Today over 41 million EU citizens are unable to access essential energy services and suffered from energy poverty. This led the European Commission (EC) to consider energy poverty a major societal challenge. In Bosnia and Herzegovina around 70-15% of households are found to be energy poor. It is well recognized that solving of energy poverty problem can have multiple benefits on health, air quality, comfort, and well-being, and improved household budgets, boosting economic growth and prosperity in the region. Solutions for energy poverty are related to the search for energy efficiency, which calls for long-term sector specific interventions, focusing on several causes of energy vulnerability and affecting other policy areas, such as energy justice, social, health, economy, CO2 emissions reductions, and other macroeconomic areas. Solving this problem in any country demands close cooperation among different sectors: research, technology, policy, law, innovation, sociology, and economy. That is why solutions for eliminating energy poverty require an innovative, interdisciplinary, and structural approach with strong cooperation across countries and across sectors. ENPOWER will lead the transformative change in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) to strengthen the scientific reputation, attractiveness and networking channels of the University of Banja Luka (UNIBL) through supporting its innovation and research excellence in energy poverty and justice energy, sustainable buildings, energy efficiency, smart energy, human capital development, and application of innovative approaches, co-creative solution finding with business and policy makers, as well as in involvement of different ecosystems of innovation through the newly formed Building Advisory System Living Lab (BAS-Lab), which will be developed through cooperation with distinguished EU partners with established scientific excellence.

SPECTRA aims to improve AUTH R&I capacities to strengthen its scientific reputation, attractiveness, visibility, and networking channels. SPECTRA will stimulate scientific excellence and innovation in key research areas of Water Quality and Food Safety, Quality & Traceability (WQ&FSAT) for addressing the challenges that emanate from ongoing and accelerating climate changes in Greece. SPECTRA approach will be achieved by a unique combination of research activities, “hands-on” training, academic and non-academic mobilities /courses and workshops on scientific and complementary transferable skills facilitated by the academic-non-academic composition of the consortium. It will reinforce R&I and knowledge transfer capacity of AUTH’s research staff, including its permanent scientists and Early-Stage Researchers (ESR), fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and stakeholders in Greece within a sustainable research framework, promoting international networking, mobility, and integration into the European Research Area (ERA). At scientific level, it is expected to enlarge the community of competitive prestigious researchers at AUTH in WQ&FSAT, stronger and better-connected to a core of international and relevant R&I systems, supported by skilled R&I managers with their international networks. At social level, it is expected an improvement in WQ&FSAT by providing new breakthrough scientific knowledge on quality of water resources, advancing food safety supervision performance, increasing consumer and market confidence in Greek food product safety, facilitating monitoring, inspections, decision-making by competent authorities, and supply chain actors and policymakers and enhancing networking, and engaging with food safety high-level experts. At an economic level, the project will contribute to the development of an innovative WQ&FSAT industry and the profitability of regional companies through new product development, approaches and tools, innovation support, and job creation.

SMART4ENV aims to improve TUBITAK Marmara Research Center (TUBITAK MAM) R&I capacities to strengthen its scientific reputation, attractiveness and networking channels while stimulating scientific excellence in the field of Smart Environmental Solutions (SES) for climate change adaptation and mitigation of key applications for the Turkish economy within water, agriculture, and public health sectors. It will reinforce R&I and knowledge transfer capacity of TUBITAK MAM. The project will develop capacity building of permanent scientists, Early-Stage Researchers (ESR) training, enlarge cooperation between academia, industry, and stakeholders in Turkey with a general sustainable framework for research, international networking, mobility, and integration in the European Research Area (ERA). Strengthening the experience of the research staff of TUBITAK MAM, including a new generation of young scientists, will be developed through the cooperation with EU partners of established scientific excellence in the topics and demonstrated experience in economic impact and awareness raising and integration into national policies. At scientific level, it is expected to enlarge the community of competitive prestigious researchers at TUBITAK MAM in SES, stronger and better-connected to a core of international and relevant R&I systems, supported by skilled R&I managers with their international networks. At social level, it is expected an improvement in environmental quality, public health, improved customer experience and communication, a better mitigation and adaptation to climate change because of new SES for intelligent, connected, and responsive environmental services and a sustainable use of water and resilient treatment systems with stable effluents quality. At an economic level, the project will contribute to the development of an innovative SES industry and the profitability of regional companies through new product development, process improvements, innovation support, and job creation.

