STEMwise

Very proud to announce that our Horizon Europe project called TWINSAFE, for which our Anita TREGNER and Petar Gregurić coordinated the proposal preparation process, has been awarded an exceptional score of 14.5 out of a possible 15 points, securing a grant of 1.5 million EUR. With a total number of 848 projects proposals competing from the whole Europe, the success rate was below 10%. The overarching vision is to establish FTTS as a centre of excellence in multidisciplinary road safety research, education, and innovation. Through its multidimensional approach, TWINSAFE will cultivate an ecosystem uniting academia, industry, and government to pioneer data-driven solutions for a key societal challenge — improving road safety. Congrats to Dario Babić, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, Tom Brijs (Hasselt University), and Carmelo D'Agostino (Lund University) and good luck in your Twinning exercise! P.S. Our journey doesn't end here. We are currently developing three additional Horizon Europe proposals and a Technical Assistance Tender, all with a deadline in February. If you have some great ideas, please don't hesitate to reach to use. STEMwise is here to make a difference. Research. Collaborate. Get funded.

📰 Europe’s primary hydrogen research initiative, the #Clean #Hydrogen #Partnership, is poised for a significant budget boost in 2025 as it enters a phase of technology upscaling to advance renewable hydrogen production and deployment. 🔹 2025 priorities: scaling applications in #steelmaking, #trucks, #rail, #maritime; supporting the development of EU-wide hydrogen infrastructure; and creating an open hydrogen market. 🔹 Key funding areas: renewable hydrogen production, including new manufacturing processes for electrolysers, as well as hydrogen storage, distribution (from salt caverns to rock caverns), compression, and modular ammonia cracking. 🔹 Focus shift: less emphasis on road transport, with growing investments in #maritime, #rail, and #“hydrogen #valleys”—regional ecosystems linking production and end use. To date, 16 hydrogen valleys have been funded, with 6 more planned this year, aiming for 25 by the end of 2025. 🔹 New development: The 2025 call is likely to feature, for the first time, a topic on #natural #hydrogen, following an amendment to the partnership’s remit in June 2024 to explore naturally-occurring hydrogen stores. 🔹 Funding and partnerships: €1 billion from #HorizonEurope matched by private investments, plus an 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 €𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 from #REPowerEU. The Clean Hydrogen Partnership has also signed new memoranda of understanding with six European regions to share best practices and build local skills. 🔹 Call timeline: The 2025 funding call is expected to be published in 𝗺𝗶𝗱-𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆. This strategic direction aligns with the EU’s climate and energy security goals, supporting the large-scale production of competitive renewable hydrogen and fostering resilient ecosystems for clean energy technologies. #HorizonEurope #Hydrogen #CleanEnergy #EUInnovation #ClimateAction

🌍𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝘂𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁: 𝗪𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 The race for #innovation in #nuclear #energy is heating up, and widening countries like Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic are taking significant strides toward becoming key players in next-generation nuclear power. 🔹𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 has approved the construction of six SMRs, and is also committed to building a traditional reactor using Westinghouse, global leader in nuclear technology. Additionally, the country is exploring a potential collaboration with South Korean suppliers for future projects. 🔹𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮 has formed a strategic partnership with the U.S. nuclear company NuScale to construct an SMR facility in Doicești, located 90 kilometers from Bucharest. 🔹 The 𝗖𝘇𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 is advancing its SMR plans by identifying 45 potential sites and collaborating with Rolls-Royce SMR. However, deployment is not expected until after 2030. 👉 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: As the article highlights, the #widening #countries are setting a precedent by actively investing in and advancing nuclear technologies. Their leadership could redefine the role of smaller economies in #Horizon #Europe’s #research and #innovation ecosystem, balancing the EU’s clean energy ambitions with strategic competitiveness. Yet, challenges like workforce shortages and complex regulatory frameworks still loom large. For example, Romania’s need to train 5,000 nuclear engineers underscores the urgency for skill development across the region. 📖 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e8gjh4de #NuclearInnovation #SMRs #HorizonEurope #EnergyTransition #CleanEnergy #EUInnovation #STEMwise

The European Commission plans to allocate €90.5 million to #cybersecurity research in 2025 - an increase of €30 million on the previous year. A leaked draft shows a total of €231 million for civilian #security #research, underlining the EU's commitment to countering sophisticated cyber threats and addressing the challenges of hybrid warfare in a rapidly evolving #digital world. 📌 Read more about it: https://lnkd.in/dQBwTdsV

Boosting innovation and excellence in Europe: €315 million invested in 63 new projects! The European Commission will invest €315 million in 63 new projects under three #HorizonEurope Widening actions: Teaming for Excellence, ERA Chairs, and Excellence Hubs. These initiatives aim to accelerate research and innovation, create centres of excellence, and enhance research capacity in low-performing countries. The selected projects will start their activities between end of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025. Teaming for Excellence: 13 projects selected for funding, fostering partnerships between leading scientific institutions and those in low-performing countries. ERA Chairs: 38 projects selected for funding, attracting top researchers to enhance performance in chosen scientific domains. Excellence Hubs: 12 projects selected for funding, fostering collaboration between academia, business, government, and society in Widening countries.   Discover more about the 63 selected projects and mark your calendars: a new Teaming for Excellence call just opened and you can apply for the first-stage submission by 10 April 2025. https://europa.eu/!NmBnqG

