, with minimal lead time, enabling rapid availability of a product in the event of an outbreak.
Expected outcomes and impacts:
This Challenge aims to enhance the EU’s response to future pandemics. It will provide solutions that can complement efforts to deliver rapid detection and analysis of virus variants, in coordination with relevant international systems and networks (such as the HERA incubator) and will ensure that the development of new antiviral treatments target the variants of highest concern. It will also help develop a platform of approaches that can ensure efficacy of future treatment in the event that new variants of high concern exhibit decreased susceptibility to current mAbs.
Budget: 50M€
7. Renewable energy sources and their whole value chain including materials development and recycling of components7. Renewable energy sources and their whole value chain including materials development and recycling of components
Background and scope:
In 2022 the global investments in renewable energy and fuels overtook the investment in fossil fuels. To transform the European Union (EU) into a resource- efficient economy while preserving Europe’s natural environment and tackling climate change it is crucial to develop renewable energy-based systems. Renewable energy sources (RES), such as solar thermal and photovoltaic, wind, hydro, geothermal, heat pumps, bio and renewable fuels, and their whole value/supply chain from raw materials mining to components manufacturing and further recycling, are at the centre of the energy-based systems to reach energy transition and the EU green deal goals.
For Europe to drive such renewable energy transition, it is necessary to invest more in the development of RES and minimize both their environmental impact and levelized cost of energy (LCOE).
Currently EU is importing from third countries part of the “enabling” components of the RES, such as critical raw materials (CRM). To make the EU reach the strategic net- zero manufacturing capacity and at least 40% of annual deployment energy needs by 2030 it is necessary to scale up the manufacturing, and the whole supply chain of clean technologies, such as RES, in the EU.
Specific objectives:
This challenge aims at scaling-up different RES and their supply chain to limit the EU’s significant dependency on imports of components including CRM to ultimately increase the EU’s energy strategic autonomy in the energy sector. This challenge contributes to the objectives of both Net-zero industry and Critical raw materials acts and to the EU’s open strategic autonomy.
This challenge focuses on RES and its proposals can target one or more of the following objectives:
- scale-up the manufacturing of RES that produce heat and electricity from renewable sources at different scales (e.g., power plants or at small scale level), location (on or offshore) and uses (from stationary to mobility).
- Scale up of technologies for exploring, mining and or processing, synthesizing materials, excluding CRM, that are part of RES.
- Scale-up of technologies for recycling or re-use of RES components, including materials, into usable materials and/or components.
The abovementioned technologies (including materials) have to be developed without using CRM or ensuring the maximization of their recycle/reuse so ensuring a circular economy approach. As well they need to minimize the environmental footprint measured through a life-cycle analysis (including cost and social impact evaluation).
Expected outcomes and impacts:
- Strengthen the European value chain producing RES.
- Limit the EU’s significant dependency on imports CRM and components necessary for the renewable energy transition.
- Enable a more diversified and risk-aware configuration of the European value chain of the RES.
Budget: 50M€