Life Science Alliance: Closing Research and Innovation Divide in the EU

The aim of the project is to establish a European Alliance of ten progressive research institutions from nine less performing countries that are committed to work jointly towards closing the EU divide in health R&I. The Alliance represents a remedial action, which builds on outcomes of the previously performed initiatives analyzing health R&I barriers and enabling factors as proposed by e.g. DanuBalt and RegHealth-RI projects. Alliance4Life consortium will concentrate efforts on both (1) mutual learning and sharing practical experience, and (2) receiving motivating feedback from high performing research institutions. We will establish Focus Groups, open platforms for idea generation and exchange of knowledge, working within eight domains of expertise: science evaluation, HR and recruitment, research funding, core facilities and big data, technology transfer, bio-ethics, science communication, and mobility. In all the domains of expertise, the formation of Alliance4Life enables experience-driven approach focused on best practice cases realized by its members, avoiding actions that failed in the past and promoting those that demonstrated high impact at reasonable cost. The learning process will contribute to institutional reforms in research management and support increased participation in international consortia. The Alliance will develop progressive strategies including suggestions for exploitation of the potential provided by synergies between ESIF and H2020, which will be coordinated with the health R&I managing authorities of the particular less performing countries. The local stakeholders will be motivated to take up proposed strategies through series of national roundtables on institutional and research policy reforms. Spill-over effects will be further fueled by development of training modules and large-scale dissemination of project results.


MOKSLO INOVACIJU IR TECHNOLOGIJU AGENTURA

Good practices in SME innovation support

Throughout the EU, the fragmentation of innovation ecosystems and the lack of interconnection between public national and regional agencies appear to be one of the main obstacles to securing support for the most promising SMEs. The GO-SME project responds to the need to provide financial support to SMEs and start-ups for the development of their innovative ideas. The aim of GO-SME is to share the best practices of participating research funding organisations (RFOs) and their mutual learning in designing programmes which would support SMEs and start-ups in an initial assessment of their innovative ideas so that they can progress to more advanced stages of innovation development. To achieve this aim, a combination of the following activities will be used: 1/learning from best practices already applied in support schemes for innovative SMEs and startups,  2/motivation of agencies from widening countries to design innovation support schemes for  SMEs and start-ups, 3/cooperation in the setting up of comparable support schemes and sets of selection criteria,  4/sharing of best practices in the work with (international) experts and sharing of their pools 5/learning from best practices in providing coaching and mentoring services to innovative SMEs and start-ups 6/mutual opening up pools of coaches and mentors  7/offering of special services to running projects which will be selected as the most promising by an independent international panel. The added value of the project rests in its ambition to design national and regional programmes supporting innovative SMEs which could act as a pipeline for the EIC Accelerator and be part of the “plug-in” mechanism. At the same time, it can serve as a pilot project for a possible partnership co-funded from innovation ecosystems in the Horizon Europe programme.


Boosting Widening Digital Innovation Hubs

BOWI project addresses the challenge of limited capacities among DIHs to support the uptake of SAE/I4MS technologies during the last 7 years in the European industry at large. The overall aim of the project is to create a DIH widening network that supports the collaboration of new DIHs (proto-hubs) in regions where SAE and I4MS technologies are underrepresented and well-established DIHs that are highly experienced in these technologies (mature hubs). BOWI takes the first step towards creating a fully sustainable post-project network by: 1.	Strengthening proto-hubs by carrying out actual experiments and facilitating the collaboration between proto-hubs and mature hubs; 2.	Ensuring sustainability of BOWI network by developing a blended financing accelerator and membership model; 3.	Creating the BOWI community, initiating the participation of proto-hubs, mature hubs, regional stakeholders, and investors. The mechanism will be first tested by supporting 6 pioneer proto-hubs (pioneer stage), which will be later extended to 9 proto-hubs in the second full-fledged strengthening stage, allowing new members of the EU DIH community to participate, including the proto-hubs and mature hubs that are currently not part of the consortium. The post-project BOWI network business model is to be explored, including service and funding needs. To ensure practical experience, all 15 proto-hubs will be supported to conduct 60 (15x4) SAE/I4MS uptake experiments with SMEs in total. For this purpose, an extensive FSTP approach will be used. The consortium includes experienced partners that participate intensively in the SAE/I4MS strategies (Civitta, FBA, VTT, and RWTH). They are complemented by 6 proto-hubs from various countries that act as pioneer hubs to test and validate approaches (TIT, LITC, UWB, KTP, NTNU, ICT).

Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies (LEIT)


Digital Technologies, Advanced Robotics and increased Cyber-security for Agile Production in Future European Manufacturing Ecosystems

The main objective of TRINITY is to create a network of multidisciplinary and synergistic local digital innovation hubs (DIHs) composed of research centers, companies, and university groups that cover a wide range of topics that can contribute to agile production: advanced robotics as the driving force and digital tools, data privacy and cyber security technologies to support the introduction of advanced robotic systems in the production processes. The result will be a one-stop shop for methods and tools to achieve highly intelligent, agile and reconfigurable production, which will ensure Europe’s welfare in the future.  The network will start its operation by developing demonstrators in the areas of robotics we identified as the most promising to advance agile production, e.g. collaborative robotics including sensory systems to ensure safety, effective user interfaces based on augmented reality and speech, reconfigurable robot workcells and peripheral equipment (fixtures, jigs, grippers, …), programming by demonstration, IoT, secure wireless networks, etc. These demonstrators will serve as reference implementation for two rounds of open calls for application experiments, where companies with agile production needs and sound business plans will be supported by TRINITY DIHs to advance their manufacturing processes. Besides technology-centered services, primarily laboratories with advanced robot technologies and know-how to develop innovative application experiments, TRINITY network of DIHS will also offer training and consulting services, including support for business planning and access to financing. Services of participating DIHs and dissemination of information to wider public will be provided through a digital access point that will be developed in the project. Another important activity of the project will be the preparation of a business plan to sustain the network after the end of the project funding.


VALSTYBES SIENOS APSAUGOS TARNYBA PRIE VIDAUS REIKALU MINISTERIJOS

Detecting Document frauD and iDentity on the fly

The D4FLY project will augment the current capabilities and capacities of border authorities in countering emerging threats in document and identity verification (e.g., forged documents, impostor fraud, morphed faces) at manual and highly automated border control points and in the issuance process of genuine documents. The confluence of D4FLY set of tools and systems will improve the quality of verification and reduce major time sinks in the processes thus enabling real on-the-move border crossing experience for travelers. Novel sensor hardware based on advanced lightfield cameras and novel algorithms developed in the project will enhance verification accuracy and robustness via the combined usage of 2D+thermal face, 3D face, iris and somatotype biometrics. Analytical means to identify known criminals based on somatotype and 3D face data generated from mugshots and observation data will be developed. Various operational needs of end-users with different threat landscapes constitute the backbone of D4FLY development efforts. D4FLY will create a resilient document verification system that can verify a multitude of physical and electronic security features (e.g. Kinegrams®, MLIs, CLIs), detect complex forms of electronic fraud and advanced morphing, and identify fraud in breeder documents. The potential benefit of blockchain technology in identity verification will also be investigated. The D4FLY solution will consist of a border control kiosk geared with enhanced enrolment, verification and detection capabilities; smartphones applications for improved performance and verification capabilities; and a non-stop on-the-move system for biometric verification. The innovation will be validated against European societal values, fundamental rights, privacy, data protection and applicable legislation. Four different border control points and one document fraud expertise center will form the project’s testing and demonstration ground.

Secure societies - Protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens


LearnIng from Failure in a collaborative Entrepreneurship network

The LIFE project is about collaborative learning from failure in entrepreneurship and collaborative actions to bring entrepreneurship forward.  Although cultural diversity is one of Europe’s biggest assets, this also creates severe obstacles for entrepreneurs to scale their efforts at the pan-European level. The distributed markets, language barriers and decentralized policy leads to: lack of access to talent & relevant expertise, to sufficient financing and to adequate facilities & networks.  Hinged on a yearly Failing Forward conference, the project will  - map out all the relevant stakeholders and programs in each of the partnering areas in a systematic way, making this available to all web entrepreneurs across Europe in one centralized platform, - identify, share and discuss best practices & success stories   This yearly pan-European conference in Brussels will be complemented with local spin-off events in the partner regions, to  -	generate and grow awareness that failure is an inherent part of the process of entrepreneurship and innovation; -	share and celebrate the success stories that were built on incremental learning; -	open up the existing startup support programs to web entrepreneurs from all over Europe


TUneable Multiferroics based on oxygen OCtahedral Structures

The main objective of the project is development of new lead-free multiferroic materialshe  for prospective application in forms of films and/or arranged layers in which the cross-coupling (magnetic-dipolar-elastic) can be tuned by both internal and external factors. This objective is to be achieved through preparation, investigation, and optimization of two kinds of Bi-containing oxygen-octahedral (BCOO) systems with paramagnetic ions involved: metastable perovskites and layered double hydroxides (LDHs). The characteristic feature of such materials is a possibility of supplementary control parameters in addition to temperature and external electric/magnetic field. Polarization in such metastable perovskites is easily switched by application of external pressure (or stress in the case of films). Electric and magnetic characteristics of BCOO LDHs are tuned through appropriate anion exchanges. It makes these characteristics dependent on environment conditions: humidity, pH, and presence of specific anion species. The BCOO materials of both mentioned groups are of interest as new and unusual multiferroics. No LDH materials have been considered as potential multiferroics so far, while the metastable BCOO materials proposed in this project have not been obtained before. Besides, a tuneability and high sensibility of their properties to external impacts make them promising for applications in sensors. Exploration and development of such materials require consolidation of specialists of complementary expertise in Physics, Chemistry, and Materials Science, with access to and skills in using specific and unique equipment and facilities. Therefore, formation of an interdisciplinary network of teams with different scientific culture and ensuring the effective knowledge & expertise transfer is important objective of the project. Advance in development of the BCOO multiferroics has potential market opportunities for R&D SME involved in this project.