Ekaterina Zaharieva, the new Commissioner for Start-ups, #Research and #Innovation, is set to announce the formation of her team soon, with details emerging about who will be included. The draft list reveals Andreas Schwarz as the head of her cabinet, bringing a wealth of experience from roles in budget programming and the European Anti-Fraud Office. As official confirmation approaches, last-minute adjustments are expected.  📌 More: https://lnkd.in/eB_W3SVk

🌍 Bridging the gap: From Horizon Europe research to the EU Innovation Fund Scaling clean #tech #innovations remains a challenge. While #Horizon #Europe fosters groundbreaking research, many projects face hurdles transitioning to real-world applications due to complex processes and market barriers. The EU #Innovation #Fund’s €𝟮.𝟰 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 aims to support this leap, ensuring #clean #tech #solutions reach implementation. Collaborative efforts are key to addressing these challenges and driving forward advancements in renewable energy, AI, and digital infrastructure. Are we ready to turn innovation into impact? #InnovationFunding #CleanTech #HorizonEurope #SustainableInnovation #DigitalTransformation

Prošli tjedan sam na konferenciji "GREEN14 - Komercijalizacija znanstvenih istraživanja" u Hotelu International održao key note predavanje na temu postojećih modela i načina financiranja znanstvenih istraživanja. U predavanju sam pokrio cijeli spektar mogućnosti na raspolaganju - centralizirane EU fondove, poput Horizon Europe, ali i kaskadne potpore o kojima se mnogo ne zna te natječaje za nacionalne EU fondove koji su u najavi za 2025. godinu - moram priznati, ima ih podosta. Za kraj, završili smo s modelima financiranja putem investicija rizičnog kapitala gdje sam dao pregled fondova koji su aktivni na našem tržištu. Hvala svim prisutnim na aktivnom sudjelovanju, a organizatorima Filip Stipančić i Miro Hegedic iz Smion na pozivu.

𝗙𝗣𝟭𝟬 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗧𝗥𝗘 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲 The #draft #report for Framework Programme 10 (#FP10) has sparked criticism from several MEPs on the ITRE Committee. They have expressed concerns over the proposal to 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 (𝗘𝗥𝗖) 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 (𝗘𝗜𝗖). They argue that such a shift could lead to cuts in #Pillar #II funding, which supports collaborative research addressing EU societal challenges and driving innovation. Key Concerns: 1️⃣ 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀: Some ITRE members are worried that consolidating #R&#I #funding into a broader #Competitiveness #Fund could undermine the ERC’s and EIC’s independence, which are vital for their effectiveness. 2️⃣ 𝗨𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗜𝗜: Concerns have been raised about the bureaucratic complexity and lack of political guidance for Pillar II. This has sparked rumors about its potential discontinuation in the next Framework Programme. 3️⃣ 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Critics emphasize that shifting funds could harm collaborative, pre-competitive research, which is crucial for fostering partnerships between academia and industry to develop solutions for societal needs before they become market products. MEP Christian Ehler (EPP), who authored the draft report, argues that the #ERC and #EIC are key to boosting EU #innovation and #competitiveness. He advocates for placing R&I experts at the forefront of #FP10 design to ensure that the framework aligns with long-term goals without compromising the specialized missions of these councils. As discussions continue, balancing funding priorities and maintaining strong governance for research and innovation will be crucial to Europe's global innovation leadership. #HorizonEurope #FP10 #ResearchInnovation #ERC #EIC #HorizonEurope #FP10 #PillarII #ResearchInnovation #EuropeanResearch

𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗪𝗘𝗕𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗥: 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟭𝟬𝟭 Yesterday, we hosted an insightful webinar introducing #Cascade #Funding, or as we like to call it, "mini Horizons". This funding mechanism offers #SMEs and #startups an accessible route to fuel #innovation while aligning with the goals of #Horizon #Europe In this webinar, we explored: ✅ What cascade funding is and why it's an effective route for SMEs and startups. ✅ The main advantages of this funding model, such as equity-free support, simplified administration, and rapid evaluation processes. ✅ Examples of projects supported by cascade funding in areas like AI, energy efficiency, and robotics. We organized this webinar to make #Cascade #Funding #opportunities more accessible to #SMEs or #start-ups, offering practical guidance to help identify and leverage funding options tailored to their needs. Our aim was to break down the process and provide participants with the tools to navigate #centralized #EU #funds with confidence. If you’re interested in exploring similar opportunities or need personalized support, don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re here to help. https://stemwise.eu/ #CascadeFunding #HorizonEurope #STEMwise #Innovation