Green Transition reliant on water resilience says EU Commissioner
Electric mobility leading sustainable transport in Europe
World’s largest sand battery gives boost to clean energy
Bringing to light European prehistory: From correlations to explanations
Disseminating the latest research from around Europe and Horizon 2020
As a seasoned editor and journalist, Richard Forsyth has been reporting on numerous aspects of European scientific research for over 10 years. He has written for many titles including ERCIM’s publication, CSP Today, Sustainable Development magazine, eStrategies magazine and remains a prevalent contributor to the UK business press. He also works in Public Relations for businesses to help them communicate their services effectively to industry and consumers.
After spending an afternoon listening to teenagers talk about their hopes and fears for the future, one thing stood out: they are concerned about finding ‘AI-proof’ jobs. For them, career planning isn’t just about passion or pay anymore; it’s about making sure their work won’t be vulnerable to automation replacing it. The ability to pivot, for this AI-native, AI-aware generation, is a major consideration. Many young people are familiar with and fluent in using AI, but when it comes to trying to figure out how it will impact their direction in life, it is not always clear or comfortable. This may partly be because AI doesn’t necessarily wipe out a traditional job role completely; often, it only changes what the job looks like or reshapes the way it is done, and that is a fast-evolving process that can be uncertain in outcome.
Take translators. These days, AI often does the heavy lifting, and humans step in at the end to check the accuracy. Still, the subtle nuances can be missed. Writers, too, are being nudged into more of a sub editor’s role, cleaning up AI-generated copy instead of creating it from scratch with purpose and imagination. These kinds of shifts strip away how much professionals can charge, as the changes devalue skills. The same thing is happening in sales, customer support, HR, PR, accounting, and graphic design. Even fields you would think would be safe, like medicine, teaching, business strategy, law, or frankly any jobs that are not completely physical in nature and that have traditionally relied on human qualifications, are in some ways impacted and changed.
Of course, the dream scenario is that AI doesn’t replace jobs but enhances them, making us more efficient and effective without diminishing the human value. This can be true too, but as we know, it doesn’t always work out that neatly.
What struck me most was, from talking to jobhunters about the way careers are changing, is realising just how much society has already shifted in the AI era. And, of course, people are starting to take sides. I heard a senior editor from a major news channel call AI-generated writing “AI slop.” Do you need a human mind in the mix to give such work authenticity, grit and originality?
But let’s be pragmatic and balanced; fighting AI will be a losing battle. It’s here, and it’s gaining momentum. In the science community, for example, we know it can greatly help with research, in terms of data analysis, trend-spotting, attaining grants, checking details for verification, and it can speed up almost everything. For our community, the big question remains: could it ever replace scientists? Right now, the answer – from the community itself I should add – is a firm, irritated ‘no’, as a large element of creative thought, ethical and critical thinking make up good science. Science is largely the exploration of the unknown after all, not as such, a clever regurgitation of the old – but science can be built on science. Who knows how the AI field will advance when the pace of change itself is accelerating at exponential speed? Imagine, no, count on, the possibility that scientists become something very different, in the same way as other highly impacted careers, given time.
AI is fast, clever, and undeniably useful. But the real question isn’t just what it can do, it’s how it’s going to change us and our perceived value as that happens. That’s what we, and our children, will be finding out, probably sooner than we expect.
Richard Forsyth Editor
EU Research takes a look at the latest news in scientific research, highlighting new discoveries, major breakthroughs and new areas of investigation
The RosaLind project team’s work could open up deeper insights into mosquito-transmitted diseases and inform more effective strategies for controlling them, as Julie Reveillaud , Maxime Mahout and Alice Brunner explain.
The team behind the PlantGoed project are developing solutions to help flatten labour peaks in the soft fruit sector and boost its competitiveness in the region around the Belgium-Netherlands border, as Simon Craeye explains.
Current methods of producing chemicals lead to high levels of CO 2 emissions and generate a lot of waste, now researchers in the GreenChemForCE project are looking to develop alternatives, as Dr Lukáš Rýček explains.
The ChemClimCircle project equips municipalities to reduce harmful chemicals, support circularity, and cut emissions through smarter public purchasing. Anne Lagerqvist and Heidrun Fammler tell us how this cross-border initiative is reshaping procurement.
The CrossRoads VlaanderenNederland project is helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Belgium and the Netherlands overcome barriers to innovation. Ellen Theeuwes and Bram De Kort tell us about the initiative’s growing impact.
We spoke to Joana Fernandes about the work of the REDI4HEAT project in assessing how Member States are tackling the integration of renewable sources in the heating and cooling sector and moving towards climate neutrality.
Aiga Barisa , Kertu Lepiksaar and Alina Safronova are part of a team developing tools to help both individuals and municipalities calculate their own carbon footprint, and identify ways in which it could be reduced.
Land-based recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) are a sustainable means of producing fish, yet in isolation they can be expensive and energy intensive, an issue Freya Robinson and Erika Zavackien ė are working to address.
The land-based aquaculture sector is growing, generating large quantities of biowaste. The team behind the Terraforming LIFE project are looking to create pathways to use fish sludge in producing fertiliser, as Sigurður Trausti Karvelsson explains.
Across Europe, farming has always found ways to adapt to the weather, but the pace and shape of change now feel markedly different. In some regions, dry spells are stretching longer than before; in others, rain comes heavier and less predictably, disrupting planting schedules and storage plans. Growers are rethinking not only when they sow and how they irrigate, but also what they can depend on harvesting.
We spoke to the team behind the GUARDEN project about their work in developing tools to monitor biodiversity and keep it at the forefront of decision-makers’ minds when considering development plans.
The team behind the EU-backed INACO project is developing tools and management plans designed to help local authorities protect valuable objects and important sites from extreme weather events, as Alessandra Bonazza explains.
The team behind the CE4CE project are exploring ideas around the circular economy and looking to apply them in public transport, helping to boost sustainability and ‘green’ the sector, as Alexandra Scharzenberger and Marta Woronowicz explain.
Improving energy efficiency in the transport sector is key to meeting emissions reduction targets. The REDU-CE-D project team are developing an environmental management system customised to different transport modes, as Hrvoje Spremić explains.
The team behind the OPTI-UP project are developing data-driven methods and smart tools to help optimise public transport networks and reduce their environmental impact, as technical director Mateo Uravi ć explains.
Swedish startup NitroCapt won The Food Planet Prize in 2025 with a solution that could reduce the environmental impact of the nitrogen fertiliser industry. Now CEO Gustaf Forsberg says they are looking to scale up production.
Small and medium-sized enterprises typically don’t have the same resources as larger companies to commit to improving energy efficiency. The EcoSMEnergy project provides European SMEs with a helping hand in this area, as Birgit Arens explains.
Buildings account for around 40 percent of Europe’s total energy consumption, while water pumping systems also demand a lot of energy. The CEOS project team aim to facilitate building renovations and improve energy efficiency.
The COREX project’s work will help researchers gain new insights into the events during prehistory that shaped the genetic and cultural diversity of modern Europe, as Professor Kristian Kristiansen and Professor Stephen Shennan explain.
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The EU Research team take a look at current events in the scientific news
Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall knows appeasing farmers will have to be part of any future plans to fix the region’s polluted waterways.
Jessika Roswall is convinced that water cannot be taken for granted by Europeans. “We cannot continue like that because extreme weather events have become the new normal in one way,” she said in an interview with Euronews as part of a presentation of the new European Water Resilience strategy.
Europe is facing a problem of quantity: drought is a problem not only in the south of the continent but also in the north. On the flipside, there have also been severe floods in Valencia and southwest France. “The water scarcity that Europe is facing, the Europe’s land, is 30%. So, we have both problems with too much water sometimes, too little water, but also polluted water, so we need to act.”
The former EU affairs minister for Sweden has been tasked with producing a European Water Resilience Strategy, and Roswall acknowledged it will be a big task. “We see flooding, we see droughts, we see polluted water, and we know that the whole water cycle is broken. So, we need to work on it from very many angles,” she said from her office in the Berlaymont. “And yes, farmers are the biggest users. We know that — and we all depend on that. We all depend on food. I mean, they need clean water the most.”
The European Commission had scheduled a water resilience initiative for last year, before it was shelved amid Europe’s farmer protests and ahead of the EU election. Farmers have continued to protest since then, starting the new year with demonstrations in France and Poland demanding governments reduce red tape and fight back against the EU trade agreement with Mercosur countries.
The agricultural sector’s intensive use of nutrients and pesticides is damaging the quality of surface and groundwaters, according to an October report by the European Environment Agency. The sector is also by far the highest net user of water in Europe, accounting for nearly 60 percent of consumption in 2019.
The EEA has called on countries and sectors with a “heavy impact” on water like agriculture, energy and transport to “accelerate implementation [of environmental policies and initiatives] to deliver more tangible environmental improvements.”
Roswall said she believes it’s possible to support the environment and also relieve the burden on farmers when it comes to regulations. “If we don’t have nature, we don’t have farming—and of course, the opposite is also true. So, I would say that we are working toward
the same goal. When it comes to simplification, for me, it’s really about reporting. For example, I know we’re focusing on how we can make it easier for farmers to report less.”
When discussing the needs of tackling the collapse of biodiversity, Roswall says she is pushing for a dialogue between farmers and NGOs which she says is key in understanding each other’s perspectives.
She suggests nature credits - financial instruments that can be traded or used to offset biodiversity impacts - would boost private sector investment and biodiversity conservation. “I would still argue that this is something that we need to do and we know that we want to do it, but we need to be smarter when we do it,” she said.
In response to turmoil in US science, the European Research Council will add up to €2 million to each grant for researchers relocating to Europe.
European Commissioner for Research Ekaterina Zaharieva has touted a near quadrupling of applications from researchers outside the EU to a grant scheme run by the bloc’s flagship research funder, as Europe moves to attract international talent. The European Research Council’s Advanced Grants, which are open to researchers with a history of “significant research achievements”, closed its 2025 round on 28 August, receiving a total of 3,329 proposals according to preliminary data.