LIETUVOS MAISTO EKSPORTUOTOJU ASOCIACIJA (LITMEA)

Systemic Innovations Towards a Zero Food Waste Supply Chain

ZeroW has set the ambitious target of playing a key role in the transition of current food systems towards halving Food Loss & Waste (FLW) by 2030 and reaching near-zero FLW by 2050.  ZeroW provides significant impacts through the demonstration of innovations in nine real-life food chains, by employing a systemic innovation approach, to effectively address the multidimensional issue of FLW. This involves:  (i) pre-identifying systemic innovations, that incorporate multiple interlinked dimensions (process, organisational, strategy, marketing, product, technological, governance, etc.), which are tested and demonstrated;  (ii) steering the evolution of innovations towards higher levels of systemic readiness and impact, using a Living Lab co-creation and multi-actor collective learning approach; (iii) enhancing the Living Lab actors’ innovation advancement capability with shared resources facilitating new ways and means of cooperating and co-developing innovations;  (iv) developing context-specific trajectories for the systemic innovations (from ideation to scaling-up and commercialisation) leading to the provision of currently missing end products and services that align with consumer attitudes, food actor needs and policy trends.  Moreover, ZeroW establishes a clear ‘FLW impact trajectory’, from demonstrator results (2025), scaled up to meet the F2F 2030 goals, and steered through a ‘just transition pathway’ towards a near-zero FLW in 2050.

Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research


HERA Joint Research Programme Public Spaces: Culture and Integration in Europe

The HERA Joint Research Programme European Public Space, Culture and Integration (HERA JRP PS) consortium will establish a 4th joint transnational programme for multi-disciplinary research. The HERA JRP PS involves the launch of a joint Call for Proposals and a commonly-agreed two-stage evaluation process involving an independent, international Review Panel. The consortium expects to fund about 20 transnational humanities centred projects of ~1 M EUR each.   The aim of the HERA “Public spaces” programme will be to deepen the theoretical and empirical cultural understanding of public spaces in a European context. The programme has been designed to facilitate a broad range of cultural approaches to conceptualising public space, its structural and processual formations, and its possible outcomes in terms of integration, exclusion, disintegration, fragmentation, hybridization, amalgamation or transmission.   Twenty-four organisations from 24 EU countries have pooled a substantial amount of their humanities research funding for this new HERA JRP increasing the efficiency and impact of public funding.   The HERA JRP PS consortium will also actively support knowledge exchange activities and stimulate wider dissemination about the valuable contributions of new humanities research. Furthermore, the HERA JRP PS will pursue additional activities aiming at international capacity-building in humanities research and explore and prepare new joint actions.

Europe in a changing world - inclusive, innovative and reflective Societies


VIESOJI ISTAIGA LIETUVOS INOVACIJU CENTRAS

Law, Science and Technology Joint Doctorate: Rights of the Internet of Everything

Internet of Everything (IoE) is one of the major technological trends, going beyond the ongoing Internet of Things era focused only on connecting devices. IoE looks at the connection of devices, persons and data via processes: “IoE connects the unconnected with ever-smarter technology. It brings people together with process, data, and things.” If on the one hand it is considered as a huge opportunity estimated at 19b$ it presents new complexities and risks for our life and economy. The big data is an essential pillar of the IoE . Thus, including more explicitly persons and data concerning them, IoE cannot be limited to engineering and computer science, but is a topic that needs to be investigated with scientific interdisciplinary researches under different perspectives: technical, legal, economical, ethical, philosophical point of view: it “involves a complex and evolving set of technological, social, and policy considerations across a diverse set of stakeholders.” Privacy, Intellectual Proprietary Rights, Data Ownership, Super-control of people behavior, Fundamental Rights, Ethical principles are critical issues that could determine the success of IoE in the market . Algorithms which are at the core of the devices all around us, expected to be tens of billions in 2020, must be governed. IoE is already entering the H2020 work programme even if only the IoT is mentioned in the calls. The attention to nontechnological aspects is reflected in the H2020 objectives ICT-35-2016 of LEIT and REV-INEQUAL-09-2017 of SC5 focus on the need of including SSH sciences for a critical analysis of the problems raised by pervasive technologies. However, if research projects are a way to face these problems, the needed competences are lacking, since they are highly interdisciplinary and, from the legal point of view, they require an international perspective. For these reasons we present a MSCA-ITN European Joint Doctorate proposal.


Personalised public services in support of the implementation of the CAP

Public administrations responsible for the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) need to monitor farmers’ compliance to standards. Monitoring is performed by in-field visits and through remote sensing. Due to the high complexity and diversity of the obligations that need to be monitored, both methods have limitations, and entail a high cost for public administrations.  RECAP proposes a methodology for improving the efficiency and transparency of the compliance monitoring procedure through a cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) platform which will make use of large volumes of publicly available data provided by satellite remote sensing, and user-generated data provided by farmers through mobile devices (geo-referenced and time-stamped photos). The RECAP platform will extract useful features from Earth Observation open data, correlate them with user-generated and geo-information data available to public organisations, and model this information for enabling the identification of potential breaches of compliance by public authorities and inspectors.  RECAP will offer farmers a tool supporting them to comply with regulations imposed by the CAP, providing personalised information for simplifying the interpretation of complex regulations, and early alerts on potential breaches. RECAP will allow agricultural consultants and developers to create add-ons to the main application that extend its functionality and exploit the data collected through an Application Programming Interface (API), and a Software Development Kit (SDK). Consultants will be able to access data available in the platform, subject to security and privacy policies, and to develop their own services within the platform using design tools, libraries, and communication with the database under an open approach.  The RECAP services will be tested and validated in an operational environment in 5 countries with the participation of public authorities, farmers, and agricultural consultants.


Demonstration of soft stimulation treatments of geothermal reservoirs

DESTRESS is aimed at creating EGS (Enhanced geothermal systems) reservoirs with sufficient permeability, fracture orientation and spacing for economic use of underground heat. The concepts are based on experience in previous projects, on scientific progress and developments in other fields, mainly the oil & gas sector. Recently developed stimulation methods will be adapted to geothermal needs, applied to new geothermal sites and prepared for the market uptake. Understanding of risks in each area (whether technological, in business processes, for particular business cases, or otherwise), risk ownership, and possible risk mitigation will be the scope of specific work packages.  The DESTRESS concept takes into account the common and specific issues of different sites, representative for large parts of Europe, and will provide a generally applicable workflow for productivity enhancement measures. The main focus will be on stimulation treatments with minimized environmental hazard (“soft stimulation”), to enhance the reservoir in several geological settings covering granites, sandstones, and other rock types. The business cases will be shown with cost and benefit estimations based on the proven changes of the system performance, and the environmental footprint of treatments and operation of the site will be controlled. In particular, the public debate related to “fracking” will be addressed by applying specific concepts for the mitigation of damaging seismic effects while constructing a productive reservoir and operating a long-term sustainable system. Industrial participation is particularly pronounced in DESTRESS, including large energy suppliers as well as SMEs in the process of developing their sites. The composition of the consortium involving major knowledge institutes as well as key industry will guarantee the increase in technology performance of EGS as well as an accelerated time to market.


Promoting and implementing joint programming to reinforce transnational research at the crossroad between biodiversity and climate change

The biodiversity-climate change interaction is strong, bi-directional, and often positive (actions in favour of one are also beneficial to the other). While the main drivers of biodiversity loss are habitat degradation, the syndrome of factors directly & indirectly associated with climate change is the dominant threat to biodiversity. It is therefore imperative to understand with sufficient detail and confidence the interactions between biodiversity & climate change so they can be incorporated into decision-support models & tools. By networking 33 funding agencies from 22 countries from Europe & other continents, BiodivCim aims to promote coordinated international research on biodiversity & climate change in all environments, incl. agricultural areas. It will strengthen research & research programmes coordination with the ultimate aim to provide policy makers & other stakeholders with adequate knowledge, tools & practical solutions to improve the conservation & sustainable use of biodiversity & ecosystems under a changing climate. The BiodivClim objectives are to: -Coordinate the research agendas of major European & international research funders to agree on shared research priorities related to biodiversity & climate change -Reinforce collaboration with other relevant initiatives in the field to increase synergies & avoid fragmentation -Design & implement two joint calls for research proposals in this field (incl. one co-funded) -Promote research collaboration across national borders & disciplines in order to build capacity, exchange best practices & have a lasting effect on the international research community & landscape -Support dialogue & collaboration between academia & stakeholders, and stakeholder engagement in research projects in order to increase the impact of research on policy & practice -Ease rapid & efficient uptake of funded research results by the IPBES & IPCC for their future assessments, & by other relevant initiatives -Reinforce data open access

Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials


Mass-customisation of custom-made medical implants

Custom-Made Implants (CMIs) are considered to be a superior solution for the treatment of patients with rare and severe clinical conditions since they ensure better fit, lower surgical invasiveness, shorter surgery time, faster healing, reduce risks of infection, joint dislocation and revision surgeries leading to lower total pathology treatment costs. Also, they provide fuller restoration of patient’s physical performance and higher quality of life by reducing or avoiding side effects. Thus, CMIs provide added value for all - patients, surgeons, medical institutions and health insurance funds. However, CMIs currently fail to achieve large-scale commercial success due to high price, long lead times and dominated surgical approach oriented towards standard solutions. Currently CMIs in value account for only ~1.4% of implant market. Ortho Baltic has developed the technological infrastructure for CMIs design, manufacturing and validation. It consist of surgeon-manufacturer co-creation and communication tool MICE (Medical Implants Customization Engine) and factory floor management system MC Dynamics (Mass Customization Dynamics) that together provide a chance to proceed to mass customization of CMIs. This will lead to the significant decrease of manufacturing costs and lead times. Already today Ortho Baltic offers CMIs for a ~21% lower price than standard modular implants. However, with the successful implementation of the project it could offer CMIs twice cheaper (for an average price of €3260) by 2023 and with lead time < 2 weeks. The profit is expected to be around 1,5 million in 2023. To reach this, during Phase 2 project Ortho Baltic will expand the functionalities of both systems, transfer them to new technology platforms (MICE - to web based platform),pilot them as well as develop supporting tools for CMI application in surgical treatment (clinical decision support and training software MICE Trainer and international curriculum for medical students and surgeons).


