Get Your Share of H2020’s Funds for Integrative Projects

Being at the edge of multiple research disciplines and trying to get funds for cross-cutting projects isn’t always easy. Would you like to know how cross-cutting projects can bring you European money?

Well, as you probably know, H2020 aims to sustainably boost economic growth and renewing Europe’s industrial capacities. To achieve that, the EU must bring together labs or companies from complementary fields. For instance, several funds are been made available to support these types of projects.

Let’s now discover the type of projects that can claim funds and the topics they should address.

Trans-disciplinary projects get funded

The EU innovation strategy crosses disciplinary boundaries. The strategy is implemented as a funding program: the cross-cutting activities work program.

Projects that are encouraged to apply should involve co-creation of knowledge and outcomes by economic, industrial and research actors, public authorities and/or civil society.

It contains 3 different global strategies which provide calls for proposals. Let’s now see what are the topics of these strategies.

How the EU funds a circular economy for greener products, energy, and water

The aim of the Industry 2020 in the Circular Economy cross-cutting strategy is to show the economic and environmental feasibility of the circular economy approach.

This strategy is also supposed to give an impulse to the re-industrialization of the EU.

In the circular economy, the creation of wealth and jobs is decoupled from the consumption of resources. Also, waste production is minimized in such this economic model.

The core area of the industrial side of this strategy will be focused on nanotechnology and advanced materials.

For this topic, partnerships are based on contractual public-private partnerships (PPP) such as “ factories of the future” and “ sustainable process industries”.

Those partnerships allow the industry to take part directly in the definition and implementation of research and innovation priorities.

The “factories of the future” PPP addresses the increasing global consumer demand for greener, more customized and higher quality products.

The “sustainable process industries” PPP addresses industrial sectors with a high dependence on energy, raw materials, and water.

How the EU funds its “internet of things” strategy

The cross-cutting strategy “internet of things” aims at creating major opportunities for innovation and help develop new markets and industries in Europe.

It promotes the connection between technologies including the Internet, components, big data, cloud or advanced computing. It supports their use for innovative use cases addressing societal challenges.

This strategy is a bridge between the two H2020 pillars, LEIT (leadership in enabling and industrial technologies) and Societal Challenges. It focuses on new opportunities for industrial leadership that address society and its future.

How the EU funds its strategy for “smart and sustainable cities”

The “ smart and sustainable cities” strategy aims at demonstrating the feasibility of developing successful solutions for smart and sustainable cities. The innovative solutions would be replicated at a larger scale in Europe.

The impact scale of this strategy is multiple as it brings together cities, industry, and citizens.

The challenge relies on creating urban spaces powered by affordable and clean energy. There is especially a focus on smart electro-mobility and innovative nature-based solutions.

The “circular economy” strategy funds €10 million per water-related innovative project

It is obvious that with an increasing global demand for food, the demand for agricultural-used water is growing. The call “ Water in the context of the circular economy” addresses this growing demand by funding water-related innovative projects.

This call wants to promote the circular economy model. Participation of industry partners from relevant sectors is considered essential and the active participation of SMEs is encouraged.

In 2017, the applicants should address especially the issue of the next generation of water systems and services. It is also necessary to show the potential of using eco-innovative approaches in water.

For example, the management of water resources and the provision of water services, or the re-use of treated wastewater and the use of desalinated water. It is important to remember that the innovative solutions that should come out of those projects are to be at a large scale: regions or cities.

As the H2020 work program for Cross-cutting activities specifies, the proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of a range of €10 million are realistic and apply. The project participant should seek additional or follow-up funding from private or public organization to back the EU funds up.

The “internet of things” strategy funds €30 million for smart farming and food security projects

Development of sophisticated sensors and robots is actively used for farming management actions. Those wired or wireless sensors could allow gathering all the data needed for monitoring, control, and treatment on farms. The aim would be to get them to exchange information and to intervene autonomously in different agricultural sub-sectors. It could be used throughout the whole food chain to get better traceability.

If you are a stakeholder in the agriculture or food industry, the call “ Smart Farming and Food Security” can be interesting for you. It is part of the internet of things strategy. This strategy works with autonomous initiatives such as this one that are called “pilots”.

To apply, the project should show that the deployment of innovative technology is adapted to the needs of different types and sizes of farms across Europe.

Moreover, the project should address at least three sub-sectors amongst arable crops, livestock, vegetable, and fruit production.

The project should offer to develop a viable European Internet of things (IoT) ecosystems and contribution to IoT infrastructures beyond the duration of the Pilot.

The proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of a range of €20 million for this pilot can be considered.

The “smart and sustainable cities” strategy funds €10 million for innovative nature-based solutions in cities

According to the cross-cutting EU work program, cities accounting for 72% of the European population are major contributors to climate change. They consume 75% of global energy and emit 80% of greenhouse gas generated by human activity.

The challenge is to develop a European reference framework on nature-based solutions. This at a regional and local scale, for city authorities, communities, enterprises and other stakeholders. The aim is to show the benefits of these nature-based solutions. Meaning for example they could enhance climate and water resilience in cities.

To apply for 2017, the projects should address nature-based solutions for inclusive urban regeneration. The solution brought by the project should be focused on neglected cities areas. Those nature-based solutions should also reduce crime and security costs, alongside with enhancing human health, well-being, and social cohesion.

It is important to know that the applying project should have a “front-runner” city as the coaching city, and follower cities. Those “front runner” cities play the role of “living laboratories” as the Commission describes them, to test your solution and then deploy it to the followers.

The EU commission reminds that social sciences and humanities alongside with law and economics knowledge is required in the project to properly address the challenges.

The proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of a range of at least €10 million will be considered to address the challenge appropriately.

After reading this article, you gathered that this call supports systemic innovation that addresses the societal challenges. It encourages a transformation affecting very different areas of R&D including economics, social or environmental dimensions.

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