Pilot Programme for Series Co-productions

Space critical Equipment for EU non-dependence – Space Refuelling Interface is sponsored by European Commission — Horizon Europe. Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: Reinforcing EU strategic autonomy by reducing non-EU dependencies on critical space Equipment and related technologies across their entire supply chain; Providing unrestricted access to critical space Equipment and related technologies relevant for EU space missions and pilots (e.g. In-Orbit Space Operations); Developing or regaining capacity to operate independently in space by developing resilient space Equipment and related technologies supply chains, relying on EU supply chains and/or trustable and reliable supply chains not affected by non-EU export restrictions; Enhancing competitiveness by developing products and capabilities reaching equivalent or superior performance level than those from outside the EU and compete at worldwide level. Scope: Unrestricted access to state-of-art space equipment and related technologies is a pre-requisite for the EU space industry responding to EU space missions. However, especially for some families of equipment, the available solutions in EU do not meet the current high-performance space requirements. Currently, alternative products sourced from outside EU, are either affected by non-EU export control, that limits its use, or present challenges in terms of trustable supply chains for the implementation of EU space missions with a security dimension. Within the frame of this topic, it is expected to finance and implement a development project aiming at maturing critical equipment with the final goal of lowering the dependency from outside EU. This will be done by establishing a long-term sustainable supply chain for supporting EU strategic autonomy in the space sector. The selection of the supply chains shall reflect this objective. Therefore, the supply chain shall preferably be built fully based in EU and when this can only be achieved partially, services procured from outside EU shall nevertheless ensure that the overall supply chain will remain trustable and not affected by non-EU export control. The latest scenario is subject to the approval of the granting authority (i.e. DG-DEFIS and HaDEA). The space equipment and related technologies relevant for this topic represent a direct implementation of the EU Observatory of Critical Technologies (OCT) Technology Roadmap, named Robotics Manipulators for Space Applications: Space Refuelling Interface . Further details will be provided at the latest at the opening of the Call, in a Guidance document published on the Funding & Tenders Portal. Space is a low volume market affected by a dynamic industrial landscape compared to the terrestrial market therefore, technological spin in and/or bilateral collaborations should be enhanced between European non-space and space industries. Furthermore, proposed activities should be complementary to relevant national or other activities at EU level. Complementary activities should be clearly identified, described and the proposal should report how the complementarity is ensured. To achieve the non-dependence objective, applicants are expected to include a dedicated proposal’s paragraph covering: The description of the technology and/or technology processes used for developing the equipment and high-level breakdown of the supply chain to be used. Applicants should demonstrate that the supply chain and final product are free of any legal export restrictions or limitations, such as those established in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or equivalent instruments applicable in other non-EU jurisdictions. Applicants shall also report, in a dedicated subsection, if and which part of the supply chain is affected by non-EU export controls such as the Export Administration regulation (EAR) i.e. EAR99. The description of the suitable technology development process that has been identified and set up within the consortium for avoiding export restrictions of non-EU states and assess vulnerab Programme areas: Horizon Europe (HORIZON), Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, Digital, Industry and Space, Space, including Earth Observation

Advancing the European bio-based innovation enabled by biotechnology and biomanufacturing concepts is sponsored by European Commission — Horizon Europe. Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: significant advance in the development of innovation in biotechnology, life sciences and/or biomanufacturing concepts, preparing future deployment of bio-based and bio-inspired processes, products and materials, as a basis for sustainable, fair, safe and circular value chains, contributing to decarbonisation, industrial competitiveness and the strategic autonomy of the EU and Associated Countries; improved environmental sustainability of the developed innovative bio-based solutions, with positive and quantifiable impact on climate and biodiversity, and circularity of the European bioeconomy via enhanced resource efficiency, including of biological feedstocks, water and energy, integrating bio-based sector to minimize and remediate waste production. Scope: Actions funded under this topic are relevant to the EU policies related to the European Commission communication on ‘Building the future with nature: Boosting Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing in the EU’, the Life Sciences Strategy, the upcoming EU Biotech Act, and Circular Economy Act, the EU strategy on research and technology infrastructure, the Clean Industrial Deal and the policies related to the digital transition (e.g. AI Act, etc.). It also contributes to the Start-ups and Scale-ups Strategy. Proposals should address the following activities: identify, select and develop further promising selected key technologies underpinning the bio-based innovation/industry, in particular R&D on synthetic/molecular biology, gene editing, metabolic engineering, microbiome [1] , and/or biofoundry approaches, covering all applications aiming at clean growth and environmental solutions. Advancing towards validation at a pilot-scale is encouraged, to enable future exploitation. The applications in health biotechnology, as well as the biofuel/bioenergy area are excluded, to avoid overlaps with Horizon Europe Clusters 1 and 5, respectively; ensure the integration of digital technologies (e.g. AI/Machine Learning, bioinformatics); advance the convergence of biotech and life sciences developed under the first point with Nature-based Solutions, e.g. for environmental applications, carbon sequestration [2] , biodiversity protection/enhancement, aligned with (bio-)circular economy principles (e.g. cascading biomass use), ensuring the environmental fate and sustainability is considered quantitatively at the earliest stage and ensuring safety to human health and environment is addressed and guaranteed; develop recommendations for policy makers and industrial actors, taking into account the available scientifically sound assessment of risks and benefits of the developed solutions. Proposals should involve SMEs – both as project beneficiaries and as external actors – and offer opportunities to newcomers (to Horizon Europe Cluster 6). Proposals should also engage with the civil society stakeholders such as NGOs and consumer organisations to seek stakeholder involvement and acceptance, thus advancing scale-up and facilitating future market uptake. Proposals need to ensure compliance with the ‘Do no significant harm’ (DNSH) principle. Proposals are encouraged to consider, where relevant, the data, expertise and services offered by European research infrastructures [3] , such as EMSO ERIC, EU-OPENSCREEN, ELIXIR, EMBRC ERIC, IBISBA. Efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of this topic is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable). Cooperation with the parallel projects funded under topic HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-10: Bio-based innovation in society: supporting the sustainable way of living is encouraged, to benefit from synergies and avoid overlaps. Similarly, activities should benefit from synergies and avoid overlaps with ongoing projects, e.g. funded under the topic HORIZON-CL6-2022-CIRCBIO-02-05-two-stage: Life sciences and their convergence wi Programme areas: Horizon Europe (HORIZON), Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment, Bio-based Innovation Systems in the EU Bioeconomy Keywords: Agricultural biotechnology, Bio-based products (products that are manufactured using biological material as feedstock) bio-based materials, bio-based plastics, biofuels, bio-based and bio-derived bulk and fine chemicals, bio-based and bio-derived novel materials, Biochemistry and molecular biology, Bioprocessing technologies (industrial processes relying on biological agents to drive the process) biocatalysis, fermentation, Bioproducts (products that are manufactured using biological material as feedstock) biomaterials, bioplastics, biofuels, bioderived bulk and fine chemicals, bio-derived novel materials, Cell biology and molecular transport mechanisms, Cell biology, Microbiology, DNA synthesis, modification, repair, recombination, degradation, Environmental biotechnology, Environmental biotechnology related ethics, Environmental biotechnology, bioremediation, biodegradation, General biochemistry and metabolism, Industrial biotechnology, Natural resources exploration and exploitation, Other biological topics, Plant sciences, botany, Proteomics, RNA synthesis, processing, modification and degradation, Social innovation, Social sciences, interdisciplinary, bio-based, bio-product, bioeconomy, biofoundry, bioinformatics, biomanufacturing, bioproduct, biotechnology, environmental biotechnology, gene editing, industrial biotechnology, life sciences, microbiome, synthetic biology