This figure represented a 31 per cent rise in proposals from the previous round in 2024, where 2,534 were submitted, and a massive 82 per cent increase on the 2023 figure of 1,829 proposals. The figures come as Zaharieva and the Commission have been pushing a new recruitment drive for researchers from outside the EU via a €500 million programme titled Choose Europe. As part of the scheme, the ERC will also hand out seven-year “super grants”. These will be separate from the Advanced Grants, which generally run for up to five years.
The ERC said around 276 Advanced Grants will be available, with €683m earmarked for successful. It means €20m less is available for grants than in the 2024 round and comes as concerns rise about the funder’s autonomy during discussions about the successor to Horizon Europe—the EU’s research programme of which the ERC is a part—due to start in 2028.
Releasing the details on the applications, the ERC said there was a relatively even spread across the three main fields on which the grant focuses. The highest number of applications were submitted in physical sciences and engineering—1,341 were labelled in the field—while applicants with submissions in the social science and humanities field totalled 1,013. There were 975 proposals in the life sciences.
The ERC also noted that a quarter of applicants—around 25 per cent—were submitted by women. That represents a slight uptick on the percentage of women submitting in 2024, which was about 23 per cent, and is the highest percentage of submissions by women in the last five years.
Scientists received €735m in grants in 2024 after UK rejoined programme as associate member post-Brexit.
The UK is quickly recovering a prime position in the EU’s £80bn science research programme 18 months after becoming a participating member following the resolution of Brexit problems, data shows. The country was frozen out of Horizon Europe for three years in a tit-for-tat row with the then prime minister, Boris Johnson, over the Northern Ireland trading arrangements.
While the UK has to play catch-up, entering three years into the seven-year 2020-27 funding programme, data shows British scientists are punching above their weight with €735m (£635m) in grants in 2024. That ranks the UK as the fifth most successful country in the programme, which is open to 47 nations: the 27 EU member states and 20 non-EU associate members also
including New Zealand, Canada and Norway. Germany, the top participant in Horizon in 2024, won €1.4bn (£1.21bn) in grants and Spain, which came second, got €900m (£777m).
Scientists have said previously they were “over the moon” to be back working with EU colleagues. They said they knew it would take time to return to the top three because of the time it took to build multinational consortiums to apply for funds. But in terms of grants for proposals by individual scientists, which are easier to assemble, the UK now ranks as the second-most successful participating country after Germany, with €242m (£209m) in funds.
The UK is the single most successful applicant country when it comes to Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, one of the most prestigious grant programmes for doctoral and post-doctoral research in the world.UK scientists have said repeatedly the Brexit lockout damaged Britain’s reputation on the world stage and made it difficult for universities to recruit researchers from the EU.
In terms of recipients, the universities of Oxford and Cambridge are neck and neck, with awards of over €65m each, followed by University College London and Imperial College. With projects ranging from the research to develop brain catheters inspired by wasps to efforts to create aviation fuel from yeast and greenhouse gases, the UK has been catapulted to the top of the league of non-EU beneficiaries by number of grants.
Decision marks major victory for school after the convicted felon Trump accused it of not addressing harassment of Jewish students.
A federal judge ruled Wednesday the Trump administration’s attempt to freeze more than $2 billion in federal research grants from Harvard University was illegal. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, a Barack Obama appointee, in an 84-page opinion, acknowledged the university “could (and should) have done a better job of dealing with” antisemitism on campus. But Burroughs said research grant terminations and antisemitism are not particularly connected. “A review of the administrative record makes it difficult to conclude anything other than that Defendants used antisemitism as a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically motivated assault on this country’s premier universities,” Burroughs wrote.
The Trump administration’s efforts violated the First Amendment, the Administrative Procedure Act and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the federal law that bars discrimination on race and national origin and has been used by the administration to probe colleges, the judge ruled. Wednesday’s ruling is a major victory for the Ivy League school in its high-profile showdown with the federal government. Harvard President Alan Garber had previously said the university chose to sue because the demands to reinstate its federal grants were unreasonable, an attempt to “to control whom we hire and what we teach” and did not address antisemitism.
Burroughs agreed in her ruling. “The idea that fighting antisemitism is Defendants’ true aim is belied by the fact that the majority of the demands they are making of Harvard to restore its research
funding are directed, on their face, at Harvard’s governance, staffing and hiring practices, and admissions policies—all of which have little to do with antisemitism and everything to do with Defendants’ power and political views,” the judge wrote.
Trump’s fight with the university began in April, when Harvard refused to comply with White House demands to overhaul its admissions and disciplinary policies, alleging that they infringed on free speech rights. The White House responded by blocking more than $2 billion in federal grants.
The Trump administration also launched a review of roughly $9 billion in grants and contracts with the university over the treatment of Jewish students that it says violated Title VI, including during protests of the Israel-Hamas war that roiled campuses across the country last year.
In early May, Trump announced plans to cancel Harvard’s taxexempt status. Later in the month, he floated redistributing $3 billion in university grants to trade schools. And in June, the administration sought to restrict the university’s ability to enrol foreign students, which is still being challenged in federal court. Garber, in a statement late Wednesday, acknowledged the university isn’t fully in the clear yet. “Even as we acknowledge the important principles affirmed in today’s ruling, we will continue to assess the implications of the opinion, monitor further legal developments, and be mindful of the changing landscape in which we seek to fulfil our mission,” he said in a letter to the campus community.
Battery electric vehicle momentum leads to 1 million new registrations in 2025
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) continue becoming more popular across key European markets, with Germany, Sweden, and the UK all reporting strong growth despite varying economic and policy environments.
In July 2025, battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations in the European Union (EU) increased by 39.1% compared to the same month last year, according to data shared by E-Mobility Europe. Between January and July, a total of 1,011,903 new electric cars were registered across the EU, representing a 15.6% share of the total vehicle market.
Among the four largest markets—Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and France, which together account for over 60% of BEV registrations—the trends varied:
Germany recorded a year-on-year increase of 38.4%.
Belgium grew by 17.6%.
The Netherlands registered a 6.5% rise.
France experienced a 4.3% decline, although July alone saw a 14.8% increase.
Several other EU countries also reported significant growth in BEV registrations during the same period. Spain led with an 89.6% rise, followed by Slovenia (+88.5%), Poland (+80.5%) and Italy (+29%).
E-Mobility Europe highlights that, despite diverse national trends, the uptake of electric vehicles continues to accelerate across the continent. The association indicates that further policy support in terms of demand stimulation and industrial development could help sustain this momentum.
April 2025 confirmed the growing role of electric vehicles in Europe’s automotive landscape. Germany and Sweden showed robust growth, while the UK maintained momentum despite regulatory and economic pressures. As the EV market evolves, continued progress will depend on targeted policies supporting private buyers and commercial operators.
The 13-metre-tall structure, which is situated in the southern municipality of Pornainen, is able to store up to 100 MWh of energy.
Finland’s Polar Night Energy has built an industrial-scale Sand Battery in the town of Pornainen for Loviisan Lämpö’s district heating network. The new Sand Battery will deliver 1MW of thermal power and is said to offer a storage capacity of 100MWh, making it ten times larger than a Sand Battery launched in Kankaanpää, Finland in 2022.
“The Sand Battery means a lot to Loviisan Lämpö. It allows us to drastically reduce our emissions and improve the reliability of heat production,” said Mikko Paajanen, CEO of Loviisan Lämpö.
The Sand Battery is expected to reduce annual CO2-equivalent emissions from the local heating network by around 160 tons, cutting climate emissions in Pornainen’s district heating by nearly 70 per cent. The use of oil in Pornainen’s heating network will now be phased out, and the consumption of wood chips will decrease by approximately 60 per cent. The existing biomass boiler will continue to serve as a backup and will support the Sand Battery during peak demand periods.
Developed by Polar Night Energy, the Sand Battery is a hightemperature thermal energy storage system that stores clean and affordable electricity as heat in sand or similar solid materials. It can be used to produce heat for district heating networks and a range of industrial processes. The Sand Battery stands at around 13m, is 15m wide and uses approximately 2,000 tonnes of crushed soapstone as its thermal storage medium. In summer, the Sand Battery can cover almost a month’s heat demand in Pornainen, and close to a week in winter.
The system charges by using electricity from the grid or local renewable sources. Energy is transferred to the Sand Battery through a closed-loop heat transfer system. When heat is needed, it is discharged via a heat exchanger. The Sand Battery can deliver hot water, steam, or air, with output temperatures of up to 400°C. Polar Night Energy is also developing a solution to convert stored heat back into electricity.
Loviisan Lämpö is owned by CapMan Infra, a fund managed by the private equity firm CapMan. “From an investor’s perspective, this technology holds tremendous potential: it can participate in electricity reserve markets, reduce dependency on single energy sources in heat production, and serves as a great example of sector integration between electricity and heat,” said Sauli Antila, investment director at CapMan Infra.
Polar Night Energy said that a key part of the Sand Battery’s profitability lies in optimising its operation according to electricity prices and Finland’s grid operator Fingrid’s reserve markets. In doing so, the Sand Battery also supports power grid stability.
Thanks to its large storage capacity, the system allows electricity usage to be optimised over several days or weeks. The optimisation of the Pornainen Sand Battery is handled by Elisa, a Finnish telecommunications and digital software services company. “Our AIdriven solution automatically identifies the most economically viable moments to charge or discharge the Sand Battery. This brings Loviisan Lämpö significant savings and revenue, making the Sand Battery a truly profitable investment,” said Jukka-Pekka Salmenkaita, vice president of AI and Special Projects at Elisa Industriq.
Another pilot project is set to begin in Valkeakoski in the coming weeks, with Finland providing an ideal testbed after Russia halted gas and electricity supplies when the Nordic country joined Nato in 2023. Finland is also pushing to reach carbon neutrality within the next 10 years, before reducing all greenhouse gases by more than 90 per cent by 2050.
Green innovations and practices foster more sustainable tourism leading to a circular economy.
