Increasing environmental resilience through a better knowledge and management of the soil-water nexus

Closed

Code: 37766 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-03 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 30/09/2025

The world is facing an increasing trend in the frequency and virulence of extreme events like droughts, wildfires, and floods, with soil, and more precisely soil-water interactions, playing a key role in their occurrence and impact.

A holistic response is necessary to face these events and better manage the risks and impacts they create onto the environment, food security, the economy and human security.

Social, economic and cultural drivers, and costs of land degradation

Closed

Code: 37763 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-02 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 30/09/2025

The social, economic, cultural, political, and regulatory factors that drive land management and land degradation and the interaction among these factors has been insufficiently explored.

Moreover, there is a knowledge gap in estimating the costs that land degradation generates on-site, directly affecting land users and managers, and offsite, borne by society.

Currently, the lack of knowledge on the costs of land degradation hampers the development of cost-benefit scenarios for the adoption and implementation of soil conservation and restoration actions across the EU and Associated Countries.

An improved understanding of the social, economic, political, regulatory, and cultural factors, together with quantification of the costs of land degradation, should lead to evidence-based strategies, policies and integrated approaches that support land managers in rural, intermediate, and urban areas to adopt and implement sustainable land management practices that reduce and eventually stop land degradation and enhance soil health.

Living Labs for soil remediation and green redevelopment of brownfields

Closed

Code: 37760 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-01 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 30/09/2025

De-industrialisation and abandonment of areas previously developed for industrial or commercial purposes have produced many brownfields all over Europe, representing a major concern at different levels with adverse effects on the economy the environment, human health, social well-being and quality of life in their surroundings.

However, many brownfields are located within urban boundaries and as such represent an opportunity for sustainable urban regeneration initiatives and offer competitive alternatives to greenfield developments (in line with the New European Bauhaus initiative).

Pre-commercial procurement of breakthrough solutions for climate proofing of public buildings

Closed

Code: 37757 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-01-CLIMA-06 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

Buildings are vulnerable to climate change in different ways. For example, climate change can increase their risk of collapse, damage their construction materials, and even threaten their structural integrity. It can also cause significant loss of value because of more storms, snow or subsidence damage, water encroachment, deteriorating indoor climate and reduced building lifetime.

Besides impacting the structural features of a building, climate change can influence the conditions under which people live, work and interact indoors. An inability to properly regulate indoor temperatures may lead to thermal discomfort for users, potentially negatively impacting health, well-being, and productivity. In most places, users need to use heating and cooling systems to cope with thermal discomfort brought about by temperature extremes.

Better understanding incentives for private sector financing of adaptation solutions

Closed

Code: 37754 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-01-CLIMA-05 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

Financing was highlighted by 93% of the Mission Charter signatories as the biggest challenge their region or local authority face. This was not unexpected and financing for adaptation is also one of the key enabling conditions identified by the Mission Implementation Plan.

Adapting to the impacts of climate change requires mobilising significant resources, which can only be achieved by mobilising private and public funding alike. So far, the private sector involvement in financing implementation of adaptation measures and solutions has been quite limited. At this stage, climate adaptation generally relies to a large extent on some kind of public support.

EU Digital Twin Ocean: Contribution to the EU DTO core infrastructure through applications for sustainable ocean management

Closed

Code: 37751 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-08 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 07/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

Proposals should target at least two new Digital Twin Ocean (DTO) domain applications, either addressing policy or regulatory implementation or sustainable marine or maritime business operations (aquaculture and fisheries, sustainable tourism, etc.), with demonstrated usability at different geographical scales, for ocean and coastal management and planning, policy or regulatory implementation and decision-making or sustainable marine and maritime business operations. Each verified use cases (implementation of the domain applications at different geographic settings, including the relevant data, models, tools and interactions with stakeholders) should be demonstrated in at least 3 different sea basins (amounting to 6 use cases in total), with each of the 4 EU sea basins (1. Atlantic and Arctic Sea basin, 2. Baltic and North Sea, 3. Mediterranean Sea basin and 4. Danube River basin and Black Sea) covered at least by one use-case.

Testing and demonstrating innovative solutions to improve resilience to extreme heat, including addressing health impacts

Closed

Code: 37748 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-01-CLIMA-04 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

Rationale

With more frequent and intense heatwaves, extreme heat is the deadliest manifestation of climate change in Europe. It is estimated that, in the summer of 2022, heat was responsible for 60,000-70,000 premature deaths in Europe.

In fact, the European Climate Risk Assessment identifies heat as the largest and most urgent climate hazard for human health. Heat risks to the general population are already at critical levels in Southern Europe. More and urgent action is needed to reduce health risks, both from heat indoors and outdoors.

Mission Lighthouses coordination and support activities

Closed

Code: 37745 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-07 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 07/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

The Mission Ocean and Waters defines “lighthouses” as central hubs that foster the development and deployment of innovative solutions across technology, society, business, and governance. Their purpose is to accelerate progress towards the Mission’s objectives and deliver a positive impact in river and sea basins through science and technology.

