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Driving Innovation For A Greener, Sustainable Energy And Mobility Future

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Horizon Europe is EU’s ninth Framework Programme, which has been running since 2021 and is aligned with the EU political agenda. It plays a crucial role in supporting Member States meet their environmental targets and goals through research and innovation. By fostering collaboration among research partners, Horizon Europe helps develop technologies to combat climate change and maintain the EU’s lead in research and innovation.

Frankie Borg, who serves as the Horizon Europe National Contact Point for Cluster 5 – Climate, Energy and Mobility, plays a pivotal role in supporting Maltese researchers to tap into these opportunities.

A key component of Horizon Europe is Pillar II, which addresses issues related to Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness. Collaboration is key in tapping these funds, since Maltese participants are required to partner with at least two other legally established organisations programme countries. Together, they may form a consortium, led by one of the partners, to submit a proposal. This pillar is further segmented into six thematic clusters, each addressing critical research and innovation areas.

Amongst these, Cluster 5, dedicated to Climate, Energy and Mobility, has a total budget of more than €15 billion, which is intended to help Member States address the challenges set in the development goals, such as energy, maritime and aviation, logistics, transportation and buildings, while also assessing the effects of human activities on climate. The topics covered address both emerging and new technologies identified as key to helping EU societies tackle related issues. Prospective projects are encouraged to use AI, digital twins, and IoT for monitoring and execution.

Potential research projects include advancing sustainable construction by integrating circular economy principles during retrofitting or adapting current building designs. Energy diversification is another focal point, with research on renewable energy sources such as deep offshore wind farms, advanced solar-cell technology, wave energy and energy storage solutions. Moreover, efforts also aim to enhance and modernise the EU’s electricity grids to accommodate increases in renewable energy production.

In the mobility sector, innovation in electric batteries is a priority, from sustainable sourcing and recycling of rare earth metals to developing alternatives that reduce or eliminate reliance on these materials. Maritime research also holds great significance, with projects focused on making vessels more efficient through retrofitting of old technologies with newer ones and the development of new propulsion systems that could help the sector move away from fossil fuels.

Maltese researchers interested in Horizon Europe opportunities are encouraged to contact the National Contact Points at Xjenza Malta via [email protected] for guidance on available funding schemes.

New calls for 2025 will be published in the coming weeks on the Xjenza Malta website www.xjenzamalta.mt

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John is studying digital art at UM, a creative who's medium isn't limited to just visual, but is interested in writing, be it journalistic or poetry and stories. After a long day you'll likely find him enjoying nature's grass
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