Once upon a time, tourism seemed like an unmitigated economic win, but more and more, people are questioning its environmental costs and how it messes with local communities. Think carbon footprints from all the traveling and disrespect towards sacred sites – the tourism industry is definitely under the microscope, and anti-tourism vibes are on the rise.
Still, the industry isn’t standing still. Actually, tourism has changed quite a bit since mass tourism became a thing back in the 50s. The concept of the “ladder of progress in tourism sustainability”, shows how the industry is trying to keep up with shifting traveller values, attempting to transform itself from a problem into something positive. After all, many of us are tourists at some point or another. As travellers start to care more about ethics and sustainability, tourism adapts, aiming for experiences that are good for both the visitors and the places they visit.
Global tourism exploded after the mid-20th century, only taking a short break during the COVID-19 situation. This massive growth has brought about overtourism, leading to environmental problems, cultural erosion, and just general annoyance for the people who live there. It’s not just about numbers though; it’s about how people feel – crowded streets, prices going way up, and damaged ecosystems.
This overcrowding can lead to tourism-phobia. Tourism-phobia is when locals get, well, afraid, hostile, or just plain reject tourists. It’s often tied to unsustainable mass tourism. It reflects problems like habitat destruction and people being forced out of their homes. Tourism has perks, like money coming in, cultural exchanges, and even promoting peace, but this unchecked growth needs to be reconsidered. Sustainable tourism is becoming crucial, which means figuring out how to enjoy travel now without messing things up for the future.
Sustainable tourism takes on these problems by encouraging ecofriendly and ethical choices. Increasingly, travellers value experiences
where they can connect with nature. This has good effects on mental and physical well-being while reducing harm. Caring about the Earth and leaving a good legacy motivates responsible choices, like eco-lodges or adventures that don’t have a big impact.
Another component to this is regenerative tourism. It’s about fixing and restoring places, not just reducing the harm done. It aims to heal destinations while balancing out tourism’s social, economic, and environmental downsides. For the people providing these services, there are five key areas: sustainability, community harmony, restoring resources, offsetting carbon, and saving energy. These are the tools to rebuild ecosystems and increase resilience.
From the tourist’s angle, regenerative tourism motivates through sustainability and restoration. It enhances how people feel about their personal legacies. In other words, the idea of leaving a positive mark for future generations. Tourists with strong moral principles are often attracted to the altruistic aspects, while others… well, they have different reasons. A drive for quick wins and social status often colours consumer choices. Appealing to these desires in marketing efforts can, surprisingly, boost engagement, ultimately helping reach ambitious targets for change.
The future of tourism research, it seems, will increasingly spotlight circular economy ideas. Think along the lines of hotels striving for zero waste and sourcing food locally to cut down on carbon emissions. Investigating ways to handle food waste better in restaurants and hotels, protecting local plants and animals, and coming up with ways to verify “net zero visits” could be beneficial. It’s also key to delve into how sustainable travel can benefit individuals -- promoting personal growth, satisfaction, and an increased inclination toward environmentally friendly adventures.
A cutaway view of Mars in this artist’s concept (not to scale) reveals debris from ancient impacts scattered through the planet’s mantle. On the surface at left, a meteoroid impact sends seismic signals through the interior; at right is NASA’s InSight lander.
© NASA/JPL-Caltech
Scientists believe giant impacts - like the one depicted in this artist’s concept - occurred on Mars 4.5 billion years ago, injecting debris from the impact deep into the planet’s mantle. NASA’s InSight lander detected this debris before the mission’s end in 2022.
© NASA/JPL-Caltech
Strange blobs found inside Mars could be remnants of planet’s ancient ‘embryo’, astronomers say
The findings regarding the Red planet, published in the journal Science, may change what we know about the formation of rocky planets like Mars, Venus and the Earth.
Astronomers may have figured out where the mysterious blobs embedded in Mars’ mantle originated.The mysterious lumps have been preserved beneath a single-plate crust for billions of years in the Red Planet’s mantle, the vast layer that lies sandwiched between its crust and core, according to a study published in Science.The researchers surmised that the frozen blobs could date back to the beginning of the solar system.
NASA’s InSight Lander -- the first outer space robotic explorer to study the crust, mantle and core of Mars in depth -- monitored how “Marsquake” tremors vibrated through the planet’s immobile innards. During its quest, the explorer discovered never-before-seen lumps in Mars’ mantle. “We’ve never seen the inside of a planet in such fine detail and clarity before,” said Constantinos Charalambous, a researcher at Imperial College London and lead author of the study, in a statement. “What we’re seeing is a mantle studded with ancient fragments.”
The “disordered” portions of Mars’ mantle -- where the blobs are located at various depths of the mantle -- likely originate from ancient impacts and chaotic convection during Mars’ early history, according to the paper. The giant lumps likely arrived as giant asteroids or other rocky material struck Mars during the early solar system, said researchers, who identified dozens of blobs.
Enough energy was released at the time of the impacts to melt continent-size swaths of the early crust and mantle into vast magma
oceans while also injecting fragments of debris deep into the interior of the planet, according to NASA. Charalambous compared the pattern to shattered glass, such as a few large shards and many smaller fragments. Some of the potential structures measured up to 2.5 miles across. The giant blobs are scattered throughout the mantle, comprised of 960 miles of hot solid rock, the researchers said.
The InSight Lander stopped collecting data in 2022, when dust from the Red Planet blocked its solar panels. During its mission, InSight captured data on 1,319 Marsquakes, according to NASA. “We knew Mars was a time capsule bearing records of its early formation, but we didn’t anticipate just how clearly we’d be able to see with InSight,” said Tom Pike, a researcher at Imperial College London and co-author of the study, in a statement.
On Earth, active plate tectonics continually stir the mantle, making its early geological records elusive. But Mars’ mantle undergoes much less mixing because it sits beneath a single-plate surface, therefore preserving crucial evidence about planetary origin and evolution of the planet, according to the paper. “Their survival to this day tells us Mars’ mantle has evolved sluggishly over billions of years,” Charalambous said. “On Earth, features like these may well have been largely erased.”
The findings shed light on the geological history of Mars and offer valuable insights into how rocky planets across the solar system evolve. In addition, the discovery offers key implications for understanding the habitability of rocky planets, the researchers said.
The RosaLind project team is investigating naturally occurring bacteria found in mosquitoes, with a particular focus on Wolbachia and its mobile genetic elements. This work could open up deeper insights into mosquito-transmitted diseases and inform more effective strategies for controlling them, as Julie Reveillaud, Maxime Mahout and Alice Brunner explain.
The changing nature of the global climate means mosquitoes transmitting pathogens are spreading deeper into the European continent, and several species have been found as far north as France, Germany and the UK, representing a serious threat to public health. Mosquitoes can transmit different diseases to humans, including dengue fever, malaria and West Nile virus, and the authorities pay close attention to the incidence of these diseases. “There have been reports of dengue fever and Chikungunya cases in France over recent years, and they have been monitored very intensively,” says Julie Reveillaud, a research scientist at the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAe). As Principal Investigator of the RosaLind project, Reveillaud is investigating the mobilome (the set of mobile genetic elements) of a naturally-occurring bacterium in mosquitoes called Wolbachia, in interaction with other microorganisms, work which could lead to improved strategies to control mosquitotransmitted diseases (MTD). “ Wolbachia is found mainly in the ovaries of mosquitoes, in the germline,” she outlines. “It interacts with its host, and pathogens when present, creating two main phenotypes. It can block
pathogens and manipulates the reproduction of the mosquito. Mobile genetic elements of Wolbachia, such as phage WO, play key roles in shaping some of these phenotypes”
Researchers are investigating the underlying mechanisms behind these interactions in mosquito species belonging to the Culex genus, focusing on how Wolbachia influences pathogen dynamics. The aim is to identify the effects of this bacterium in mosquito
a
Composite Illustration created by Mateo Jarry, IDIL master student from the University of Montpellier, France. Mosquito and mosquito ovaries images: https://www.jove.com/t/67128/dissection-mosquito-ovaries-midgut-salivary-glands-for-microbiome Microscopy image courtesy of Dr Vincent Raquin: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0134069 pWCP scheme graphic: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30837458/
vectors, in the presence of pathogens which affect humans. “This is really fundamental science. As we cannot cultivate Wolbachia , we try to access it through ‘omics analysis, and gain new knowledge about the genetic makeup of the bacteria,” explains Reveillaud. There are many unknowns in the Wolbachia genome, with lots of repeated regions complicating the genomic puzzle and creating knowledge gaps, now Reveillaud and her colleagues in the project are working to build a fuller picture. “One way to learn more about Wolbachia is to use metagenomics to reconstruct the genome of the bacterium. We then dissect each gene one by one, or compare them with reference sequences. Metagenomics gives us access to novel reference genomes,” she says. “We use metatranscriptomics to get access to the genes that are expressed in native conditions. We are also looking at conditions where we infect the mosquito with a virus that they are known to transmit, like the West Nile virus.”
A large number of Culex specimens have been collected from across the world, so there is a lot of material available for the project team to analyse. The relationship between the density of Wolbachia and the
pathogen-blocking system is a major topic of interest in the project. “It is reported that the higher the density of Wolbachia , the stronger the protection against viruses. We are analysing the genome of different Wolbachia strains and comparing them to each other, to try and identify the genetic determinants of their multiplication,” says Reveillaud. Computational biology techniques are also being applied in the project to draw comparisons between genomes and investigate the influence of environmental factors. “We have access to reference genomes of Wolbachia for some Culex species, including Culex pipiens pipiens , Culex pipiens molestus and Culex quinquefasciatus. We can see whether the environmental genomic data that was obtained by the team is similar to those reference genomes, or if it varies,” outlines Maxime Mahout, a computational biology researcher working on the project.
The conserved part of the Wolbachia genome is typically the same, even among Culex samples collected 10 years apart at very different locations by different teams around the world. However, the varying regions include certain mobile genetic elements and notably phages, which have been the focus of a lot of attention in the Wolbachia community. “We have recently discovered a small mobile
started to change and evolve, possibly linked to specific stages of development. We found that the abundance of the plasmid varied at different developmental stages,” outlines Alice Brunner, a PhD student working on the project. There is still much to learn about both the plasmid and Wolbachia , and the project team are working to build a fuller picture.