GN4-1 Research and Education Networking - GÉANT

The overall objective is to provide a stable environment for the implementation of GÉANT as the European Communications Commons for the European Research Area, which will provide the best possible digital infrastructure to ensure that Europe remains in the forefront of research. GÉANT’s extensive and long-standing contacts with large data disciplines such as biology, radioastronomy and high-energy physics help shape the evolution of the networking facilities required. This is complemented by partner contacts with research domains that are new users of high-performance networks and services, such as: digital preservation, real-time art and humanities. The vision is to position the GÉANT partnership optimally to achieve the strategic objectives of the FPA while ensuring the continuity and improvement of the services successfully offered under the GN3plus FP7 project. The extensive experience of the GÉANT partnership in providing high-quality and innovative services has been applied to the preparation phase of this proposal.  The following GN4-1 work package objectives deserve to be highlighted: •	Maintain and enhance the production service and achieve cost reductions without negative effects on network service levels. •	Coordinate with the other European e-infrastructure efforts both individually and in the framework of the increased coordination effort. •	Prepare a new round of Open Call projects to start immediately after the end of the GN4-1 project. •	Expand the footprint and the depth of services offered to roaming users with enhanced trust and identity services through Federation as a Service and with group and attribute management added to eduGAIN.  •	Develop online real-time services to improve the ease and function of videconferencing, open learning support and general multimedia use. •	Review the existing service catalogue using the Product Lifecycle Management process to assess the cost/benefits of each carefully to define the future service strategy.


Border detection of illicit drugs and precursors by highly accurate electrosensors

Combining robust sensor technologies with the inherent advantages of electrochemical strategies, nano-molecularly imprinted polymers, and multivariate and pattern data analysis, BorderSens will enable highly accurate selective detection of trace levels of illicit drugs and precursors. With borders being important gateways for the entrance of illicit drugs and their precursors, custom and border control authorities are facing pertaining challenges to detect such dangerous substances and safeguard the public. The main challenges posed by currently used on-site methods to detect illicit drugs and precursors are low accuracy, in the case of colour tests, and high cost and low portability, in the case of spectroscopic tests. In the light of a pressing need for better drug test systems at EU borders, the ultimate research aim of the BorderSens is to develop a portable, wireless single prototype device with the capability to quickly test for different types of drugs, precursors and adulterants/cutting agents, with outstanding accuracy and reduced false positives and false negatives. BorderSens will demonstrate the innovative technological solutions at seven demonstrations sites at EU borders with end-users and ensure exploitation plans guaranteeing strong impact. BorderSens brings together universities, a big manufacturer of electrochemical sensors, a specialised SME, ten end-users i.e. forensic institutes, police forces and border authorities, and a high quality external advisory board, to provide an excellent scientific-technical perspective and a straightforward exploitation route, with great impact on the safety of EU citizens.


VALSTYBINE VARTOTOJU TEISIU APSAUGOS TARNYBA VI

This proposal proposes a substantial project of a pan-EU market surveillance action to achieve impacts in line with the aims and objectives of the Horizon 2020 ― Work Programme 2018-2020 Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy. The project, if approved, will be the most comprehensive and complex product market surveillance exercise ever undertaken in the EU’s energy efficiency and Ecodesign sector, building on and reinforcing the successes and momentum of the predecessor programmes: Energy Efficiency Compliant Products (ECOPLIANT, EEPLIANT2014 and EEPLIANT2), Market Surveillance Project for TYRES 2015 (MSTyr15). The proposed activities are structured around the needs and priorities identified by the memberships of the Energy Labelling and Eco-design ADCOs. These, without surprise, closely match the requirements set in the Call with ref. no. H2020-IBA-SC3-energy-2018, Exchange of information and best practices, development of common methods, protocols, checklists or IT tools (e.g. web crawlers), execution of joint surveillance activities, strengthening the collaboration with customs authorities, communication, establishment of centres of excellence for product testing, support the development of the Energy Labelling products registration database, input into standardisation, addressing challenging issues like defeat devices, software updates, plausibility testing, support for international alignment of test standards are all covered.  The methodology to be used for addressing those requirements will include the delivery of a programme structure consisting of a matrix of activities both horizontal (method development and capacity improvement) and vertical (product inspection and testing). This will result in building further expertise, developing and adopting common best practices and protocols by the Member State Authorities (MSAs). Altogether, Energy Efficiency Compliant Products 3 (EEPLIANT3) is expected to substantially enhance the impacts and the overall effectiveness and efficiency of market surveillance across the European Union (EU).   The core objective of this proposal is to continue the transformation of the effectiveness and efficiency of the market surveillance work undertaken across the European Union (EU) in the field of the Energy Labelling Regulation 2017/1369 and the Ecodesign Directive 2009/125. This will be achieved through the coordination of the monitoring, verification and enforcement activities of 24 MSAs and 5 other organisations across the Single Market plus Turkey and through further enhancing their knowledge, skills and experience of doing this type of work. Key to this effort will be the development of strategic IT tools that overlap with every WP in the project and that aim to go beyond business as usual. These tools will help MSAs achieve greater results with the same level of resources, a necessity in light of the doubling of Ecodesign and energy labelling requirements over the past six years without equivalent increases in financing. Furthermore, the project will seek to enhance the visibility and outreach of market surveillance activities by engaging with key stakeholders ― the ADCOs, the EU trade associations of the suppliers of the products to be inspected and consumer organisations. As a result, stakeholders will continue to build confidence in the increasing effectiveness of market surveillance in the EU/EEA.  The project directly addresses all the requirements identified in the Call. The Scope calls for strengthening the enforcement of these two pieces of legislation and specifically asks for supporting the monitoring, verification and enforcement activities of MSAs. The main activity described in this proposal is the market surveillance of specific product sectors and the (further) development of tools – including innovative IT-tools – and methodologies in support of the MSAs. This work is to be undertaken by the responsible enforcement authorities in the Member States (MS) in liaison


INtegrated Support of oPen Innovation pRofessionalization initiative

Current research and practice on Open Innovation (OI) has not given emphasis on the ability of SMEs to develop and implement OI strategies - the lessons learned from large firms are not readily transferable to their context. INSPIRE aims to thoroughly investigate how OI is managed and organised in SMEs in order to leverage and expand the existing scattered initiatives and professionalize their services. The project seeks to understand in depth good practices of OI in SMEs across Europe, including the barriers they experience, the critical success factors and the open innovation ‘pathways’ they follow. Good practices will be identified in all varieties of SMEs in terms of economic context, innovation trajectory (e.g. both high-tech and low-tech SMEs) and stage of lifetime. The understanding of good practices will allow the design, development and validation of an Integrated Toolbox for OI in SMEs to enable the professional management of OI by SMEs in various kinds of open innovation initiatives (e.g. facilitated by large corporations, private-public partnerships). The Toolbox will include good practices, indicators and management modules to support the internal innovation activities of an SME and their interaction with OI partners. The Toolbox will be modular and it will include three prototypical scenarios of usage that can be flexibly adjusted to individual needs of SMEs. The Integrated Toolbox will be developed as a web platform and it will be validated through a series of pilots in real life OI projects carried out by SMEs across Europe. Moreover, the project will develop a deployment plan for the Open Innovation System to initiate an EU-wide strategic engagement of innovation stakeholders and spread the practices of OI. The consortium includes a variety of competencies to access the whole Open Innovation chain across a range of geographical, economic and SMEs’ contexts and includes academics, practitioners and intermediaries working with SMEs on Open Innovation.


