INNOWWIDE aims to bring European highly innovative SMEs to the forefront of international markets by prototyping and shaping a new and unique financial scheme (the “INNOWWIDE Call for proposals”) that will allow them to conduct Viability Assessment Projects (VAPs) in cooperation with local stakeholders, creating the conditions to increase the uptake of European innovative solutions in markets outside Europe. Two calls will be implemented with a total budget of 7,2M€, allowing to fund 120 VAPs (60k€/VAP), and targeting markets of developing countries, large emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China, Mexico) and developed countries with the same allocation for each of these three country categories. The strength of this initiative lies in: (1) the experience of project partners concerning calls for proposals design and management, having 8 European funding agencies among them; (2) a SME-centric approach, to be implemented thanks to the extensive access and links to the European SMEs that project partners have; and (3) an ambitious stakeholder mobilisation plan with a strong focus on third country players thanks to partners international network of delegations (130 offices abroad in 45 countries). Project impact will be evaluated following a holistic, multilevel assessment approach covering European and international dimensions, done at VAP and at call level, and providing information from qualitative and quantitative points of view. This valuable information will be used to draw R&I policy conclusions, that will be shared with relevant policy bodies through the creation and operation of the “INNOWWIDE Policy Working Group”.

M-ERA.NET 3 aims at coordinating the research efforts in the participating EU Member States, Regions, and Associated States in materials research and innovation, including materials for future batteries, to support the circular economy and Sustainable Development Goals. A large network of national and regional funding organisations from 25 EU Members States, 4 Associated States and 6 countries outside Europe will implement a series of annual joint calls to fund excellent innovative transnational RTD cooperation, including one call for proposals with EU co-funding and additional non-cofunded calls. Continuing the activities started under the predecessor project M-ERA.NET 2 (3/2016-2/2021), the M-ERA.NET 3 consortium will address emerging technologies and related applications areas, such as - for example- surfaces, coatings, composites, additive manufacturing or integrated materials modelling. Research on materials supporting the large scale research initiative on future battery technologies will be particularly highlighted as a main target of the cofunded call (Call 2021) with a view to supporting in particular SDG 7 (“Affordable and clean energy”) by enabling electro mobility through sustainable energy storage technology and SDG 9 (“Industrial innovation and infrastructure”) by enhancing scientific research and upgrading the technological capabilities of industrial sectors. Several relevant action plans and initiatives will serve as programmatic guides for M-ERA.NET 3 when defining the joint activities, such as the Circular Economy Action Plan, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the EC communication “A clean planet for all”, and the “European Green Deal”. The total mobilised public call budget is expected to reach 150 million € with additional private investment of 50 million €. Thus, the leverage effect of the EU contribution will reach a factor of 13, exceeding by far the minimum required factor of 5.

The aim of the project is to organize a conference "Manufuture 2019 - Sustainable Smart Manufacturing, MF2019" in cooperation with the Finnish government. The MF2019 conference will be part of European Days for Sustainable Circular Economy 30.9.-1.10.2019 and will be organized at the same time with The sustainable transition to a low carbon, climate-resilient circular economy: Creating the knowledge base, CE2019 and Sustainable innovation (SI). The Manufuture 2019 conference on 30 September to 1 October 2019 has been planned as a flagship event during the Presidency of the Finland of the Council of the European Union. The opening sessions on the first day of the two-day European Days for Sustainable Circular Economy will be organised parallel by the three separate conferences, while the second day programs are conference-specific, taking place at the same time and in the same venue. The second day will end to a joint adjourn, that will summarise and conclude the main findings and messages of the opening session and the three conferences, as well as draft key messages and recommendations for future actions on sustainable transitioning towards low carbon, climate-resilient circular economy in the European Union. Organising the three conferences at the same time with separate costs and is expected to bring several benefits, in particular as regards the visibility, spreading the information and invitations, management of the events, as well as the impact, networking, and sharing and dissemination of knowledge and resulting in common learning. Altogether 650 attendees are expected to the European Days for Sustainable Circular Economy as a whole and around 250 participants will be expected to attend the MF2019 conference.

Smart Cities and Communities have been identified as key to achieving the energy efficiency targets for 2020 and 2050. The main objective of this ERA-NET is to stimulate successful practice and facilitate replicability within Smart Cities and Communities projects and also across projects in order to achieve a technological shift in the current energy system and provide smart and integrated solutions for technology, government and society. ERA-NET Smart Cities and Communities aims to create solutions in the form of projects, which demonstrate or at least constitute a decisive step towards implementations that (1) help cities deal with a long uncertain time horizon, (2) monitor ongoing experiences and implement change in the project when necessary, and (3) avoid pitfalls already encountered by others and facilitate collective learning of stakeholders embedded within a physical and social context. Additional activities within the planned ERA-NET are: (A) to work towards a joint call with China and (B) to align national R&D funding with Structural Funds. (A): A structured and systematic approach towards a joint call with China on smart city research will be developed making highest use of existing relations, activities and experience of European Funding Agencies with Chinese partners in order to develop a joint call with China. Beneficiaries of this call (mainly research organisations and companies) would be given a good starting position for further research and development projects. (B) The realisation of smart cities measures requires large investment volumes. Thus, the combination and clustering of different financing instruments is necessary. In line with the new "smart specialization" strategy of the EC, the proposed additional activities should encourage and enable Member States, regions and their Managing Authorities to align their national R&D funding schemes with available Structural Funds (in particular ERDF, but also ESF resources).

ERA-MIN3 comprises a progressive, pan-European public-public partnership of 25 public research funding organisations from 19 European countries/regions and 3 third countries, which aims to continue strengthening the mineral raw materials (RM) community through the coordination of research and innovation (R&I) programmes on non-energy, non-agricultural raw materials (metallic, construction, and industrial minerals). ERA-MIN3 will thus contribute to the objectives of the EIP on Raw Material’s Strategic Implementation Plan and the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, in support of the EU Raw Materials Initiative, the UN sustainable development goals and the European Green Deal. Built on the successes of the previous ERA-MIN and ERA-MIN 2, and to ensure the EU’s resource security and sustainable supply of strategic RM to the European society, ERA-MIN3 will achieve its goals of improving synergy, coordination and coherence between regional, national and EU funding in the RM sector by reducing fragmentation of RM funding across Europe and globally, as well as, improving the use of human and financial resources, the competitiveness and the environmental, social, health and safety issues of RM operations through supporting of transnational, excellent and translational R&I activities. This will be achieved through a EU co-funded joint transnational call for R&I proposals and, at least, one additional call with participation of invited partners, on demand-driven R&I on primary and secondary resources, covering the entire value chain, from exploration, extraction and processing technologies to recycling and substitution of CRM, as well as, environmental and societal impact, new business models and/or public perception. ERA-MIN3 will liaison with RM related initiatives to ensure alignment of research topics (e.g. batteries), promote synergies and complementarities thus avoiding duplication of efforts and contributing for the circular economy and the sustainable development.