This research is currently ongoing, with Reveillaud and her colleagues using a variety of sophisticated techniques to probe the interactions between Wolbachia and different pathogens. The team is pursuing an integrative ‘omics’ approach at both the specimen and organ levels— including dissected ovaries, midguts, and salivary glands—using carefully controlled procedures to prevent cross-contamination between tissues and individuals. A standardized dissection protocol was implemented by Jordan Tutagata, a medical entomologist who spent three years within RosaLind before returning to his home institution, the Pasteur Institute of New Caledonia. Focusing on organ-specific mechanisms may yield more precise insights and contribute to the development of more effective strategies for controlling MTDs.
“We tracked the number of plasmids in mosquitoes, throughout their development. We wanted to see whether the plasmid was consistently present at all life stages, and whether it started to change and evolve.”
genetic element, a plasmid of Wolbachia, called pWCP,” explains Reveillaud. This discovery could open up new possibilities in the control of MTDs, a topic that Reveillaud and her colleagues are exploring in the project. “We are looking into developing pWCP as a genome editing tool to study Wolbachia. This would help us to further understand Wolbachia and its genetic makeup, if we are able to synthesise it,” she continues.
The Wolbachia plasmid has been consistently detected worldwide in every Culex specimen sampled and researchers have found that it is extremely conserved in terms of synteny, essentially the gene order. A further strand of research in the project involves looking at the presence and abundance of the plasmids at different developmental stages. “We tracked the number of plasmids in mosquitoes, throughout their development. We wanted to see whether the plasmid was consistently present at all life stages, and whether it
One of the main challenges in a project of this scale is ensuring rigorous data management—from field collection of specimens, to secure and long-term data storage, to the transfer of data and knowledge between past and present lab members including students, and finally to the timely dissemination of findings to both peers and the broader public.
The RosaLind team is fortunate to rely on the dedication and expertise of a number of talented scientists including Hans Schrieke, a former PhD student who recently joined The French Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute (IRBA), Blandine Trouche, a bioinformatics specialist now an assistant professor in Denmark, and Camille Gauliard, a research scientist who continues her work on malaria within the lab. This is truly a collaborative effort, requiring a wide range of skills to drive meaningful advances in the field. It’s a lot of work—but also a lot of wonder.
Mosquito-microbe symbiosis: an Ecogenomic perspective for novel control strategies of infectious diseases
Project Objectives
Mosquito-borne diseases are rising globally. With limited vaccines and growing insecticide resistance, microbiota-based control strategies are emerging. This project investigates Wolbachia and its mobile genetic elements, exploring their interactions with pathogens and other symbionts across mosquito organs using advanced omics tools to uncover mechanisms driving pathogen blocking and symbiotic interplay.
Project Funding
This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the ERC Starting grant: Grant agreement ID: 948135
Project Partners
• Seth Bordenstein and Sarah Bordenstein, Pennsylvania State University, USA • A. Murat Eren, University of Oldenburg, Germany • Guillaume Cambray, INRAe, Montpellier, France • Blandine Trouche, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
Contact Details
Project Coordinator, Julie Reveillaud Directrice de Recherche INRAe
MIVEGEC Laboratory
Montpellier, France
T: +33782722516
E: julie.reveillaud@inrae.fr
W: https://juliereve.wordpress.com/
Julie Reveillaud is a research scientist at INRAE studying interactions between animals, bacteria (and their mobile genetic elements), and viruses. Her lab uses ecogenomics to explore microbial diversity and evolution in mosquitoes. Maxime Mahout is a post-doctoral researcher in computational biology with a doctorate from University Paris-Saclay, He is interested in analyzing biological systems at multiple levels, such as how the mobilome of intracellular bacteria Wolbachia affects its host Culex
Alice Brunner is a PhD student at INRAE focusing on mobile genetic elements in Wolbachia, an intracellular bacterium infecting Culex mosquitoes. Her research centers on its plasmid, a mobile element with unknown functions that may play a key role in bacterial biology.
There is a clear shift amongst growers and propagators towards intensive, hydroponic methods of cultivating soft fruit, which enables year-round production. The team behind the PlantGoed project are developing a range of solutions to help flatten labour peaks and boost the competitiveness of the soft fruit sector in the region around the Belgium-Netherlands border, as Simon Craeye explains.
An increasing number of soft fruit growers in the area around the BelgiumNetherlands border are adopting intensive, hydroponic cultivation methods, which opens up the possibility of producing all year-round. The PlantGoed project team - together with important stakeholders - identified the most ideal production plans and worked their way back in the supply chain to facilitate the best possible propagation strategies, as high-quality plant material is first required. Currently strawberry plants are propagated outdoors on container fields for this purpose. “In the cross-border region between Belgium and the Netherlands, this is mainly done in the Summer and Autumn, when the climate is conducive,” outlines Simon Craeye, a researcher at Inagro, research and advisory institute for agriculture and horticulture in Belgium. This plant-cultivation process is very seasonal, leading to marked labour peaks on farms, an issue that is addressed collaboratively within the framework of this project. “Our idea is to try and spread plant cultivation over the whole year, adapted to the specific production plans, so we can flatten the labour peaks,” he explains. “We need other types of propagation facilities to achieve this. We cannot do it all on container fields outdoors, as they are affected by the climate. If we move the propagation phase
indoors, to a greenhouse or a vertical farm for example, we can then control the climate, and make the plant believe that it’s Summer, when actually it’s Winter.”
The amount of light that a plant is exposed to is an important consideration here, as a classical junebearing strawberry plant will only initiate flowers when daylight hours are reduced, which will then lead on to the eventual production of the fruit. Many other parameters must also be taken into account, and Craeye says the conditions under which
For the latter, there are still many research questions about how we can propagate them in atypical seasons.”
The project team is now looking to build upon this knowledge and develop solutions to enable the continuous cultivation of strawberries and raspberries, starting from the mother plants that produce the cuttings. “We’re looking into management strategies for mother plants to advance or delay the season of hanging strawberry cuttings, enabling year-round production. The question arises whether this is possible with the current production facilities,” outlines Craeye.
“If we move the propagation phase indoors, to a greenhouse or a vertical farm for example, we can then control the climate, and make the plant believe that it’s Summer, when actually it’s Winter.”
soft fruits thrive are fairly well known. “We are already quite good at making strawberry plants in a fully closed system. We know about how long the days should be, about the humidity levels and temperature, and about how much light and what kind of light should be transmitted to plants,” he says. “The production of the fruit follows a peak pattern: junebearers showing one strong peak while classical propagated everbearers yield in two or three consecutive peaks.
This is part of the project’s work in essentially aligning the propagation and cultivation of soft fruit, and making plants tailored for specific production systems. If the aim is to produce fruit in a greenhouse in Summer, then a particular kind of plant is required, while another type will be better suited to producing fruit in Spring. “We are not trying to change the entire system – we want to broaden it out and make it as efficient as possible,” continues Craeye.
The solutions developed in the project are intended primarily for intensive producers and plant propagators, and so the economics of production and likely levels of demand for soft fruit at different times of year must also be taken into account. “If you produce strawberries in Winter you are likely to gain a higher income from those plants, so you will be able to pay a little more for them. So the plant can be produced or propagated in a more controlled environment. Whereas if you are producing fruit in a period where they are traditionally more abundant, it’s maybe not necessary to have a very expensive plant,” says Craeye.
A further aspect of the project’s work is the use of AI tools, with a view to producing high-quality fruit all year round. “We’re investigating how we can use vision techniques combined with AI to identify the best time to harvest cuttings and what characteristics of the plant will lead to the best quality fruit. We’re looking towards automating strawberry propagation to improve labour-efficiency,” outlines Craeye. “To reach this goal, we’ve taken lots of pictures of strawberry cuttings, which we are now analysing - we’re looking at how we can then automatically classify the cuttings and plants in terms of quality. This is very important in giving us a prognosis on the overall quality of the plant material, and identifying the point at which it should be harvested later on.”
The wider aim is to boost the competitiveness of the soft fruit sector in the area around the Netherlands-Belgium border, which is an important contributor to the regional economy. Other fruitproducing regions have lower labour costs, so Craeye says farmers in the area need to be open to technical innovations if they are to remain competitive in the market.
“We cannot invest as much time in our soft fruit propagation and cultivation as they do in other countries where labour costs are lower, so we have to find new ways to stay competitive,” he stresses. Craeye believes these innovative new methods can help provide a sustainable, reliable, year-round supply of high-quality fruit. “We are able to maintain consistent high quality fruit output and boost productivity by more tightly aligning propagation and production, and applying higher levels of control, let’s say programming the plants,” he explains. “If we move propagation systems to an indoor facility like a vertical farm, we will be able to close the water and nutrient cycles
even more. We will also be able to reduce pesticide use, as pests and diseases will more easily be kept out of these facilities.”
A vertical farm of course requires energy to maintain the right levels of artificial light, set the right climate and run key processes. These processes can be electrified however, and the project team are investigating various ways to improve energy efficiency in the cultivation of plant material, reflecting an overall commitment to sustainability. “We want to develop plant propagation strategies while at the same reducing the environmental impact of these methods through optimising resource-efficiency,” says Craeye. This work is currently ongoing, and with the project around halfway through its overall funding term, Craeye says the research is progressing well. “We’re testing different production systems and strategies, and together with our partners we’ve made several kinds of strawberry and raspberry plants, tailored for specific production systems,” he outlines.
The technology is still being modified, with researchers working to optimise different systems, with a view to their future application in plant cultivation. The views of growers and propagators are central in this respect, so Craeye and his colleagues actively seek out their opinions and ideas, which will help shape the ongoing development of the project’s solutions. “We’ve held some co-creation sessions together with growers and propagators, where we learned about how they want the plants and the production cycles to look. We’re working towards that goal now, and we aim to have more diversified production systems by the end of the project,” he says.