Understanding and tackling the decline of insects is sponsored by European Commission — Horizon Europe. Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: researchers better understand the status and population trends of insect species and the drivers of their decline; competent authorities in charge of biodiversity policies at all levels are capable of taking informed decisions, based on better understanding and valuation of socioeconomic benefits and ecological importance of insects, including for climate action; society and relevant land managers are better informed and equipped to tackle the drivers of the decline of insects. Scope: Insects play a vital role contributing to ecosystem functions in addition to pollination, such as decomposition and nutrient cycles, soil formation (including carbon sequestration) and pest control, control functions essential for maintaining ecosystem complexity, and are an indispensable part of the food chain. Those functions are key for climate change mitigation and allow the provision of ecosystem services which have economic benefits and support human well-being. Additionally, insects play a key role in other socioeconomic areas such as medical and pharmaceutical applications (e.g. antimicrobial peptides), forensic science or biotechnology. The dramatic decline of insects, estimated around 75% in the last three decades, is raising increasing concern among scientists and in the public, since it could have far-reaching implications. In order to be able to tackle this decline, there is a need to improve our understanding of the drivers of loss and how they interplay. A better knowledge of insects themselves is necessary. With targets 4 and 5 of the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, the EU took, among others, the commitment that by 2030 habitats and species show no deterioration in conservation trend and status, at least 30% reach favourable conservation status or at least show a positive trend, and that the decline of pollinators is reversed. According to the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, Member States shall put in place appropriate and effective measures to improve pollinator diversity and reverse the decline of pollinators by 2030. This is reflected in target 4 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The European Climate Law requires Member States to adopt and implement national adaptation strategies and plans in which they should promote Nature-based Solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation. These policies and legislations have reached the implementation stage in the EU and worldwide. Successful proposals are expected to: improve understanding and identification of insects’ diversity, including through genomic approaches; focus on less known insect groups. In particular a solid knowledge has already been generated regarding pollination and pollinating insects through past and ongoing projects, therefore they are not expected to be subject to new research under this topic; assess the status and trends of insects and analyse multiple drivers affecting them, as well as the ecosystem services that insects provide, at different spatial scales. A comprehensive integrative taxonomy approach should be adopted, incorporating a multidisciplinary framework, including ecology and ecotoxicology, and integrating methods that address the diverse needs of insects across their entire lifecycle, ensuring the identification of essential habitat resources at each stage of development. To assess the status and trends of insects and the effectiveness of strategies, proposals should develop and test approaches for long-term monitoring schemes for insects, possibly building on existing national or EU biodiversity monitoring schemes and pilots developed by Biodiversa+; devise, test and promote effective strategies to mitigate the major drivers of insects’ decline. Analyse the ecosystem functions underpinned by insects and undertake qualitative and quantitative valuation of ecosystem services emanating from those functions; explore how to implem Programme areas: Horizon Europe (HORIZON), Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment, Biodiversity and Natural Resources Keywords: Biodiversity conservation, Biodiversity, conservation biology, conservation genetics, Conservation biology, ecology, genetics, Environmental Conservation, Environmental protection, Environmental stressors, Environmental toxicology at the population and ecosystems level, Habitat Systems, Habitat and species restoration and rehabilitation, Natural resources and environmental economics, Nature conservation, Protection of environment (before, during and after), Species interactions (e.g. food-webs, symbiosis, parasitism, mutualism, bio-invasion), Insects, biodiversity, climate change, conservation, decline, ecology, ecosystem, habitat, pollinator, species