VILNIAUS GEDIMINO TECHNIKOS UNIVERSITETAS

Integrated Components for Complexity Control in affordable electrified cars

The 3Ccar project will provide highly integrated ECS Components for Complexity Control in thereby affordable electrified cars. The new semiconductors for Complexity management (Control, reduction) will offer the next level of energy efficiency in transportation systems. 3Ccar’s impact is maximizing pragmatic strategy: Use semiconductor technology innovations to manage functionality & complexity increase. This leads also to cheaper, efficient, robust, comfortable, reliable and usable automotive systems. This strengthens Europe as a whole (OEM, Tier1, Semiconductor) generating economic growth and new jobs in Europe. The impact of 3Ccar is driven vertically by innovations and horizontally enabling growth and deployment in the industry based on what we see as European Values. We recognized that European engineers develop for highest efficiency, convergence and manageable complexity. Our society appreciates long life products to avoid waste. 50 partners and 55 Mio€ budget give the mass for innovative products such as functional integrated powertrains, smart battery cells with unique selling features allowing Europe to advance to global leadership. An important feature of the project has been the recognition and exploitation of synergies with other EV projects, enabling fast innovation cycles between such aligned projects. With 55 Mio€ budget and 10 b€ impact the R&D expenditure ratio is 200 which is 10x higher than the semiconductor average and corresponds to very strong innovation potential which will be translated into automotive and semiconductor industry. The technologies developed in 3Ccar will be commercialized all over the world while giving advantages to Europe’s OEMs willing to manufacture in Europe. 3Ccar will be involved in standardization needed to ensure that large vertical supply chains can be established. The 3Ccar project shows that collaboration between industry, research institutes, governments and customers is pivotal for excellence in Europe.


KOVOS SU PREKYBA ZMONEMIS IR ISNAUDOJIMU CENTRAS VSI

Novel Strategies to Fight Child Sexual Exploitation and Human Trafficking Crimes and Protect their Victims

Trafficking of human beings (THB) and child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSA/CSE) are two big problems in our society. Inadvertently, new information and communication technologies (ICTs) have provided a space for these problems to develop and take new forms, made worse by the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, technical and legal tools available to stakeholders that prevent, investigate, and assist victims – such as law enforcement agencies (LEAs), prosecutors, judges, and civil society organisations (CSOs) – fail to keep up with the pace at which criminals use new technologies to continue their abhorrent acts. Furthermore, assistance to victims of THB and CSA/CSE is often limited by the lack of coordination among these stakeholders. In this sense, there is a clear and vital need for joint work methodologies and the development of new strategies for approaching and assisting victims. In addition, due to the cross-border nature of these crimes, harmonisation of legal frameworks from each of the affected countries is necessary for creating bridges of communication and coordination among all those stakeholders to help victims and reduce the occurrence of these horrendous crimes. To address these challenges, the HEROES project comes up with an ambitious, interdisciplinary, international, and victim-centred approach. The HEROES project is structured as a comprehensive solution that encompasses three main components: Prevention, Investigation and Victim Assistance. Through these components, our solution aims to establish a coordinated contribution with LEAs by developing an appropriate, victim-centred approach that is capable of addressing specific needs and providing protection. The HEROES project’s main objective is to use technology to improve the way in which help and support can be provided to victims of THB and CSA/CSE.


Infrastructure for transnational access and discovery in structural biology

Structural biology reveals the molecular architecture of life; the three-dimensional structure of biomolecules and how they interact to form complex machineries and cells. Structural biology is key to innovations in chemistry, biotechnology and medicine: new drugs, advanced vaccines, novel biomaterials, engineered enzymes for food production, a cleaner environment, and efficient biofuels. iNEXT-Discovery takes on the challenge of proactively supporting the uptake of existing tools, and the innovation of new tools, to promote scientific Discovery and translation in a range of disciplines, building on the success of the H2020 project iNEXT (infrastructure for NMR, EM and X-rays for Translational research).  iNEXT-Discovery brings together a strong network of leading structural biology facilities in partnership with regional experts and ESFRI communities in medicinal chemistry, translational medicine, biological imaging, and food research, to disseminate knowledge and services. We aim to stimulate the wider uptake of structural biology across Europe, across scientific disciplines and research sectors. Significant hardware and software advances allow targeting transnational access to advanced instrumentation also to scientists without previous expertise in structural biology: uptake will be facilitated by training and thematic calls focused on new communities. Access to our instrumentation and expertise will ultimately allow European scientists to gain structural insight that can translate into innovations in the biomedical, food, biotechnological and biomaterials sectors. Our joint research activities will roll-out advances in key technologies for translational research: fragment screening for drug development, EM efficiency and capacity, NMR applications to extend structures beyond three dimensions, and integrative structural biology approaches to look at macromolecules in cells. All our activities support innovative research of both academic and industrial users.


Next generation solar active facade element Solar ventilation air preheater SVAP

Buildings are responsible for 40% of the energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions in the EU. According to Directive 2010/31/EU, all new buildings in the EU should be nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEB) by the end of 2020. The amount of the solar energy that is not collected from the facades contributes to CO¬2 emissions and the use of fossil fuel that could otherwise be avoided. Collecting solar energy from facades is a new and necessary trend in NZEB facades. As a result of our R&D efforts, Saulės vėjo aruodai (SVA) has developed the patented Solar Ventilation Air Preheater (SVAP). SVAP heat exchanger construction solve the following problems that persist in the state-of-the art products: (1) the regulation of the solar attack angle, (2) minimising the local and linear resistance of air movement inside the heat exchanger, (3) maximising the capture of solar radiation inside the heat exchanger, (4) allowing the design of transparent modules (because of the front and back slats’ construction), (5) integrate photovoltaic modules on the front slats and capture the reflection of long infrared rays from the crystalline silicon cells. Our product addresses a market that is worth over 10 BN EUR. This project will undertake a feasibility study, including a full business plan, to verify the technological, practical and economic viability of SVAP project in beachhead markets.


Recycling carbon dioxide in the cement industry to produce added-value additives: a step towards a CO2 circular economy

CO2 from the flue gases of a rotary kiln in a cement industry (CO2: 25 vol%) will be used for the production of value-added chemicals (acid additives for cement formulations) and materials (CaCO3 nanoparticles to be used as concrete fillers). A circular-economy-approach is enabled: the CO2 produced by cement manufacturing is re-used in a significant part within the plant itself to produce better cement-related products entailing less energy intensity and related CO2 emissions by a quadratic effect. Ionic liquids (bare or amine-functionalised) will be the key technological playground for the efficient and cost-effective (<30 €/ton) purification of CO2 to a purity grade sufficient for the above mentioned utilisation paths. A dedicated pilot plant (flue gas flow rate: 50 Nm3/h) will be developed, based on the knowledge-based selection of the best ionic-liquids composition and operating conditions. Within a final TRL 6 integrated system demo campaign, the thereby derived CO2 will be utilised in parallel to:  -) promote the precipitation of nano-CaCO3 powders which act as strength enhancer and accelerator of the hydration rate. -) synthesize through electrocatalytic and catalytic pathways formic acid, oxalic acid and glycine to be used as hardening acceleration promoters, grinding aids or ionic liquids additives, respectively.  Distinctive features of the RECODE approach are the high process intensification and scale-up-ability; the use of low-grade heat sources; the meaningful reduction of CO2 emissions (>20% accounting for direct and indirect means) and the good market potential of their products at a mass production scale. The first two years of the project will be focused on the development of key functional materials and process units at TRL 4-5, the third year on the assembly of single-process lines certified at TRL 5-6, and the fourth year on the assembly and testing at a cement manufacturing site (TITAN) of the TRL 6 integrated CO2 process.


VIESOJI ISTAIGA EUROPOS HUMANITARINIS UNIVERSITETAS

HoNESt (History of Nuclear Energy and Society) involves an interdisciplinary team with many experienced researchers and 24 high profile research institutions. HoNESt’s goal is to conduct a three-year interdisciplinary analysis of the experience of nuclear developments and its relationship to contemporary society with the aim of improving the understanding of the dynamics over the last 60 years. HoNESt’s results will assist the current debate on future energy sources and the transition to affordable, secure, and clean energy production. Civil society's interaction with nuclear developments changes over time, and it is locally, nationally and transnationally specific. HoNESt will embrace the complexity of political, technological and economic challenges; safety; risk perception and communication, public engagement, media framing, social movements, etc. Research on these interactions has thus far been mostly fragmented. We will develop a pioneering integrated interdisciplinary approach, which is conceptually informed by Large Technological Systems (LTS) and Integrated Socio-technical System (IST), based on a close and innovative collaboration of historians and social scientists in this field. HoNESt will first collect extensive historical data from over 20 countries. These data will be jointly analyzed by historians and social scientists, through the lens of an innovative integrated approach, in order to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying decision making and associated citizen engagement with nuclear power. Through an innovative application of backcasting techniques, HoNESt will bring novel content to the debate on nuclear sustainable engagement futures. Looking backwards to the present, HoNESt will strategize and plan how these suitable engagement futures could be achieved. HoNESt will engage key stakeholders from industry, policy makers and civil society in a structured dialogue to insert the results into the public debate on nuclear energy.


The project of the Sustainable Energy Investing and Financing Activation (SEIFA) will create incentives to increase private equity investing for the industrial decarbonisation of the built environment. The SEIFA project is focusing on investing and financing of deep renovation industrial projects, energy supply facilities and energy service companies. The investors-first approach will be held with an emphasis on the environmental impact in terms of decarbonisation rate and risk-adjusted rate of return. The new financial schemes to incentivise private individual and institutional investments to sustainable energy projects will be established. Innovative financing schemes will include sustainable energy investing risks metrics and benefits. The network of regional/national project aggregators will be established. Investment pooling and proposed investment vehicles will let achieve lower transaction costs. The financial software tools will be provided for the energy efficiency measurement, quantification and evaluation of additional benefits of sustainable energy investing including decarbonisation rate, increased asset value, impact on investor reputation, and for investment rating and ranking. The detailed methodology of the sustainable energy investment securitisation and detailed roadmap for the secondary market for sustainable energy investing will be created. Initial milestones of the secondary market for sustainable energy investing will be accomplished during the project duration. The planned project duration is 30 months. At least 500 million Eur for sustainable energy projects will be provided during the SEIFA project duration and it is expected that 5 billion Eur mark will be reached during the 5 years after the project completion. The SEIFA project platform will greatly increase the attractiveness for the financial sector to sustainable energy investing across Europe and beyond.