Developing and deploying various innovations in the cultivation of plant material for year-round plant material and soft fruit production
Project Objectives
PlantGoed aims to enhance soft fruit production efficiency by tailor made plant material, ensuring predictable, high quality yields and smoother labour demand. With innovations like indoor propagation and vision controlled automation, it boosts control over cultivation and drives a smarter, more sustainable, yearround supply chain. Challenges are tackled through a co-creative approach, engaging all relevant stakeholders in the discussion.
Project Funding
PlantGoed is a Interreg Vlaanderen-Nederland project with grant number Int6A038.
“Medegefinancierd door de Europese Unie”
Project Partners
• Inagro • Delphy • Proefcentrum
Hoogstraten • Aris • Van er Avoird Trayplant
Contact Details
Ir. Simon Craeye
Project Coordinator
Inagro vzw.
Ieperseweg 87 8800 Rumbeke-Beitem
Belgium
T: +32 487 58 27 60
E: simon.craeye@inagro.be
W: https://interregvlaned.eu/plantgoed/ W: https://inagro.be/projecten/plantgoed W: https://interregvlaned.eu/en/plantgoed/ contact-2
has a deep expertise in various themes whereas innovative cultivation techniques, water and nutrient management, circularity, digitalisation. He is skilled in project coordination, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge transfer.
Lukáš RýčekProject manager,
Assist. Prof. at Charles University
Eliška Matoušová -
Finance manager, Assist. Prof. at Charles University
Karin Fleck
-
The founder and CEO of VTL
Florian RudroffAssoc. Prof. at Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry, TU Wien
Zoltán NovákProfessor at Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University
Polona Žnidaršič
Plazl - Professor at University of Ljubljana
Igor PlazlProfessor at University of Ljubljana
Ivan SoučekDirector of SCHP ČR
Theodor PetříkAssociation of Chemical Industry of the Czech Republic (SCHP ČR)
Jaroslav ŘíhaHead of API Development in Zentiva
András KotschyDirector of Servier Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry
Current methods of producing chemicals lead to high levels of CO2 emissions and generate a lot of waste, now researchers in the GreenChemForCE project are looking to develop alternatives. This work is part of the goal of using materials more efficiently and putting the chemical industry on a more sustainable footing, as the project’s Principal Investigator Dr Lukáš Rýček explains.
The conventional process by which chemicals are produced is energy-intensive and leads to large quantities of waste. Plastics, on the other hand, pose another environmental challenge: they contribute significantly to pollution throughout their life cycle, particularly when they are discarded into the local environment after use. The established, linear patterns of chemical production, use and disposal have a significant impact on the environment, prompting researchers in the GreenChemForCE project to investigate new production methods. “We want to establish circularity in the production of chemicals, to re-use materials,” outlines Dr Lukáš Rýček, the project’s Principal Investigator.
There are several strands of research within the project, which is organised in three main work packages, covering different topics around chemical production and the re-use of materials. The first work package is focused on the depolymerization of nylon-based plastics, and producing a nylon monomer from plastic waste, while Dr Rýček and his colleagues are also pursuing other avenues of research. “In the second work package we’re looking into utilising carbon dioxide (CO2) and the possibility of its capture and
incorporation into organic molecules, e.g. active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) or some other high-value chemicals,” he continues. In this line, researchers are also looking into the use of bio-renewable feedstock for chemical synthesis, to replace oil-based materials. “Materials like cellulose or lignin are naturally produced from CO2 Therefore, they are an attractive alternative
This work is part of the goal of moving towards a more circular approach in the chemical industry, where materials like nylon are reused rather than simply disposed of, which is the focus of attention in the first work package. Plastic itself is a polymer which consists of multiple units (monomers), and resources can be recovered from waste like fishing nets or old
“A bio-renewable solvent called Cyrene can be used as an alternative to DMF and NMP. We ask companies whether there are any processes where they use these solvents, and where this bio-renewable alternative can be applied.”
to oil-based chemicals,” explains Rýček, and he adds: “In the third work package we combine our expertise to look into various aspects of green production of chemicals, such as APIs or dyes. We search for ecological alternatives to replace critical solvents with bio-renewable solvents or water. We are trying to use rare transition metals effectively, or recover them for application as catalysts, and we look into the possibility of using enzymes or whole microbial organisms to do chemical reactions for us.”
carpets, then re-used in new materials. “Once a fishing net is torn, it loses its functionality. We aim to take this kind of waste and break it down to monomeric building blocks, which can then be used to reconstruct the same polymer from scratch,” explains Dr Rýček.
The depolymerization method developed in the project has been shown to be effective so far and is now being tested on a larger scale, with a view to demonstrating its commercial viability. “Our project partners are optimising some parameters to intensify the process, to
actually get that building block monomer with a higher level of effectivity. We are also trying to interconnect the companies from different regions, so they can supply each other with the material. Either they would supply us with the raw waste material, or we would supply them with the ecological polymeric product,” says Dr Rýček.
Researchers in the project are also investigating circular CO2 streams with a view to reducing emissions, which is a major concern in the chemical industry. There are three main directions in this. “There is the carbonisation of CO2 , where CO2 is captured, and converted into carbonate, a less environmentally problematic chemical, that can be used more widely. Alternatively, we can utilise specific bacteria to incorporate CO 2 into a structure of high-value chemicals that are products of their metabolism,” outlines Dr Rýček. “Another possibility is to use so-called bio-renewable chemical feedstock, such as biomass, and convert it into useful substances, such as APIs or their intermediates. Biomass is primarily produced in nature from atmospheric CO2 , in photosynthesis. Moreover, in this way, we can avoid the use of oil-based feedstock, so it is a win-win situation.”
This could help enhance the sustainability of API production, a major priority in the project. Researchers aim to identify some critical steps in the current methods of producing APIs which lead to waste, or that have other undesirable effects. “Many of the solvents currently used in the chemical industry are not really ‘green’ for example. They might be environmentally harmful,” says Dr Rýček. In collaboration with chemical companies, Dr Rýček and his colleagues are working to identify critical steps in the production of these APIs, and explore possible alternatives. “For example we are trying to perform these processes in aqueous media to avoid the use of some critical solvents. We are looking to use alternative, more environmentally-friendly solvents, or eliminate the use of solvents by technologies, such as ballmilling,” he continues. “A bio-renewable solvent called Cyrene ® can be used as an alternative to DMF and NMP. We ask companies whether there are any processes where they use these solvents, and where this bio-renewable option can be applied.”
An alternative, renewable solvent must achieve the same or better results as a traditional solvent if it is to be used in industry, so the project team are testing different aspects of their effectivity. “We want to see
if we can achieve the same results regarding the quality of the process, the purity of the compounds, and the yields,” says Dr Rýček. The economics of production is another important consideration, and while renewable solvents may be more expensive than the traditional ones, Dr Rýček says this may be counteracted by improved productivity further down the line. “If we can produce the APIs in higher yields and with higher effectivity using bio-renewable solvents, maybe companies will be willing to pay a little bit more for them,” he points out. “We have the scope to investigate these issues as well in the project.”
The project’s overall agenda also includes research into reusable catalysis, with the aim of reducing dependence on supplies of the rare transition metals like palladium, ruthenium and rhodium that are commonly used to catalyse chemical transformations. These metals are not very abundant and are also difficult to source, so the project team are working to enable their re-use. “Instead of the linear patterns of mining, manufacturing, using and disposing of these metals, we aim to close the loop and establish circularity,” says Dr Rýček. Alternatively, part of the team focuses on the utilisation of biocatalysis, where enzymes or whole cells are used to replace the chemical catalysts. This approach holds a lot of promise in terms of reducing the environmental impact of the industry, as it is usually carried out in aqueous media, with a low energy input, eliminating the need for the use of rare, or sometimes harmful chemicals.
This research is at a relatively early stage, with the project team still working on pilot actions and assessing the effectiveness of different methodologies. The next step will be to implement those methods that showed the greatest potential, with Dr Rýček keen to ensure the project’s work has a wider impact. “Our industrial partners in the project will be implementing some of the methodologies that have been developed,” he outlines. While the project itself is set to conclude next year, Dr Rýček hopes the relationships that have been forged between the partners will lead to further research and help the chemical industry move towards a more sustainable future. “We hope that this project will provide a strong basis for further collaboration, beyond GreenChemForCE,” he stresses. “We believe that this work holds wider importance, and we have established a network with broad expertise. We hold regular meetings and will discuss the possibilities for further research and look at what funding opportunities are available.”
Bringing Green Chemical Production Forward in Central Europe
Project Objectives
The GreenChemForCE consortium is dedicated to promoting circularity in chemical production. Our work focuses on three key areas: the depolymerization of plastic waste, the capture and utilization of CO2, and the development of circular processes for producing high-value chemicals such as active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and dyes.
Project Funding
1,77m € Project Budget
80% of the budget is funded by ERDF
Project Partners
• Charles University (Lead partner)
• Association of Chemical Industry of the Czech Republic
• Zentiva k.s.
• The Servier Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry
• Eötvös Loránd University
• TU Wien
• University of Ljubljana
• Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Štajerska
• VTL GmbH
Contact Details
Project Coordinator, Dr Lukáš Rýček
Charles University
Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science
Hlavova 2030/8
128 00 Praha 2
Czechia (CZ)
T: +420 221 951 981
E: rycekl@natur.cuni.cz
W: https://www.interreg-central.eu/ projects/greenchemforce/
Dr Lukáš Rýček earned his PhD in 2015 from Vienna University of Technology. After postdocs in Canada and Prague, and industry experience at Zentiva, he joined Charles University, where he established his research group in 2020. His work focuses on natural product synthesis, catalyst development, and sustainable chemistry.
European cities are learning to align procurement with sustainability goals. The ChemClimCircle project equips municipalities to reduce harmful chemicals, support circularity, and cut emissions through smarter public purchasing. Anne Lagerqvist and Heidrun Fammler explain how this cross-border initiative is reshaping procurement from a bureaucratic task into an action tool.
