Living labs co-creating innovative solutions for forests and freshwater ecosystems restoration
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
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.
It notably acknowledges that forests are carbon sinks, which contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, while ensuring that forests continue to grow and provide many other services.
Detailed Call Description
- set up at least three living labs to work together on ecosystem restoration, covering forests and freshwater ecosystems. The living labs are expected to be located in at least three different EU Member States and/or Associated Countries. Proposals should describe the rationale for cooperation across the various living labs and among the various stakeholders within the living labs;
- establish a detailed work plan of the activities to be undertaken in a transdisciplinary way, ensuring the co-design, co-development, and co-implementation of locally adapted innovative solutions
- conduct participatory and transdisciplinary research and innovation in living labs with the objective of finding practical solutions to ecosystem restoration, while considering relevant drivers of biodiversity loss, in particular climate change and invasive alien species, and related pressures. Challenges with scaling up and transferability of solutions should be addressed. Proposed strategies and solutions should be adapted to the different environmental, socio-economic and cultural contexts in which the living labs are operating and should consider the cultural and natural heritage. Sites should be selected along a gradient of anthropogenic pressure to evaluate restoration challenges in heterogeneous areas from highly disturbed to relatively intact areas. Action oriented and collaborative approach combining local expertise in economics, ecology and locally created sustainable innovations to capture the full range of knowledge in addition to scientific knowledge should be sought. Gender dimension should be integrated;
- establish for each living lab a satisfactory level for ecosystem condition, in order to allow for an accurate assessment of the conditions and changes and a clear monitoring of progress towards the objectives. Where relevant, the overall objective should be to reach the good conservation status defined in the Habitats or in the Water Framework Directives. Impacts of forestry and forestry practises on freshwater ecosystem health and how changes in forestry practises/management can support the restoration of freshwater ecosystems, including sediments, should be considered;
- monitor and carry out an assessment of the innovative practices for ecosystem restoration and their effectiveness, including the conditions for non-deterioration. This should include a demonstration of the economic viability of the proposed innovative solutions for the end-users and appropriate business models and actions possibly involving local authorities, business communities, SMEs, investors, entrepreneurs should be developed, including with co-funding schemes;
- document the newly developed solutions in an intuitive and accessible way and widely disseminate them in order to facilitate their uptake by practitioners and transmit the acquired knowledge to all relevant actors.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
100%
Expected EU contribution per project: €7.00 million
Thematic Categories
- Environment and Climate Change
- Natural and Cultural Heritage
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Water - Management of Water Resources
Eligibility for Participation
- Businesses
- Central Government
- Educational Institutions
- Legal Entities
- Natual person / Citizen / Individual
- NGOs
- Non Profit Organisations
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Semi-governmental organisations
- Services Providers
Eligibility For Participation Notes
The following additional eligibility criteria apply: The proposals must apply the multi-actor approach. See definition of the multi-actor approach in the introduction to this work programme part.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia,
P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Persons:
Marcia Trillidou
Scientific Officer A’
Email: trillidou@research.org.cy
Dr. Mary Economou
Scientific Officer
Email: meconomou@research.org.cy