To ensure broad regional engagement, the Mission is organised around four area-based lighthouses: the Atlantic-Arctic, the Mediterranean Sea, the Baltic-North Sea, and the Danube River-Black Sea. These lighthouses act as cooperation platforms and apply a systemic approach that connects inland waters with marine ecosystems.

Proposals under this framework are expected to bring together diverse public and private organisations, networks, and expertise. Their role is to ensure continuity of the four lighthouses while expanding their scope to cover all Mission objectives and to facilitate the implementation of the Mission’s second phase.

Actions should provide basin-level support to stakeholders, enabling the replication and scaling up of innovative solutions. Since water challenges are transboundary in nature, coordination and cooperation across regions and basins are essential for the effectiveness of solutions and for addressing shared problems.

By 2030, proposals must demonstrate how their activities contribute to the Mission’s objectives during the deployment and upscaling phase. Cooperation with European research infrastructures is encouraged to strengthen impact, sustainability, and knowledge exchange.

Demonstrating solutions to help hotspots in coastal regions to adapt to climate change

Closed

Code: 37744 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-01-CLIMA-03 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

Rationale

As highlighted in the first European Climate Risk assessment by the European Environment Agency: Southern Europe, low-lying coastal regions (including many densely populated cities) and EU outermost regions are geographical ‘hotspots’ concentrating climate risks with high severity and demanding urgent action.

On the other hand, the IPCC sixth assessment report recognised sea level rise as an “existential threat for coastal communities and their heritage, particularly beyond 2100”, also highlighting the urgency for increasing adaptation efforts. This is why this topic specifically addresses coastal resilience in hotspot regions.

Restoring Ocean and Waters on Islands

Closed

Code: 37739 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-06 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 07/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

The goal of this topic is to work with public authorities to accelerate the implementation of innovative solutions to achieve Mission objectives and targets on islands, including small ones.

The project should test and demonstrate effective solutions to achieve the Mission’s specific objectives and targets on islands. The project should thus test and demonstrate solutions contribute to:

1. protecting and restoring marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and Nature Restoration Regulation, and/or
2. preventing and eliminating pollution of our ocean, seas and waters, in line with the EU Action Plan Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil and/or
3. making the sustainable blue economy carbon-neutral and circular, in line with the European Climate Law and the holistic vision enshrined in the Sustainable Blue Economy Strategy.

Supporting regional and local authorities in developing their Action Plans towards climate resilience

Closed

Code: 37738 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-01-CLIMA-02 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

This topic relates to the Mission’s first and second objectives^[1] and aims to have at least 70 regional and local authorities that will have formulated their climate adaptation Action Plans.

As described by the first European Climate Risk assessment and addressed by the Commission’s Communication on Managing Climate Risks, asymmetrical exposure to climate impacts exacerbates the already existing disparities between regions in terms of need for climate adaptation, risk prevention and preparedness.

Restoring Ocean and Waters in waterfront Cities and their Ports

Closed

Code: 37735 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-05 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 07/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

The goal of this topic is to accelerate the implementation of innovative solutions to achieve Mission objectives and targets in waterfront cities and ports.

The project should test and demonstrate effective solutions to achieve the Mission’s specific objectives and targets in waterfront cities. The project should thus test and demonstrate solutions that contribute to:

1. protecting and restoring marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and Nature Restoration Regulation, and/or
2. preventing and eliminating pollution of our ocean, seas and waters, in line with the EU Action Plan Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil and/or
3. making the sustainable blue economy carbon-neutral and circular, in line with the European Climate Law and the holistic vision enshrined in the Sustainable Blue Economy Strategy.

Supporting regions and local authorities in assessing climate risks

Closed

Code: 37732 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-01-CLIMA-01 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

The first European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA) concluded that Europe is not prepared for rapidly growing climate risks.

Assessing climate risks is one the first steps that regional and local authorities need to undertake in the adaptation planning.

This step is key to provide robust adaptation plans that respond to the needs of the regional and local authorities.

Restoring Ocean and Waters in Regions

Closed

Code: 37728 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-04 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 07/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

The project should test and demonstrate effective solutions to achieve the Mission’s specific objectives and targets in coastal and riparian areas. The project should thus test and demonstrate solutions that contribute to:

1. protecting and restoring marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and Nature Restoration Regulation, and/or
2. preventing and eliminating pollution of our ocean, seas and waters, in line with the EU Action Plan Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil and/or
3. making the sustainable blue economy carbon-neutral and circular, in line with the European Climate Law and the holistic vision enshrined in the Sustainable Blue Economy Strategy.

Pragmatic clinical trials to enhance the quality of life of older cancer patients (65 years and older) through nutrition

Closed

Code: 37725 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-05 | Programme name: 19081 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 16/09/2025

Nutrition is of particular concern in older cancer patients due to issues like malabsorption, which is linked to adverse outcomes (such as mortality and decreased quality of life).

Moreover, cancer incidence and mortality and prevalence predictions suggest a considerable increase of older cancer patients, who are also underrepresented in clinical studies.