Across Europe, public authorities are responsible for procuring a vast range of goods and services, from construction materials and school furniture to cleaning supplies and elderly care products. A critical question arises: what if these purchasing decisions could also help fight climate change, reduce exposure to hazardous substances, and support a circular economy? The ChemClimCircle project argues they can and should. Funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme, this cross-border initiative equips municipalities with practical tools and training to embed sustainability into every step of the procurement process. But ChemClimCircle doesn’t just promote “greener” choices. By uniting three often separated goals - climate neutrality, circularity, and non-toxic everyday environments into one clear procurement strategy, the project positions public purchasing not as a bureaucratic formality but as a powerful lever for environmental transformation. Working with municipalities from all EU member states around the Baltic Sea, ChemClimCircle shows that while political support is essential, real change also happens through everyday decisions, like what cities choose to buy. Public procurement, when aligned with sustainability goals, becomes a powerful tool for impact.
Despite their significant buying power, many European municipalities still struggle to include sustainability in procurement. Interest in Green Public Procurement (GPP) is rising,
The procurement process should be considered circular, where the tendering is one part preceeded by analyses and other preparations. Once the contract is in place, communication with buyers, follow up, and transfer of experience to the next procurement ensues.
but practice often lags behind, fragmented, underfunded, and lacking a unifying vision. Some cities focus on climate neutrality, others on circularity, but the issue of hazardous chemicals often gets overlooked. Procurement teams, typically trained in legal and administrative procedures, are rarely equipped to navigate complex environmental goals. “Procurement has traditionally been a technical, administrative task focused on getting the best value for money. But over the past years, environmental concerns have increasingly come into play, which creates a new challenge for procurement officers who are not typically trained as environmental experts,” notes Heidrun Fammler, one of ChemClimCircle’s leads based in Hamburg. This disconnect creates
real barriers: sustainability criteria may be applied inconsistently, overlooked in the planning phase, or lost during tendering and follow-up. Without clear political backing, internal coordination, or practical tools, many municipalities struggle to implement a procurement approach that tackles chemicals, climate and circularity in tandem.
The ChemClimCircle project began with a simple observation: municipalities are massive buyers, and their choices, from floor materials in nursery schools to gloves in elderly homes, have a huge environmental and health impact. These decisions, though administrative on the surface, shape indoor air quality, material cycles, and exposure to harmful substances. ChemClimCircle offers municipalities practice, ready-to-use tools that can be integrated into already existing procurement processes. “What we offer is a framework for strategic, organisational, and procurement-level change,” explains Anne Lagerqvist from the City of Stockholm, a lead partner in the project. “It’s not just about what to buy today - it’s about how cities are organised to facilitate for better decisions over time,” she says. To support this, the project developed a prioritisation matrix and roadmap for Eastern Baltic municipalities, helping them assess readiness, coordinate across departments, and apply relevant sustainability criteria early in the process.
Launched in late 2022 as a small Interreg initiative, ChemClimCircle rapidly evolved into a transnational collaboration involving nearly 40 municipalities, regional and national public authorities from all eight EU countries bordering
the Baltic Sea. The pioneers that started the first ChemClimCircle in 2022 and reviewed our first concept are Stockholm, Smiltene, Taurag ė , Helsinki, Gentofte, Tallinn, Västerås and Hamburg. After the first ChemClimCircle project ended in autumn 2024, new funds were acquired from the INTERREG BSR programme for a larger initiative: the ChemClimCircle-2 project. Launched in March 2025, this three-year initiative, involving 45 organisations, will pilot the ChemClimCircle tools in over 40 new procurement use-cases, develop a monitoring system to assess how “green” these procurements are, and evaluate their environmental performance. The aim is to create a practical set of impact assessment indicators to help public authorities calculate the footprint of their procurements.
As found in the first part of ChemClimCircle, while providing many good example cases, focus for different areas of purchase varies, illustrating the need for enhanced integration of the aspects of the Project’s three C’s within the cities.
In Tallinn, Estonia’s capital is steadily weaving sustainability into how the city buys goods and services. A dedicated Green Public Procurement team is helping align both centralised and decentralised purchasing with Tallinn’s ambitious climate targets - cutting emissions 40% by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Change is already visible: school meals and IT purchases now follow green criteria, and single-use plastics are being phased out from major city events. At the same time, hundreds of public offices are working toward “green office” certification by switching to eco-certified cleaning products and improving energy efficiency.
INTEGRATING CRITERIA FOR CHEMICALS, CLIMATE AND CIRCULARITY IN PROCUREMENT PROCESSES
Project Objectives
The ChemClimCircle project aims to support municipalities across the Baltic Sea Region to reduce harmful chemicals, cut carbon emissions, and promote circularity through sustainable public procurement. By providing tools, training, and guidance, the project helps embed environmental goals into everyday purchasing decisions and turn procurement into a lever for longterm environmental benefits.
Project Funding
Co-funded by the European Union, Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme.
Project Partners
“There is tremendous power in public purchasing. We just have to learn how to use it.”
For example, in Stockholm, the municipality is reducing the presence of hazardous substances in public sector goods and materials, thus enabling future circular systems. It has removed bisphenol plastics from kitchenware, phthalates from sports equipment, and introduced PFAS-free workwear. Stockholm also promotes recycled plastics, maintains active supplier dialogue, and uses digital systems to track sustainability compliance in tenders.
Meanwhile, Gentofte in Denmark, focuses on sustainable textiles for public institutions and safer alternatives in municipal cleaning contracts. The city invests in durable tools, microfibre cloths, and water-efficient systems to cut chemical use. With a goal of 90% CO2 reduction by 2030, Gentofte tracks procurement impacts and uses a “3-in-1 dialogue model” to strengthen collaboration across procurement, environment, and market actors.
In Helsinki, sustainability is embedded across its €4 billion procurement budget. The city includes CO2 reduction criteria in sectors like construction and textiles, analysing the effects of renting versus owning work wear. Street works now use recycled materials, and through Finland’s national Green Deal, Helsinki limits hazardous chemicals in children’s spaces and promotes clean construction practices.
Smiltene, Latvia, a small but determined municipality is making school food procurement more sustainable; short stretches for the deliveries are prioritised and evaluated for their environmental footprint, and eco-labels guide purchasing decisions. While limited resources and environmental expertise present challenges, Smiltene is pushing forward, exploring new tools to track chemical use in cleaning services and reduce packaging waste across municipal institutions.
Meanwhile, in Tauragė , Lithuania, the municipality has set its sights on becoming the greenest in the country, working toward climate neutrality by 2030. While public procurement has not yet been fully aligned with this ambition, progress is underway. In 2023, nearly all of the city’s procurement, over 99% by value, met national green criteria. Tauragė follows Lithuania’s GPP framework, which defines green purchases based on eco-labels, ISO certifications, or specific environmental requirements. In practice, this includes school supplies made with recycled, non-toxic materials, though clearer definitions for terms like “toxic-free” are still needed. Despite limited resources, through ChemClimCircle, Tauragė is exploring how procurement processes can become a stronger tool for achieving its environmental goals.
With a focus on practical implementation, cross-sector collaboration, and long-term structural change, the ChemClimCircle project provides more than just pilot cases and guidance documents. It sets a shift in perspective: that procurement, often seen as a technical formality, can be a strategic tool for healthier, more climate-resilient communities. “There is tremendous power in public purchasing. We just have to learn how to use it,” concludes project co-lead, Heidrun Fammler.
• LEAD PARTNER City of Stockholm • BEF Germany • Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre • Taurage municipality • Ecodesign Competence Centre • Environmental Centre for Administration and Technology (ECAT) • Turku University of Applied Sciences • Smiltene municipality • POMINNO Ltd.
Contact Details
Anne Lagerqvist, PhD, Project Manager and Environmental Investigator Environment and Health Department Division for Urban Environment Chemical Centre
Fleminggatan 4, 104 20 Stockholm T: +46-8-508 28870
E: anne.lagerqvist@stockholm.se W: start.stockholm
https://interreg-baltic.eu/project/chemclimcircle/
Heidrun Fammler, MA in history & political science (1991, Hamburg University) built up and leads the Baltic Environmental Forum Group since 1995. She developed and led various projects on chemicals risk management. She is the author of the ChemClimCircle projects and acts as deputy project manager.
Anne Lagerqvist, PhD in Genetic toxicology (2008, Stockholm University), works at the Chemicals Centre, City of Stockholm, setting and following up criteria for reducing harmful chemical content in the municipality’s purchasing processes. She was co-author and project manager for the first ChemClimCircle project.
Building bridges across borders, the CrossRoads Vlaanderen-Nederland project is helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Belgium and the Netherlands overcome barriers to innovation. We spoke with Ellen Theeuwes, Chairwoman of CrossRoads, and Bram De Kort, Director at Interreg Vlaanderen-Nederland, about the initiative’s growing impact.
Cross-border cooperation has long been a cornerstone of the European Union’s vision for unity and progress. In the region connecting Belgium and the Netherlands, this ambition takes shape through CrossRoads-a flagship initiative backed by the Interreg Vlaanderen-Nederland programme. The project empowers SMEs on both sides of the border to collaborate, innovate, and grow in a competitive landscape. Through targeted funding, strategic matchmaking, and a shared commitment to a borderless European economy, CrossRoads is driving breakthrough advancements in healthcare, energy transition, industry 4.0, and climate resilience.
“In simple terms, CrossRoads exists to support knowledge and innovation in the cross-border region,” Ellen Theeuwes explained. “We want to stimulate innovation, improve the regional economy, and prevent innovative companies from looking elsewhere (in this case other continents).”
Historically, SMEs located in border regions have faced unique challenges. Unlike their counterparts in national centers, these companies often encounter additional hurdles when it comes to finding partners, entering new markets, or securing research collaborations. Although the Maastricht Treaty of 1992 laid the foundation for the European Union and aimed to promote greater economic integration, true seamless cooperation remains elusive for many businesses operating along national borders. Despite many harmonization efforts, cross-
border barriers persist, particularly for SMEs. CrossRoads plays a vital role in overcoming these obstacles by connecting entrepreneurs with complementary strengths across the region.