Centre of Excellence for Cultural and Creative Innovations in Lithuania

The "innocult" Teaming Phase 1 project specifically aims to create a Centre of Excellence (CoE) of Creative and Cultural Innovations in Lithuania,  The new CoE is targeted to perform research and innovation actions in line with the challenges faced in our country and aimed at promoting participatory culture and socio-cultural engagement of diverse societies by supporting cultural and creative processes of integration and disruption. Investigation and measurement of cultural and creative capital value on the basis of developed methodological approach and means will disclose the wide social and economic role the cultural and creative industries play and, therefore, foster networking, entrepreneurship and innovation potential of cultural and creative sector creating conditions for estimating forthcoming model of participatory culture.   The main goal of the Centre of Excellence is to provoke innovative changes in participatory culture and provide a guidance of smart and sustainable changes for cultural and creative organizations and audiences within creative sector to operate in competitive environment for leading excellence based on investigated and measured cultural and creative processes.  Therefore, the CoE seeks to promote development of CCI institutions, formation of new institutional strategies leading towards inclusive and participatory culture taking into account the importance and shifts of the economical, communicative, technological and social factors, in order for the cultural institutions and network to start functioning as activating centres of social innovations, as hubs for involvement of new audiences (minorities, youth, seniors etc.) increasing competences of culture consumption in respect to the development of CCI.

Teaming of excellent research institutions and low performing RDI regions


Alternative models and robust decision-making for future forest management

European forests are expected to provide a broad range of ecosystem services (ES). This capacity is however threatened by the uncertainties of climate change, the complex dynamics of evolving global markets and the pressures for increased use of bioenergy. Such challenges cannot be effectively addressed with an uncritical regional or national commitment to traditional forest management models (FMMs), as these are unlikely to ensure the sustained long-term provisioning of desired ES, let alone their optimised delivery. ALTERFOR’s goal is thus to facilitate the implementation of FMMs better suited to meeting the challenges of the 21st century by: (1) Identifying and developing FMMs robust in their capacity to deliver ES and overcome projected socio-ecological risks and uncertainties; (2) Assessing the impact of different FMM combinations in terms of resultant ES baskets on the European and landscape level, and (3) Facilitating the implementation of desired FMMs and improving cross-national knowledge transfer regarding their benefits, costs, management, and utilization. The project will involve a consortium of 19 organisations from nine countries chosen due to their possession of the transdisciplinary expertise necessary to achieve these objectives, and for ensuring an encompassing representation of Europe’s socio-economic conditions and prevailing forest management paradigms. Based on carefully designed case studies, the consortium will make sure realistic models of forest owner behaviour are employed; guarantee the involvement of forest stakeholders throughout the project; anchor the desired FMMs to relevant forest actors; and help disseminate project findings to local, national and European stakeholders. The main long-term impact of ALTERFOR is the implementation of FMMs that secure the capacity of Europe’s forests to continue providing a balanced ES basket that societies will depend upon over the coming century.


Children Born of War - Past, Present and Future

The physical and psychosocial impact of armed conflict on children is immense and particularly so, if these children are associated with the enemy. Overwhelming evidence suggests that children born of war (CBOW), i.e. children fathered by foreign soldiers and born to local mothers have been and continue to be a major obstacle to successful integration of both their mothers and themselves into post-conflict societies. At a global level, previous UN studies have further emphasized the lack of research on children born out of forced pregnancies in armed conflict. The proposed network addresses the described shortcomings by advancing the knowledge base through systematic analysis of lived experiences of CBOW in a variety of 20th century conflict and post-conflict situations.  The main research goal is to further our understanding of how (if at all) CBOW in conflict and post-conflict situations are integrated into society; how (if at all) militaries, governments, and nongovernmental policy makers assist this integration process; and how the children's lived experiences reflect broader societal attitudes to memories of war and vice versa. Our vision is to promote scientific excellence by exploiting the specific research expertise and infrastructure of the co-ordinating partner and all participants in order to advance the research competencies and employability of early career researchers. Their enhanced understanding of the challenges of CBOW in volatile societies will inform the normative debates and, ultimately, policies on the reintegration of CBOW into post-conflict societies. By combining historical, social empirical, psychiatric, political, legal, memory, public health and development studies with the discourse surrounding currently enacted humanitarian intervention, insights gained from this network will surpass existing knowledge and will help improve on current integration efforts.


VIESOJI ISTAIGA KAUNO MOKSLO IR TECHNOLOGIJU PARKAS

Proactive communication and marketing measures for SMEs

The main project’s aim is to enhance the agencies’ management efficiency in the field of  seeking the ways how to attract innovative SMEs by using emerging communication and marketing tools and facilitating interaction and partnerships with various actors of innovation ecosystem. Four innovation agencies involved in the project will work using twinning+ methodology in order to create valuable Design Options Paper regarding communication, branding and marketing strategy for strengthening the position of innovation centres on the national as well as on the international arena as a high value added business support organisations. The solutions developed in the paper will be implemented in the agencies as new or improved programmes based on these given approaches.  The result of peer learning activities within the project will be developing an effective approach to identify new topics in the field of communication, find the attractive methods od engaging inovative SMEs and put them into practice. It involves designing the whole proactive marketing process from the identification of the target group, marketing channels and campaigns, attractive offer, diagnostics of individual needs, consequent support delivery and follow up of the process till key performance indicators.  The results of the project will be communicated to regional and national authorities as the topic of reaching  the  right  SMEs is very common with regard to efficiency of policies aiming to enhance SMEs competitiveness, especially their growth on national and international markets as well as their engagement in innovation processes.


Residential Building Energy Renovations with On-Bill Financing

Ren-on-Bill’s overall objective is to scale up investments towards deep energy renovations (ER) of residential buildings by promoting the development and implementation of On-Bill Financing schemes, based on the cooperation between energy utilities and financial institutions.  On-Bill Financing (OBF) is a method of financing ER investments that draws on utility bills as repayment vehicle. OBF has been in use for more than 30 years, and it is especially widespread in the USA and Canada, where it significantly drives the building renovation market, with over 1 billion $ investments reached by 2013. Compared to traditional loans, default rates have been found to be lower, thus making OBF a lower risk instrument for investors. In Europe, although a few attempts have been made, OBF has not yet had a significant impact on the residential energy efficiency building renovation market.  In detail, the project will:  - Analyse and define the residential building ER and OBF market context to enable replication of suitable OBF schemes across Europe;  - Engage key stakeholders (in particular energy utilities, financial institutions, representatives of the final user and ER market side) through national stakeholder platforms;  - Develop tools to structure the residential sector’s ER financing demand allowing allows utilities and financial institutions to assess ER investments based on a transparent methodology and to bundle investments accordingly;  - Develop suitable utility business models for the deployment of deep energy renovation OBF schemes for residential buildings in Europe;  - Implement selected OBF business models at the 3 Ren-on-Bill partner utilities through a collaboration for strategic development of pilot on-bill financing schemes;  - Exploit the insights gained over the project horizon to support European-wide dissemination of knowledge on OBF schemes towards utilities, financial institutions and policy-makers.


Continuation of the Cooperation of Space NCPs as a Means to Optimise Services under Horizon 2020

COSMOS2020plus is the next funding phase of the Space NCP network after COSMOS2020. For participants of Horizon 2020 Space the project will allow to continue organising information days, providing a newsletter service and a website. To improve the performance of single Space NCPs exchange means and trainings will be performed. Through this the overall performance of NCP services should be improved.


LIETUVOS NACIONALINE VARTOTOJU FEDERACIJA ASOCIACIJA

Enabling consumer action towards top energy-efficient products

TOPTEN ACT aims at empowering consumers to ACT: to purchase top energy-efficient products that will save energy over their lifetime.  TOPTEN ACT develops a comprehensive market transformation strategy targeting consumers, manufacturers, retailers, large buyers, consumer associations and other key actors in 16 European countries, covering a combined population of 447 Mio inhabitants. It works with these actors to help them embrace and promote energy-efficient products, so that they become the natural choice for consumers. Project partners will:   - Manage 16 Topten websites presenting up-to-date, consumer-oriented information to 2 Mio visitors per year. These websites will showcase top energy-efficient models in a number of product groups: domestic appliances, cooling and lighting equipment, consumer electronics, vehicles etc. They build on independent and reliable market surveys selecting the best available technologies (BATs) amongst hundreds of thousands of products. → Consumers identify top products, compare costs and understand the benefits of energy performance on their electricity bills and for the environment.   - ‘Push’ this information to consumers through extensive use of the media, communications and partnerships with key organisations acting as multipliers. → Impartial information reaches consumers.   - Work with retailers, leveraging on their unique market position, directly in contact with consumers about to ACT, to further increase purchases of energy-efficient product. → In just one click, consumers will find and buy top efficient products.  TOPTEN ACT impacts are both quantitative —savings of 331 GWh/year triggered per million € invested— and qualitative: markets are more transparent, media report on top efficient products, multipliers relay the Topten message to their target groups, consumers change their using and purchasing behaviour, retailers change their range and highlight BAT products, manufacturers shift their production lines.