In EU, an average of 3.1 million tons of paddy rice is produced (ca. 450.000 ha). Around 80% of the EU rice production takes place in Italy and Spain, with a further 12% in Greece and Portugal. Globally, 750 million tons of rice husk (RH) are yearly produced, and it is estimated a continuous increase of 1.1% each year. Each ton of rice can produce 20% of RH, that must be eliminated since it accumulates in the environment due to its low degradability. RH generates 18-20% of RHA through a combustion process. The inadequate deposition of RHA pollutes the environment and deteriorates the respiratory system of humans and animals. During RH incineration, the burnt ash can spread into a large area facilitated by air, causing environmental pollution. According to these figures, large volumes of RHAs with low density are becoming a major challenge to the surroundings of dumping environment and dump fill areas. VALZEO intends to employ RHAs as raw supplies to produce composite materials based on hierarchical zeolites modified by metal oxide nanoparticles (MON) and metal-organic framework (MOF) materials with a double purpose, the removal of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, dyes and microorganisms in water, and the catalytic production of biodiesel. To address such challenge, VALZEO will promote the exchange of researchers from participating institutions to enhance the exchange of knowledge, best practices, know-how, innovative ideas, experience, cooperation, and culture of work. VALZEO will foster, improve and develop permanent international and inter-sector collaboration between academic research centers, and private sector, enhancing the exchange of knowledge, best practices, know-how, innovations, experience, mutual cooperation and culture of work at different regions and countries (ES, IT, UK and CU) through a series of scheduled secondments.

ZERO_WASTE is a project whose main objective is to promote the social inclusion of the rural areas in the field of education with content related to reducing food waste. As well as to improve the professional development of teachers by creating educational gamification tool with scientific content.According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), approximately one-third of global food production for human consumption around the world is either lost or wasted each year, this is the equivalent of 1.3 million tonnes of food. In the European Union (EU), it is estimated that food waste is around 89 million tonnes, which represents 20% of food produced in the EU, and with and associated cost estimated at 143 billion euros. This situation is ironic in a world where more than 800 million people suffer from malnutrition and approximately 36 million people in Europe cannot afford a quality meal every second day.Reducing food waste by half is one of the commitments made by the member countries of the United Nations (UN) in 2015, following the approval of the Agenda 2030 for sustainable development in order to eradicate poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable development. Specifically, the Sustainable Development Goal number 12 regarding responsible production and consumption includes the target 12.3 “By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce foodlosses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses”.But the fight against food waste is a shared responsibility of society as a whole. On an individual level, the consumer, as the final recipient of food, must also contribute to this end, andit is essential that citizens are aware of the social and environmental implications of each of the decisions they make when they purchase and consumption, change their attitudes and acquire responsible consumption habits. It is important do not forget the importance of this stage in the food chain, since is in household where the highest percentage of waste is produced (42%)Committed to the problem, ZERO_WASTE born from a consortium of 6 members from 4 countries (Spain, Ireland, Portugal and Romania) that have decided to jointly address actions through education, as the way to contribute in tackling the problem of food waste and focusing on 3 main items:- Rural areas: addressed at rural areas, this project intend to contribute to break gap between rural and cities areas, opportunities for access knowledge- Adult education: adult seeks the immediate application of new knowledge, without the intention of storing information for eventual or later use - Didactic training tools based on gamification and intended to use evidence-based inquiry methodologies as a starting point to foster critical thinking.To achieve this main objective it will be set up through the following strategic objectives:- Promote the social inclusion of the rural areas in the field of education using the scientific knowledge as a way to promote interest in the food system through the creation ofalternative itineraries to improve capacities- Reinforces support for adult teachers and the acquisition and development of basic skills and key competences in students through a digital platform with content about food waste reduction- Develop creatively and appropriately the instruments created in the methodology for this purpose.- Create a scientific content on food waste- Building a collaborative network from local, regional, national and European stakeholders an attitude of commitment related to food waste reduction.- Raise awareness on food waste through reliable information, increase the scientific, technological and innovative culture with the creation of an open food waste digital toolkitAs in the process, ZERO_WASTE will develop 3 intellectual outputs: a training methodology, a digital toolkit and role playing games and a Good Practice Guide.The main target group will be met through adult education in rural areas, although others are also considered, and will be allowed to benefit from the contents and toolkit developed in this project: organizations such as farmer associations, business associations, MSE, NGO, consumer associations, parent associations, school canteen, fathers and mothers’ schools in agri-foodIn the framework of the project 12 adult teacher will be directly involved in the blended training activities, and it is expected the participation of at least 3 rural school per area, with the implication of teachers that will put in practice the tools offered. In addition, at least 10 associations or organizations interested in this topic are expected to participate sharing the information about the platform and participate in “School of families”. This will have a direct impact on at least 100 families. an open tool platform will be created that can be accessed by anyone interested in the topic.