The CrossRoads project operates through a practical, hands-on approach. Business Development Managers, with strong technical expertise and local knowledge, proactively scout for SMEs with promising ideas. They offer guidance at every step of the journey: helping companies formulate strong project proposals, facilitating crossborder partnerships, supporting the innovation process, and assisting in market validation after prototypes are developed.
“Our goal is to take companies by the hand,” Ellen said. “We want to make sure their projects succeed, not just in technical terms but also commercially.”
The support extends beyond funding and paperwork, focusing not only on helping companies create prototypes but also on ensuring that these innovations find real markets and customers. Commercialization is considered just as important as technical development, and CrossRoads actively works to bridge the gap between invention and market success.
Furthermore, CrossRoads has emphasized simplifying the application processes, offering a streamlined and transparent procedure that
significantly reduces the barriers for SMEs to access funding and mentorship. Through frequent workshops, matchmaking events, and direct one-to-one sessions with Business Development Managers and the Interreg program joint secretariat, the program ensures continuous engagement with the SME community.
The role of the Business Development Managers cannot be overstated; they act as bridges between companies and innovation opportunities, embodying the spirit of collaboration that defines the CrossRoads initiative. By fostering these relationships early and offering tailored support, CrossRoads ensures that even the smallest companies can dream big and achieve meaningful change.
European investment through Interreg is critical for projects like CrossRoads. By facilitating a seamless flow of ideas, products, and services across national borders, Interreg aims to create a truly unified European economy. CrossRoads is one of its most successful models, and its influence is spreading.
“Our model is now being replicated in other European border regions,” Bram highlighted. “From the Belgian-French border to Croatia, there is growing interest in using CrossRoads as a template for stimulating cross-border SME innovation.”
At its core, CrossRoads is about more
than just funding; it’s about mindset. Ellen and Bram agree that encouraging companies to think beyond their national borders and to seek partnerships in neighboring countries is key to unlocking new growth and resilience.
This initiative targets sectors crucial for Europe’s future competitiveness: energy transition, healthcare, Industry 4.0 and climate change. These domains are ripe for innovation but often require cooperation across industries and borders to bring new solutions to market.
Selecting only a few standout successes from CrossRoads’ extensive portfolio is no easy task, given the remarkable breadth of innovation it has fostered. Among the many noteworthy examples, one project eloquently captures the transformative potential of crossborder collaboration. The “Spinal” project - a partnership between Dutch and Flemish SMEs in one of the earliest CrossRoads frameworks -later expanded into two subsequent “Prosperos” projects, involving more SMEs
Looking ahead, the team behind CrossRoads is ambitious. They want to deepen their impact in several ways. First, by attracting more projects in the energy transition domain, a field critical for addressing climate change and achieving European Green Deal targets. Second, by increasing participation from less active regions through targeted promotional campaigns, matchmaking events, and expanded outreach initiatives.
Another major goal is to further simplify administrative procedures, making funding access faster and easier for SMEs. “We’ve already made funding processes much simpler, but we’re committed to cutting even more red tape,” Bram emphasized. The focus is on allowing companies to concentrate fully on innovation and business growth.
Sustainability also remains a cornerstone of CrossRoads’ vision. “Looking ahead, I expect that future CrossRoads initiatives-as well as broader Interreg and EU programmeswill increasingly focus on green innovation, circular economy models, and boosting
“We want to stimulate innovation, improve the regional economy, and prevent innovative companies from looking elsewhere. ”
as well as academic partners. This initiative achieved a groundbreaking medical innovation: the development of biodegradable prosthetics that stimulate natural bone growth, offering patients a safer, more sustainable alternative to traditional metal implants. It stands as a powerful testament to the life-changing impact that small-scale, cross-border collaborations, nurtured by CrossRoads, can achieve.
“Without the initial support from CrossRoads, such high-risk, high-reward innovation would have struggled to get off the ground,” Bram highlighted. “Especially in healthcare, the ‘valley of death’ between invention and commercial viability is very deep.”
These success stories are not isolated. CrossRoads facilitates the creation of ecofriendly materials from recycled jeans, developed innovative airbag systems for cyclists, enables an automated vaccination process - examples that showcase the versatility and transformative power of cross-border SME collaborations.
Europe’s self-sufficiency in key resources,” Bram noted. “These are essential areas if we want to leave a positive, long-term legacy for both the economy and the environment.”
Looking ahead, CrossRoads aspires not only to remain a flagship Interreg project but also to inspire similar initiatives across Europe. Its broader mission is to help build a deeply connected, innovation-driven region where SMEs can thrive without borders, driving a stronger, greener, and more competitive Europe.
For companies considering whether to apply to CrossRoads, the message is both clear and encouraging: take the first step. “Don’t hesitate to reach out,” said Ellen. “Even if you don’t yet have a partner across the border, our Business Developers are here to help you find the right match and support you throughout the journey.”
The CrossRoads team is ready to assist, providing expert guidance throughout the journey - from shaping the initial idea to achieving market success and sustainable growth.
CrossRoads Vlaanderen-Nederland
Project Objectives
CrossRoads Flanders - The Netherlands stimulates cross-border cooperation between SMEs in Flanders and the South of the Netherlands (Zeeland, North Brabant, Limburg and South Holland). The project supports companies in finding a partner across the border and subsidises product or process innovations with a focus on sustainable entrepreneurship, sustainable energy, industry 4.0 and health.
Project Funding
• Total European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) subsidy €12.932.210,09 • Budget € 25.864.420,02
Project Co-financiers
Flemish Government (VLAIO) • Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs • Province of East Flanders • Province of West Flanders • Province of Antwerp • Province of Flemish Brabant • Province of Limburg (BE) • Province of Limburg (NL) • Province of North Brabant • Province of Zeeland • Province of South Holland
Project Partners
Interreg Vlaanderen-Nederland • VLAIO • LIOF • InnovationQuarter • Impuls Zeeland, • Brabantse Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij (BOM) • REWIN West-Brabant
Contact Details
Jordy Verdickt
Project Coordinator
Interreg Vlaanderen-Nederland
Britselei 23-5
2000 Antwerpen
T: +32 472 66 16 65
E: crossroads@interregvlaned.eu
W: https://interregvlaned.eu/crossroadsvlaanderen-nederland/contact
Bram De Kort
Ellen Theeuwes is driven by her goal to lead the transition to a sustainable society. She has expertise in business development, stakeholder management, partnerships and coaching. She has chaired the CrossRoads programme since 2016.
Bram De Kort is the director of Interreg Vlaanderen-Nederland. He’s a Dutchman that moved to Flanders, after his studies at Radboud University Nijmegen in The Netherlands. With 20+ years living and working in both regions, his CV breathes cross-border cooperation through roles at Euroregion Scheldemond and the Interreg programme.
The European Commission’s revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED) establishes compulsory targets for the integration of renewable sources in the heating and cooling sector. We spoke to Joana Fernandes about the work of the REDI4HEAT project in assessing how Member States are tackling this issue and moving towards climate neutrality.
The Renewable Energy Directive (RED) was revised in 2023, and for the first time it establishes compulsory targets for the integration of renewables in the heating and cooling sector, which accounts for almost half of all energy demand in the EU. Member States have their own policy frameworks in place, yet they may not necessarily be aligned with the targets set out in the RED, a topic at the heart of the EU-backed RedI4Heat project. “We are trying to identify which policies countries have already defined in terms of integrating renewables in heating and cooling. How can we reinforce these targets? How can we implement effective measures to accommodate this in different sectors?” outlines Joana Fernandes, project coordinator at ADENE – Portuguese National Energy Agency, one of twelve partners in REDI4HEAT. As a first step, the project team analysed the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) of all 27 EU Member States. “We are trying to understand how heating and cooling is tackled in those national plans, and what this means in terms of increasing energy efficiency, reducing consumption and increasing the production of renewables,” says Fernandes.
A key step towards improving energy efficiency in a building is to first reduce consumption, which can be achieved through certain design measures and effective insulation. The European Commission is also keen to encourage the transition from conventional gas boilers to heat pumps, which Fernandes says would have a significant impact. “There is a huge energy efficiency gain from heat pumps. We need to prioritise the replacement of the most inefficient equipment, and we can only do that if we know what stock is there,” she stresses. A further important consideration is maximising the amount of energy from renewable sources in the overall energy mix and prioritising their ongoing development. “Where are the opportunities in terms of developing sources of renewable energy like solar? Where can we put photo-voltaic or solar thermal panels on roofs?” continues Fernandes. “There may be geothermal resources available in some areas, while it is also possible to harness waste heat from local industries nearby and combine synergies between production and demand, so move towards a decentralised energy strategy.”
The project team is looking to assess how these issues are being tackled, which may vary according to the prevailing local climate and the renewable energy resources available. The primary focus in the project is on five countries from different parts of Europe with very different climates, while Fernandes says there are also significant variations in terms of infrastructure.
“Many cities in Southern Europe don’t have district heating and cooling networks for example, while there’s not many schemes to encourage people to replace boilers with heat pumps,” she explains. A number of strategic priority areas have been identified, which can support the transition towards a cleaner, more sustainable energy system. “The first area is about
understanding if there is a coherent, strong and ambitious policy package. Then we also evaluate multi-level governance, which is essentially about stakeholder involvement. Does everyone know their role in these policies? What is the role of the public and private sector?” says Fernandes. “Our third priority area is engaging with local and decentralised authorities.”
This is central to translating targets agreed at the EU level into the actions that need to be taken at the regional and local level. It’s also essential to engage local people in this respect, to raise awareness and build a collective momentum towards the goal of meeting the targets set out in the RED. “There needs to be a coherence, to identify shared priorities,” outlines Fernandes. The transition to a more sustainable energy system will inevitably affect consumers, in particular vulnerable groups in society, another priority area that Fernandes and her colleagues are taking into account in their analysis of the NECPs. “We essentially evaluate the NECPs in terms of these different policy priorities and the involvement of key actors. What financing opportunities should be in place in terms of incentives and subsidies to finance the energy transition?” she says. “One of the major issues with renewable energy projects
is stop and go effects from the market. If funding or subsidies are available for a year, and the candidates are selected on a first come, first served basis, then this rewards the most knowledgeable and fastest projects, rather than those with the highest potential energy savings.”