European food chain supply to reduce GHG emissions by 2050

The ENOUGH project will provide technologies, tools and methods to contribute to the EU Farm to Fork strategy to achieve climate neutral food businesses. The ENOUGH objectives are: i) Reducing GHG-emissions by at least 50% by 2050 ii) Reducing energy use and increasing energy efficiency by 2030. iii) Increasing the overall sustainability of food systems iv) Providing selected innovative technological systemic solutions and their potential for uptake at EU. The partnership draws together 29 partners from 11 EU nations and the UK with expertise across the whole food chain. The ENOUGH project is constructed around 9 work packages (WP): WP1 will identify 1990 and 2020 baselines for GHG emissions and will then forecast how emissions will change moving forward to 2030 and 2050. In WP2, we will identify what are the energy efficient measures and new technologies that are vital to achieve the maximum reductions in emissions. In WP4 we will use all the information and models from WP1 and 2 to develop a web-based tool that will identify the benefits of thermal integration heating and cooling and provide information on potential global emission reductions across the whole food chain. In WP5, data from food process and the food supply chain will be used to optimize and better control operations and technologies to minimize emissions. In WP3 and 7 we will examine how social behaviour, policy and finance can add to the GHG reductions target. In WP6, the more relevant and promising technologies will be demonstrated. A set of the most promising technologies TRL (5-7) have been pre-selected for demonstration based on their relevance and readiness. Additional technologies/operational adaptations will be added during the project and will be selected using a robust process managed by the coordinator and demonstrated in real life. Work from the ENOUGH project will be widely disseminated with an ambitious communication plan in WP8. WP9 includes all project management.


In 2020 Europe went through a very significant economic and social crisis, namely the response to the disease of Coronavirus. Over 200 million European citizens were obliged to observe restrictive measures, in some cases lock down measures, in order for governments and local authorities of the Member States of the European Union to address and limit the problem of the spread of the virus. Through this situation a number of problems emerged, one of which relates to the management of building utilities under such conditions. Specifically, in a very few days most of the activity of the European Economy shifted from the office environment to homes, leading to several problems in relation to with the completeness and integrity of utilities such as power outages, water shortage and insufficient internet connection. The initiative entitled Development of Utilities Management Platform for the case of Quarantine and Lockdown - eUMaP aims to implement all those activities that will lead to the development of an open platform through which local authorities will be able to plan and manage the demand and supply of building utilities in case of quarantine or lock down. The platform will be developed through a Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) program. eUMaP platform will be based on the rational of earth observation, and the recording of the required network information in open BIM platforms of five European capital cities (Rome, Berlin, Athens, Vilnius, Nicosia). The platform will be piloted in study areas with the aim of optimizing it and delivering it as an open platform upon completion of the program.


VIESOJI ISTAIGA VILNIAUS UNIVERSITETO LIGONINE SANTAROS KLINIKOS

COMMON ACTION AGAINST HIV/TB/HCV ACROSS THE REGIONS OF EUROPE

CARE brings together distinguished scientists and highly representative networks in the European region, including Russia, in the fight against HIV/TB/HCV. CARE research objectives are based on already established European cohort networks with extensive and longitudinal data and/or sample collections. Together with new data and sample collections and cohorts created during the project, CARE will produce high-level researchoutputs during the two years of the project timeframe. The specific short term objectives are to: ● Discover and validate novel soluble biomarkers of MDR-TB treatment success and of pulmonary TB. ● Explore host genetic mechanisms of susceptibility to extrapulmonary TB. ● Analyse genotype to phenotype correlations in MDR-TB and develop a decision making support tool. ● Define epidemiology and pathways of drug-resistant HIV, including their relationship with HIV subtypes and TB coinfection to support an evidence-based introduction of INSTIs as part of first line antiretroviral therapy. ● Discover and validate host genomic variants influencing susceptibility to contracting AIDS and serious non-AIDS clinical events and adverse reactions to drugs. ● Derive best practice recommendations for DAA prioritisation strategies for HCV treatment. The longer-term objective of CARE is to implement a research infrastructure that allows the expansion of activities beyond the funding frame, permitting the partners to share technology, protocols, structured data collections and knowledge. Finally, CARE activities include realization of recommendations and intervention plans, communication to the stakeholders, dissemination and training activities in order to develop and distribute the highest expertise and competence  throughout the European region for the containment of the epidemics.CARE is fully in line with the call topic and addresses all its subtopics. It involves a recognised Russian partner coordinating 5 top level institutions covering the regions of Russia.

Health, demographic change and wellbeing


In-Vessel Melt Retention Severe Accident Management Strategy for Existing and Future NPPs

The stabilization of molten corium is recognised as essential if a safe and stable state is to be reached following a severe accident. Among the possible options, In-Vessel Melt Retention (IVMR) appears as an attractive solution that would minimize the risks of containment failure (less Hydrogen produced, no corium-concrete interaction), if it can be proved to be feasible. The strategy is already adopted for the VVER 440 type 213 based on thorough research work for the Finnish Loviisa NPP and Hungarian Paks NPP. It is also included in the design of some new Gen.III reactors like AP-1000, APR 1400 and Chinese CPR-1000. It has also been studied in the past for other reactor concepts like KERENA (BWR) or VVER-640. Current approaches for reactors with relatively small power, such as VVER 440 or AP600, use conservative assumptions. However, for higher power reactors (around 1000 MWe), it is necessary to evaluate the IVMR strategy with best-estimate methods in order to address the uncertainties  associated with the involved phenomena. Additional R&D is needed to ensure and demonstrate adequate safety margins, including identification of efficient technical solutions for the external cooling of the vessel and performing best-estimate evaluation of relevant scenarios. Among other provisions, the possibility of cooling the corium inside the vessel by direct injection of water into the degraded core, may be considered because it is likely to remove a significant part of the residual power. The goal of the project is an analysis of the applicability and technical feasibility of the IVMR strategy to high power reactors, both for existing ones (e.g. VVER 1000 type 320 units) as well as for future reactors of different types (PWR or BWR). The main outcomes of the project will be elevant assumptions and scenarios to estimate the maximum heat load on the vessel wall, improved numerical tools for the analysis of IVMR issues and a harmonized methodology on the IVMR.


PEER LEARNING OF INNOVATION AGENCIES FOR ADVANCED SUPPORT TO SCALE-UPS

Following international evidence that shows that a small number of high-growth firms are vital for job growth and overall economic growth, and the European Commission's Start-up and Scale-up Initiative, Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) launched in 2017 a new flagship service to support scale-ups. However, innovation agency services are in too many occasions standardised and do not take into account the rapid evolving entrepreneurial ecosystem and the advanced needs of scale-ups. Innovation agencies across Europe need to be ready today to deliver advanced assessment services to scale-ups and be able to offer support tailored to their needs. The objective of Scale-ups Ready is to enable the participating innovation agencies to exchange knowledge, know-how, and good practices on advanced methodologies and tools for scale-ups assessment (including SMEs with high-growth potential) and customised support services, in order to develop better approaches for client intake and support of scale-ups. Based on the Twinning+ methodology, the project aims to cover peer-learning and peer-review activities for three kinds of services through specific assessment instruments that when combined offer in-depth analysis of the needs of scale-ups, in order to provide them with tailored support: 1) An advanced IP valuation scheme, IPscore® 2.2 (FORTH), 2) An advanced business innovation roadmap tool, smE-MPOWER ‘Business innovation roadmap tool’ (LIC), 3) An advanced Innovation Health Check assessment tool (FUNDECYT-PCTEX). This peer-learning and peer-review scheme has been developed based on each partner's identified competences and gaps in advanced services for scale-ups. The result will bring in new added-value service offerings to participating organisations, will lead to better approaches and the adaptation of tools to the specific national/regional contexts. The Design Options Paper will be shared with other EU innovation agencies and networks, and with national and EU policy-makers.


INcreasing Safety in NPPs by Covering gaps in Environmental Fatigue Assessment

INCEFA-PLUS delivers new experimental data and new guidelines for assessment of environmental fatigue damage to ensure safe operation of European nuclear power plants.  Austenitic stainless steels will be tested for the effects of mean strain, hold time and material roughness on fatigue endurance. Testing will be in nuclear Light Water Reactor environments. The three experimental parameters were selected in the framework of an in-kind project during which the current state of the art for this technical area was developed. The data obtained will be collected and standardised in an online fatigue database with the objective of organising a CEN workshop on this aspect.  The gaps in available fatigue data lead to uncertainty in current assessments. The gaps, will be targeted so that fatigue assessment procedures can address behaviour under conditions closer to normal plant operation than is currently possible. Increased safety can thus be assured.  INCEFA-PLUS also develops and disseminates a modified procedure for estimating environmental fatigue degradation. This will take better account of the effects of mean strain, hold time and surface finish. This will enable better management of nuclear components, making possible the long term operation (LTO) of NPPs under safer conditions.   INCEFA-PLUS is relevant to the NFRP1-2014 programme because:  • Present guidance originates from NRC.  In Europe various national programmes aim to develop counter proposals allowing greater operational efficiency with at least comparable safety assurance.  INCEFA-PLUS brings these programmes together through which a strong EU response to the NRC methodology will be obtained with improved safety assurance through increased lifetime assessment reliability. • INCEFA-PLUS improves comparability of data from EU programmes because partner laboratories will do some tests on a common material under common conditions.  Reduced assessment uncertainty will enable easier maintenance of safety