Hence, older cancer patients across Europe would benefit from access to optimised nutritional care-oriented interventions, to improve treatment outcomes, alleviate disease symptoms and side effects, thereby enhancing their survival and quality of life.

Digital technologies and energy transition in fisheries and/or aquaculture

Closed

Code: 37719 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-03 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 07/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

The fisheries and aquaculture sectors, including algae, are critical components of the global food system, contributing significantly to food supply, food security and sustainable economic growth. Energy, specifically fuel consumption, is one of the major cost items in the European fisheries and aquaculture sector, putting the economic viability of the European fleet and aquaculture activities under tremendous pressure during periods of high energy prices. Moreover, this fuel usage contributes to CO₂ and other emissions, including underwater noise. Innovative solutions are needed to transform the energy landscape of the fisheries and aquaculture, making these critical industries more sustainable, resilient, and economically viable.

Projects under this topic will demonstrate how digital technologies can address the need to reduce energy consumption and associated economic and environmental costs in European fisheries and/or aquaculture and provide real-time, accurate, and actionable data and information to reduce energy use. This can include the use of advanced (remote) sensing technologies and monitoring devices, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, data-driven approaches and data analytics, robotics and automation.

Investigator-initiated multinational early-stage innovative clinical trials for paediatric cancer

Closed

Code: 37718 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-04 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 16/09/2025

This topic will contribute to the achievement of the Mission’s objective to provide better treatments for cancer.

The focus is on children (0-14 years of age, e.g. age of first cancer diagnosis) and/or adolescent (15-19 years of age, e.g. age of first cancer diagnosis) cancer patients.

Paediatric oncology has made considerable progress, increasing patient survival rates up to 80%; yet cancer remains the leading cause of death in children and adolescents.

Progress in R&I to support the development of targeted cancer treatments for children has been rather limited.

Over the past 20 years, less than 10% of new anti-cancer drugs have received marketing authorization for paediatric use, resulting in limited availability of innovative therapies to treat paediatric cancers.

This is even more striking when cancers with poor prognosis are considered.

A toolbox for public authorities to address marine plastics and litter from river-to-ocean

Closed

Code: 37713 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-02 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 07/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

Understanding and tackling the inland sources, pathways, distribution and cumulative impacts of marine litter and plastic pollution into the ocean is fundamental to reduce the overall anthropogenic impact on our ecosystems and to guide the process towards the Mission’s 50% plastic litter reduction target in European water systems.

The overall aim of the activities under this topic is to co-design with relevant public authorities and public service providers, as well as other interested parties the most appropriate tools and solutions to address marine litter and plastic pollution according to a land-to-river-to-sea approach at basin level.

The main deliverable of funded projects under this topic will be a toolbox providing evidence-based data and information on sources, pathways, distribution and cumulative impacts of marine litter on ecosystems and water quality, including plastics and information on related hotspots and areas of accumulation, together with a set of demonstrated, sustainable and environmentally sound removal solutions, as well as measures to prevent litter and plastics reaching the sea.

Work should focus on inland waters (including deltas and coastal areas), where, in the absence of systematic monitoring of plastic litter, data and standardised methodological tools and techniques for collection, identification, classification and quantification of plastic pollution are most urgently needed. Activities are also expected to enhance cross-border cooperation and coordination at different levels, national, regional, local.

Innovative surgery as the cornerstone of affordable multi-modal therapeutic interventions benefitting cancer patients with locally advanced or metastatic disease

Closed

Code: 37712 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-02-CANCER-03 | Programme name: 19081 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 16/09/2025

Cancer surgery represents the main first line treatment for solid tumours.

While cancer patients with locally advanced or metastatic disease across Europe are often excluded from clinical studies, they would benefit from access to tailored, affordable, innovative, surgery-centred interventions, which are adapted to an increasingly precision oncology healthcare landscape.

Blue Parks – Towards a coherent European network of strictly protected areas for restoring healthy and productive marine ecosystems

Closed

Code: 37708 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-03-OCEAN-01 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 07/05/2025 | End submission calls: 24/09/2025

The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 sets a target to legally protect at least 30% of EU seas and to strictly protect 10% of EU seas by 2030. Member States have supported this target and have started the scientific and technical work to identify new areas to be (strictly) protected. Strictly protected areas are also expected to play a role in the implementation of obligations to restore habitats listed in the Regulation on Nature Restoration (habitat types in Annex II and habitats of species covered by the regulation) through passive restoration. There are however many data gaps concerning the distribution and condition of habitats and potential different strategies in Member States to find suitable areas for strict protection that may hinder the creation of a truly coherent EU network of strictly protected areas. There is a need for science-based conservation planning at a sea basin or sub-basin scale which would also take into account potential trade-offs due to the main uses of the sea as well as maximise benefits for climate and fisheries. While there are ongoing projects that should support the planning of future EU Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) networks, none of them is currently focusing on the specific target of strictly protected areas and delivering benefits for climate and fisheries, as well as explicitly addressing potential spatial trade-offs with offshore renewables and other activities.