Consultation on shape of future Horizon 2020 SC5 calls launched

The European Commission has launched an external stakeholder consultation to help shape the Work Programme for 2018-2020 of Horizon 2020 Societal Challenge 5 – 'Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials'. SusChem stakeholders are invited to participate in this consultation and express your views. Of particular interest is the topic: "Sustainable supply of non-energy and non-agricultural raw materials". The consultation is open until Friday 8 April 2016. 

The European Commission is starting to prepare the next Horizon 2020 Work Programme and calls for proposals that will cover the period 2018-2020. Within Societal Challenge 5, research and innovation aims to "achieve a resource – and water – efficient and climate change resilient economy and society, the protection and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems, and a sustainable supply and use of raw materials, in order to meet the needs of a growing global population within the sustainable limits of the planet's natural resources and eco-system."

Since Horizon 2020 was adopted the socio-economic and policy context has changed. For Societal Challenge 5, the budget to be allocated for 2018-2020 will be of the order of EUR 1 billion and to ensure relevance a new consultation of stakeholders is required for this final programming period.

Consultation questions
The consultation seeks answers to the following questions:

• What are the challenges in the areas of Societal Challenge 5 that require action under the Work Programme 2018-2020? Would they require an integrated approach across the Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges and Leadership in Enabling and Industrial Technologies?
• What is the output/impact that could be foreseen? Which innovation aspects could reach (market) deployment within 5-7 years?
• Which gaps (in science and technology, innovation, markets, policy, financing and governance, regulation etc.) and potential game changers, including the role of the public sector in accelerating changes, need to be taken into account?
• Which areas could benefit from integration of horizontal aspects such as social sciences and humanities, responsible research and innovation, gender aspects, international cooperation?
• In view of the recent evolution of the socio-economic and policy context, what are the emerging priorities for Societal Challenge 5? 

Responses should cite any available supporting evidence such as foresight and other assessments of research and innovation trends and market opportunities, across the six sub-challenges of Societal Challenge 5.

These are: Fighting and adapting to climate change; Protecting the environment, sustainably managing natural resources, water, biodiversity and ecosystems; Ensuring the sustainable supply of non-energy and non-agricultural raw materials; Enabling the transition towards a green economy and society through ecoinnovation; Developing comprehensive and sustained global environmental observation and information systems; and Cultural heritage.

The consultation document is available here and background information on the whole Societal Challenge 5 programme is here.

All responses to the consultation should be send by email to the European Commission.

UK Horizon 2020 Events announced

The Horizon 2020 Societal Challenge Five (SC5 -  Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials) is happening today (21 September) in Brussels, but in the UK Horizon 2020 National Contact Points (NCPs) are organising a number of information and networking events over the next two months at various locations across the UK. 

The events are theme-based and reflect the main interests of the UK research and industry community following preparatory work between the NCPs and many UK organisations for the 2016 - 2017 Work Programme. The events will be ideal places to learn about many interesting potential project ideas and to link up with project partners.

Attending one of the UK events will allow you to hear about the details of the SC5 funding calls and also to meet and network with organisations interested in collaboration.

Nature-based solutions - re-greening cities
30 September 2015 in London

Funding for water innovation
1 October 2015 in Manchester

Climate resilient business
2 November 2015 in Exeter

More information
For more information or to take advantage of our extensive UK network of industry and academia contacts for partner searching opportunity (provided both via the Knowledge Transfer Network and the Enterprise Europe Network), please contact Ewa Bloch UK National Contact Point for EU Horizon 2020 - Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials (Societal Challenge 5). Ewa will also be at the 21 September InfoDay in Brussels.

To register for regular updates from Horizon 2020 UK NCPs visit the UK Horizon 2020 website.

Commission calls for Pilot Project Ideas

The European Commission has just launched an open consultation on part of the 2016-2017 work programme for Horizon 2020. It covers the societal challenge 5 “Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials” (SC5) and concerns ideas for relevant large-scale pilot or demonstration projects.

The new call for ideas is intended to:

• Help identifying which research and innovation areas attract most interest from innovators and innovation users, and 
• Stimulate developers and providers of innovative solutions to engage in projects of greater ambition in terms of scope, scale and impact

Ideas are invited at this stage for possible pilot/demonstration projects in the following areas:

• Systemic eco-innovation for a circular economy
• Climate services
• Nature-based solutions
• Water

The Commission will carefully examine all ideas received with a view to:

• Designing its 2016 – 2017 work programme and ensuing calls for proposals, and 
• Defining and implementing a supportive EU research and innovation policy framework

The Commission may use some, all or none of the ideas that are proposed in future calls and no grants will be awarded as a direct result of this call for ideas.

More information 
For more information, please go to the survey webpage or contact Avelino Gonzalez-Gonzalez at the European Commission. The deadline for submission to the call survey is 28 February 2015.