Cost-effectiveness, clearly described in the topic SESAR.IR-VLD.Wave1-08-2015 as the main key performance area (KPA), is the principal KPA addressed by “PJ05 Remote Tower” project. It proposes the development of a remotely provided aerodrome air traffic service by a "multiple" and/or "center" setting. Those settings help to combine ATS services from various aerodromes in a centralized control room  independent on airport location in order to make use of the valuable resource ATS provider more efficiently. “Single” remote tower settings have already been deployed in former project, but most significant impacts in cost-effectiveness are to be expected with multiple and/or center settings that was only partly covered so far and needs immediate development effort to deploy it short term. PJ05 will bring the multiple/center concept to a higher matured level. In the end, the passengers will benefit from: More cost-effective aerodrome ATS would allow rural, less frequented airports to work cost-effective and to keep them in operations or even to increase the service levels for more day hours operations or even to upgrade non-controlled to controlled airports. All this would contribute to a better passenger comfort in terms of shorter travel times and better point to point connections. The PJ05 aim attracted plenty of European organisations to participate: ANSPs, industries, R&D and airport stakeholder intends to provide their specific competences to broaden the operational needs and technological expertises. The PJ05 variety of partners and validation activities will help to adequately reflect the variety of operational needs and technical solutions which in the end of the project will consolidate into a harmonized and widely accepted SESAR2020 PJ05 solution. The complete work is structured in a very collaborative way throughout all work packages and will ensure the transfer of knowledge and know-how between all participants and external to SESAR2020 projects.


ELEKTRONIKOS PERDIRBIMO TECHNOLOGIJOS UAB

Multiscaled Smart Metallic and Semiconductor Electrodes for Electrochemical Processing and Devices

Demand of “smart” electrodes/systems has recently increased due to significant role of various devices/equipment based on these electrodes - urgent needs of present and forthcoming human activities. The multi- and interdisciplinary project SMARTELECTRODES is proposing elaboration of advanced systems covered under umbrella of “smart” electrodes which will be involved and play significant roles in several important electrochemical/electrophysical applications as catalysis/electrocatalysis, sensoring, thermoelectrics, electrowinning, electrochemical machining and electrospark alloying. The development of multiscaled (from nano- to macro-; from nanodot to volumized 3D-) metallic and semiconductor electrodes and integration of them into working systems/equipment is the main target of SMARTELECTRODES. The project is well-balanced, highly innovative R&D training network, which aims:  To develop long lasting collaborations between four academic (Vilnius University, Lithuania; Institute of Applied Physics, Moldova; Northeastern University, USA; Research Institute for Physical Chemical Problems of BSU, Belarus) and two companies (JSC Topaz, Moldova and JSC “Electronics Treatment Technologies”, EPT, Lithuania);   To develop new electrodes (based on chalcogenides, iron group metals and “technological” electrodes) by well-established institutions;   To increase career perspectives of each participant that will lead to benefit of each member and partnership as a whole.  Partners will be complimentary involved into realization of the proposed research. The research tasks will be implemented through multidisciplinary Work Packages devoted to the fabrication, adapting and investigation of electrodes/materials, also they include the activities towards training and management. Namely, advanced training will be provided to the seconded staff through well-integrated programs, including workshops and conferences.


Strategic and targeted support to incentivise talented newcomers to NMP projects under Horizon Europe

FIT-4-NMP’s overall objective is to increase the participation of talented newcomers from underrepresented regions in NMP projects in Horizon Europe, as compared to Horizon 2020. Talented newcomers are promising innovation organisations – especially SMEs – that have not participated in H2020 NMP. Meanwhile, underrepresented regions are regions in EU-13, EU-15 and Associated Countries with a low participation in H2020 NMBP. The increase in participation of the talented newcomers will be brought about by connecting them with NMP hotspots, where important NMP innovations are demonstrated, as well as networking them with NMP Top Innovators.  FIT-4-NMP will take strategic and targeted approaches to achieve this overall objective.  From a strategic perspective, FIT-4-NMP will survey talented newcomers and experts responsible for regional and national R&I policy, in order to understand the precise reasons for non-participation of newcomers in NMP projects. In turn, best practices will be identified and policy measures formulated and communicated to relevant stakeholders: talented newcomers; regional/national authorities responsible for R&I policy; local innovation and technology transfer nodes; and the EC.  From a targeted perspective, the FIT-4-NMP will:  • Organise innovation workshops between talented newcomers and NMP Top Innovators; • Provide hands-on support to talented newcomers to prepare NMP proposals for Horizon Europe; • Facilitate networking for talented newcomers at major European conferences and regional brokerage events; • Provide training to talented newcomers on technology-transfer, proposal writing, and use of European networking portals.  FIT-4-NMP will be undertaken by a strong consortium with partners located among many of the EU member states with the lowest participation in H2020 NMBP. Also, these partners represent “umbrella” organisations with extensive networks to innovative NMP organisations and talented newcomers in their regions.


STATYBOS PRODUKCIJOS SERTIFIKAVIMO CENTRAS

Concerted Action EPBD V aim to support the implementation of the Energy Performance in Buildings Directive through exchange of information and experience among Member States and other participating countries (Norway) with regards to the implementation of the specific European Union legislation and policy on the energy performance of buildings, and in particular with regards to the transposition and implementation of the re-cast of the EPBD (DIRECTIVE 2010/31/EU) and the on-going revision of this directive.    The specific objectives are to:  1. Enhance and structure sharing of information and experience from national implementation and promote good practice in activities required of Member States for implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).   2. Create favourable conditions for faster convergence of national procedures on EPBD-related matters.  3. Develop a direct link with the other two buildings-related Concerted Actions established within the IEE programme: the CA-RES, focussing on transposition and implementation of the Renewable Energy Systems Directive (DIRECTIVE 2009/28/EC); and the CA-EED, focusing on transposition and implementation of the Energy Efficiency Directive (DIRECTIVE 2012/27/EU), where National Energy Plans include initiatives towards building energy efficiency.  4. Supplement the work of the Article 26 Committee and possible ad-hoc groups on CEN (European Committee for Standardization) standards and certification exercises.  5. Establish a dialogue with the CEN in the implementation of 2nd generation standards to support the implementation of the recast EPBD and its revision.  6. Support for European Member States and Norway to use National Energy Plans to report progress on the EPBD implementation.   The CAV_EPBD will strive to result in a more harmonized approach, improved implementation and actual application of the EPBD in all the countries involved, as well as helping to disseminate best practices between the countries.


Creation of the “Knowledge-Empowered Entrepreneurship Network” to position Kaunas University of Technology at the forefront of EU research in entrepreneurship

The overall objective of the KEEN project is to strengthen the research excellence of Kaunas University of Technology (Lithuania) in entrepreneurship, improve its capacities to exploit and disseminate its research outputs, and enhance its ability to engage the public in its research and entrepreneurship awareness, understanding, and acceptance. To reach such objective, the KEEN project will create with Cranfield University (United Kingdom), Bergische Universität Wuppertal (Germany), and Universität St. Gallen (Switzerland), a network named “Knowledge-Empowered Entrepreneurship Network”. The network will sustain after the project and focus on building capacities to develop public engagement in entrepreneurship research in low-innovativeness level EU countries such as Lithuania. The network will allow 1) to co-create more socially-relevant research with multiple actors such as policy makers, citizens, industrials or NGOs; 2) improve access by the public to research results; and 3) foster entrepreneurship policy development more in phase with the needs and expectations of the society. The KEEN project and afterward network will implement measures focusing on knowledge and skill development, research collaboration, engagement with stakeholders, and support of entrepreneurial initiative with relevant academic knowledge. Compared with existing entrepreneurship-support initiatives, the innovative aspect of KEEN is to focus on transfer of research knowledge to the society, which in return allows the society to be more involved in research orientation.


VACCELERATE - European Corona Vaccine Trial Accelerator Platform

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic creates an unprecedented burden worldwide. Vaccine-induced immunity is the only promising solution. There is continued need for phase 2 & 3 vaccine trials to reach long-term, large-scale immunity of the entire European population. VACCELERATE will be the pan-European backbone accelerating phase 2 & 3 COVID-19 vaccine trials. The overall objective of VACCELERATE is to connect all European stakeholders involved in vaccine development to provide a pan-European platform for clinical trial design and conduct. VACCELERATE constitutes the rapid response single entry-point to stakeholders from public health authorities to vaccine developers, to address respective needs and kick-start specifically phase 2 & 3 vaccine trials. VACCELERATE conducts capacity mapping of clinical trial and laboratory sites to identify suitable sites for individual phase 2 & 3 vaccine trials. Capacity building via training will increase quality in sites across Europe. Volunteer registries facilitate patient recruitment. Access to laboratory sites and a standardised set of assays essential for clinical phase 2 & 3 trials is provided. A harmonised European approach to vaccine trials is enabled by aligning educational standards, coordination of laboratory support and providing standardised assays and trial protocols. Harmonised data collection, open data sharing and pooling of data for stronger analysis enables data standardisation. VACCELERATE offers solutions for characteristic vaccine development issues during pandemics by closing gaps in public health knowledge and improving knowledge transfer. VACCELERATE amalgamates the vast but scattered expertise across Europe into one network to deliver strategic scientific leadership and guidance on vaccine trials in Europe. Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be an established pandemic preparedness network, ready to face emerging future pandemics, as well as a pivot in Europe?s capacity to develop vaccines.


FLEXIBLE COMBINED PRODUCTION OF POWER, HEAT AND TRANSPORT FUELS FROM RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

Seasonal solar energy potential and the need for heat and power do not match in Northern and Central European conditions. Consequently, large investments are needed for storing solar energy from summer season to dark winter time. The widely available combined heat and power plants and heating networks should be utilized effectively also in the future energy system. In addition to these challenges, decarbonisation of the transport sector requires massive production of renewable fuels especially for the heavy duty sector: air traffic, ships, heavy duty road vehicles. FLEXCHX project is aiming to present a cost-effective solution to tackle these challenges of the new European energy mix.  Principal ideas of the proposal are: -  A hybrid process that integrates electrolysis to biomass gasification and synthesis is developed and the key enabling technologies of this process are validated to reach TRL5. -  In summer season renewable fuel intermediate (FT-wax) is produced from biomass carbon boosted with solar energy driven electrolysis. A small amount of by-product heat is also produced to cover the summer-time demand for district heating. Biomass consumption is halved compared to the winter time operation and 50 % of the input energy comes from low-cost excess electricity. - In winter season the plant is operated without the electrolyzer in a way that biomass conversion to liquid fuel intermediate,  heat and electricity is maximized. - Most of the invested plant components are in full use throughout the year, only the electrolysis unit is operated seasonally  Behind FLEXCHX there is a multi-national consortium composed of RTD organizations, industry and SMEs representing the entire value chain.  The RTD partners have excellent synergistic competences, while the industrial partners represent lead industries covering the complete value chain from biomass gasification, gas cleaning and fuel synthesis component and plant manufacturers to service providers and end-users.


PJ07 Optimised Airspace Users Operations

The SES Performance Scheme established the principles of performance-driven ATM and Network-wide Collaborative decision making including Civil and State Airspace Users. Hence, it is critical that Flight and Wings Operation Centres processes and tools be enriched for more efficient interaction with ATM Network stakeholders including Airports.  Improved performance of ATM depends on a higher certainty of the demand during the planning phase; and on improved adherence to the plan during operations. Improved Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) incorporating Airspace Users evolving business needs is key to improve ATM operations and Airspace Users performance.  PJ07-OAUO project brings together key European aviation industry partners with the right expertise to achieve a breakthrough improvement to Airspace Users collaboration with ATM. Cooperation with PJ04, PJ09 and PJ18 will assure a good integration with ATM processes.  Aligned with the ATM Masterplan, OAUO focusses on flight planning supported by improved trajectory information sharing with ATM as defined in ICAO/FF-ICE and on flight prioritisation processes in capacity constraint situations–UDPP-, and on a step-wise integration of Military operations into civil ATM collaborative processes. OAUO validates improved Airspace Users Flight/Wings Operations Centres’ processes and tools for Trajectory Definition, Fleet Prioritisation and Preferences, and Mission Trajectory. Objectives include new performance indicators reflecting AUs’ business needs in the ATM performance scheme; technology that drastically reduces the need for Airspace Users to perform labour intensive coordination; and integration of ICAO/ FF-ICE concept in the Trajectory Definition and UDPP processes.  OAUO supports the SESAR Deployment and addresses European concerns on economic sustainability of Air Transport system operators, providing access to all types of Airspace Users and flexibility to reduce costs without ATM performance deterioration.


Natural evolution is a powerful process that has given rise to the functionally diverse set of proteins present in all living systems. Repetitive rounds of mutation, selection and amplification have optimised nature’s catalysts, the enzymes, to perform an enormous range of different reactions. However, natural evolution has driven the optimisation of enzymes subjected to living functions of microorganisms, according to ill-defined and fluctuating external conditions and is not suitable for industrial processes since it lacks of control of selection pressure. In EVOdrops, we will use directed evolution to overcome these limitations. It is a synthetic, man-made approach of evolution, aiming at improving living systems based on predefined needs, controlling the external selection pressure. While natural evolution took billions of years to optimise macromolecules, directed evolution – to be efficient in an industrial process – requires both the generation of genetic diversity and ultra-high throughput screening capabilities to recover the variants of interest. We will develop and optimise these tools using the ground-breaking potential of droplet-based microfluidics for high-throughput experimentation and the fine control of gene library construction. EVOdrops, a European training network, will bring together the leading research scientists, laboratories and industries in Europe with outstanding expertise in protein engineering and microfluidics and 13 early stage researchers. We will offer an extensive multi- and interdisciplinary training to ensure that they can solve these urgent and unmet challenges in biotechnology and biomedicine. We will use a multidisciplinary approach combining soft matter, microfluidics and chemical biology to design solutions for the selection of new enzymes of industrial and therapeutic interest. In the future, our approaches can be generalised to challenges involving high-throughput miniaturised biochemical or cell-based assays.


Essential and Efficient Communication Navigation and Surveillance Integrated System

The PJ 14 CNS aims to specify and develop the future Technologies coming from the Communication, Navigation and Surveillance domains in order to support and manage the Operational Services, like the 4D Trajectory Management, in the future ATM System. Performance requirements for CNS systems are becoming increasingly complex and demanding and need to be considered as part of an integrated and holistic System of Systems, which includes air and ground CNS solutions considering convergence towards a common infrastructure, and a unified concept of operations, where possible. In parallel, CNS systems and infrastructure for both airborne and ground must take a more business- and performance oriented approach with efficient use of resources delivering the required capability in a cost-effective and spectrum efficient manner. All the activities performed in the PJ 14 CNS will be developed at European Level in order to avoid a fragmented approach and to ensure the interoperability as depicted in the ICAO Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP). The CNS technologies support the  GANP in terms of: • Airport Operations • Globally Interoperable System Data • Optimum capacity and flexible flights The PJ 14 aims to develop and improve solution, not already available, from the technological point of view to support the future ATM global system, according the timeframe addressed by the ATM Master Plan, mainly in: • Surface Data Sharing to let a huge data exchange for an effective and efficient airport operations and awareness • New Data Communications infrastructure to reduce the ATCo Workload avoiding misunderstandings and improve the efficiency •Collaborative Air Traffic Management to support the ATCos, pilots, airport operators to improve the situation awareness • Optimisation of Capacity, Flexible Use of Airspace and Turn-around operations to avoid congestion in ATM domain In the PJ14 all the main stakeholders are involved to ensure that all the operational needs are well considered.


Enhanced Physical Internet-Compatible Earth-frieNdly freight Transportation answER

ePIcenter will create an interoperable cloud-based ecosystem of user-friendly extensible Artificial Intelligence-based logistics software solutions and supporting methodologies that will enable all players in global trade and international authorities to co-operate with ports, logistics companies and shippers, and to react in an agile way to volatile political and market changes and to major climate shifts impacting traditional freight routes.  This will address the ever-increasing expectations of 21st century consumers for cheaper and more readily available goods and bring in Innovations in transport, such as hyperloops, autonomous/robotic systems (e.g. “T-pods”) and new last-mile solutions as well as technological initiatives such as blockchain, increased digitalisation, single windows, EGNOS positional precision and the Copernicus Earth Observation Programme.  ePIcenter thus addresses MG-2-9-2019 of H2020 Mobility for Growth “InCo Flagship on Integrated multimodal, low-emission freight transport systems and logistics”, particularly in what refers to new logistics concepts, new disruptive technologies, new trade routes (including arctic routes and new Silk routes) and multimodal transfer zones.  ePIcenter will speed up the path to a Physical Internet  and will benefit peripheral regions and landlocked developing countries.  ePIcenter will reduce fuel usage (and corresponding emissions) by 10-25%, lead to greater utilisation of greener modes of transport reducing long distance movements by trucks by 20-25% and ensure a smoother profile of arrivals at ports which will reduce congestion and waiting/turnaround times.


Glycobiology of synaptic pruning in a developing brain

Effective neuron-microglial communication is a prerequisite to achieve the final connectome. It is mediated by both the formation of new synapses and selective removal of unnecessary connections through synaptic pruning. Recent evidences suggest that superfluous connections are eliminated by microglia. Almost 70% of the connections are lost in a primate cortex within six months of life. But what drives this selective elimination of so many synapses is a million-euro question. Identifying neuronal signals that differentiate weak synapses from the strong ones is an emerging frontier in cellular neuroscience. Several eat-me signals in synaptic pruning have been identified, but spare-me signals that limit phagocytic elimination of synapses are yet to be explored. Sialic acids on neuronal glycocalyx acts as spare-me signal and prevents microglial phagocytosis through Siglec receptors. Aberrant regulation of sialic acid caused neuronal loss and embryonic lethality. It is also becoming evident that sialic acid plays a key role in neurodevelopment, but the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which it regulates neurodevelopment is yet to be explored. This makes sialic acid an ideal candidate to evaluate its role in neurodevelopment. Hence, we aim to interrogate whether sialidases, glycocalyx recognizing proteins are developmentally regulated and also to define sialic acid’s role in synaptic pruning during neurodevelopment. We propose to implement gene, protein expression and metabolic profiling studies to investigate whether sialidases and glycocalyx recognizing proteins are developmentally regulated. Also, we will use fluorescent azido sugars in ex vivo cultures to visualise how sialic acid regulates synaptic pruning during neurodevelopment using superresolution STED microscopy. This paves a path to identify cellular and molecular mechanisms by which glycocalyx composition defines neuron-microglia interactions and thus circuit refinement through synaptic pruning.