A consumer or business in this situation may well decide to delay or even abandon a project, so Fernandes believes there needs to be a long-term commitment in terms of financial support. This could be for the whole of the cost or a certain proportion,
economy by 2050 and moving towards climate neutrality, which will demand significant changes to how properties are heated and cooled. “There is a clear need to work with local authorities, to support them in the type of measures they need to implement. We’ve been able to identify gaps in the NECPs of these five countries,” says Fernandes.
A number of measures have been identified on this basis, some of which have been integrated in updated versions of the NECPs. The project team have developed a knowledge platform, essentially a toolbox of resources, which Fernandes says can help
“We are supporting countries in the identification of existing policies, gaps and opportunities towards a more effective adoption of renewables in heating and cooling . How can we reinforce these targets? How can we implement effective measures to accommodate this in different sectors?”
according to need, while Fernandes says banks need support in identifying what projects they should finance. “What equipment will improve heating and cooling efficiency? What impact will they have on energy efficiency? Different tools are available to assess the effectiveness of equipment, but banks don’t always know how to use them. So there needs to be some involvement from different stakeholders, from professionals with the technical authority to provide support,” she continues. The wider context here is the goal of decarbonising the European
guide local municipalities in implementing energy-related legislation. “The idea is that national, regional and local public authorities can understand what has been done in other countries, relate it to their own reality, and try to apply the relevant lessons. There is a portfolio of ideas that people can dig into, then they can reach out to the people involved to ask for more details,” she outlines. “The main focus of the knowledge platform is the heat transition toolbox, which includes a lot of best practices and tools that have been gathered within the REDI4HEAT consortium.”
Renewable Energy Directive implementation for heating and cooling
Project Objectives
Heating and cooling (H&C) represents 50% of the energy demand in Europe, so its decarbonization is essential. REDI4HEAT aims to support Member States in the implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive provisions on H&C. The lack of clear and ambitious policies addressing the H&C sector in the National Energy and Climate Plans is evident. Strategic Policy Priorities were identified and resources and tools made available, complemented by capacity building initiatives to effectively support Member States in the uptake of innovative policies.
Project Funding
Co-funded by the European Union under the LIFE Programme – Grant Agreement No. 101077369.
Project Partners
The REDI4HEAT consortium consists of 12 partners: 5 Research Centres and Agencies, 6 Associations (5 of which Trade and Industry) and 1 private company. https://redi4heat.ehpa.org/consortium/
Contact Details
Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES) 19th km Marathonos Ave, 19009, Pikermi Attiki Greece
T: +30 210 6603300
E: cres@cres.gr
W: http://www.cres.gr/cres/index_uk.html
Joana Fernandes is coordinator of ADENEs technical projects unit at the Strategy, Policy and Projects Department. She works in project strategy and funding, at both the national and European level.
Silvia Rémedios is a project manager at ADENE. She has long experience in working on projects around raising environmental awareness and improving energy efficiency.
It can be difficult for individuals to understand the impact of their own choices on carbon emissions and energy efficiency. We spoke to Aiga Barisa, Kertu Lepiksaar and Alina Safronova about their work in developing tools to both help individuals and municipalities calculate their own carbon footprint, and identify ways in which it could be reduced.
Around 75 percent of global energy is consumed in cities, so urban centres have a major role to play in improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As Manager of the EU-backed CommitClimate project, Aiga Barisa is part of a team of researchers developing online tools for both individuals and local municipalities, which will be trialled in five pilot areas across four different countries around the Baltic Sea. “We aim to develop tools so that individuals can understand how their own actions affect climate change. At the same time we are also working on tools designed to assist municipalities in reducing carbon emissions,” she outlines.
The first part of this work centres on developing the CommitClimate Simulator tailored for local authorities. “The simulator is designed to calculate an emissions baseline in a municipality, across all of the major sectors which generate GHG emissions,” continues Barisa. “This includes energy use in both public and
private buildings, as well as municipal infrastructure, like waste and water management. Then there is transportation and the energy sector.”
A number of other sectors may contribute to overall GHG emissions in a municipality, depending on the local industry. Some municipalities may also have forested areas that can act as a carbon sink, absorbing
Barisa. “We make certain assumptions, and give users the opportunity to change different variables. We are working with municipalities around the Baltic, as well as other stakeholders. We are gathering feedback and looking to identify what they want to be included in this model.”
An important consideration is the likely future population size, while some
“We aim to develop tools designed to assist municipalities in reducing carbon emissions. At the same time, we are also working on tools so that individuals can understand how their own actions affect climate change.”
emissions, which Barisa says is reflected in simulations. “We are also interested in the potential of some municipalities to absorb CO 2 emissions,” she continues. Once a baseline has been calculated, municipalities can then apply different measures in the relevant sectors, and use the simulator to assess their likely impact on GHG emissions in future. “We use a system dynamics modelling approach, a so-called white box modelling approach, which essentially starts from a blank sheet of paper,” explains
municipalities may also want to explore the impact of new public or private buildings, or the effects of emerging transport technologies. The main priority for municipalities is typically to build a fuller picture of how changes in the transportation and energy sectors will affect emissions. “These are the two largest sectors in terms of emissions. Many municipalities want to understand what measures can be taken in these sectors and their expected effects,” says Barisa.
In addition to the municipality-focused CommitClimate Simulator , the project team is developing the CommitClimate Carbon footprint calculator, designed to help individuals understand the impact of their own behaviour and personal choices. “We look at how people move around a city for example, what forms of transport do they use? How much meat do they consume and how often? Is it locallyproduced or imported? How much energy do they use at home?” says Barisa.
The idea is that an individual can put in their own personal data about their habits and lifestyle, then the model will calculate their carbon footprint for a full year, which can be compared to the national average. The calculator is intended for the general public, so Barisa says it was important to ensure that it is easy to use and doesn’t require vast amounts of detailed information. “Only minimal input information is required for the carbon footprint calculator. The data from the calculator can then inform discussions on the city and regional level around climate topics,” she explains.
This will ultimately help municipalities encourage citizens to shift towards more environmentally-friendly habits. While climate change and the energy transition are highly prominent topics in public debate, not everyone is aware of how they can make a difference. “Sometimes you have to remind people about some of the
seemingly minor actions they can take and the impact they can have,” outlines Kertu Lepiksaar, a researcher at Tallinn University of Technology, one of the partners in the CommitClimate project. The carbon footprint calculator allows individuals to see the impact of such changes in their daily lives, which may then lead to a sustained shift in habits. “For instance, you can see how switching to a different mode of transport or eating less meat each week could reduce your emissions. If you take the tram instead of a car, you’ll see a certain reduction in carbon emissions,” says Alina Safronova, a researcher at Riga Technical University, part of the project team. “You can also compare your footprint to the national average and explore actions you can take to reduce it.”
The goal is to eventually apply these models more widely, part of the goal of shifting towards a more sustainable energy system and reducing our dependence on finite, fossil-based resources. A deeper understanding of their own carbon footprint may encourage people to try and reduce it, yet often there are barriers that prevent them from changing their behaviour. “For example, someone in a rural area may want to take public transport but not have the option, and so are forced to rely on a car,” points out Safronova.
Many factors may influence individual behaviour, such as personal values and beliefs, family circumstances and income levels, and it can be difficult to change ingrained habits, particularly when it comes
Towards energy transition and climate neutrality in the BSR municipalities
Project Objectives
CommitClimate is an Interreg Baltic Sea Region project aimed at empowering municipalities to achieve climate neutrality. It provides a user-friendly simulation tool - the CommitClimate Simulator - that enables local authorities to calculate current CO2 emissions and model future scenarios across key sectors. Additionally, a simplified version of the tool is being developed for citizens, allowing them to understand how their actions impact the municipality’s climate footprint.
Project Funding
This project is co-funded by the European Union under the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme.
Project Partners
There are a total of 10 project partners. Please see full information on website below.
Contact Details
Project Coordinator, Alina Safronova
Riga Technical University, Institute of Energy Systems and Environment, Latvia
E: alina.safronova@rtu.lv
W: https://interreg-baltic.eu/project/ commitclimate/ W: www.videszinatne.rtu.lv/en
W: https://br-commitclimate.rtu.lv/
Aiga Barisa, Kertu Lepiksaar and Alina Safronova (Left to Right)
Aiga Barisa is a Senior Researcher and Associate Professor at the Institute of Energy Systems and Environment, Riga Technical University. Her research focuses on sustainable transport systems, energy efficiency, and industrial symbiosis. She has contributed to projects like 4muLATe, exploring system dynamics modeling for climate-neutral transport solutions.
Kertu Lepiksaar is a researcher at Tallinn University of Technology, and she graduated with her PhD studies in 2024. Her topics are mostly related to cogeneration, district heating, sector coupling, and energy efficiency. She has participated in numerous scientific projects that study the possibilities of achieving the sustainability goals in the energy sector.
Alina Safronova is a PhD candidate and researcher at Riga Technical University, focusing on the transport sector and system dynamic modelling. Her work explores sustainable solutions and policy impacts within the transport sector, aiming to enhance environmental and economic efficiencies.
The most supported policy measures by respondents.
Safronova et al. (2025) Local-level challenges in sustainable mobility: Survey results from the Baltic Sea Region. XVIII International Scientific Comference of Enfironmental and Climate Technologies CONECT 2025, 14-16th May 2025, Riga, Latvia
to transport. “The transport sector is particularly complex because decisions are often driven not only by economic factors— such as fuel costs—but also by accessibility issues and ingrained social habits, which make switching to more sustainable options difficult,” says Safronova. “To better understand these challenges, we conducted a survey to gather insights into how people view the existing infrastructure and practices related to transportation, energy use, and waste management in their municipality. We also asked participants to evaluate their municipality’s current performance and to identify which policies they would be willing to support. This feedback is crucial as it helps shape the tools we are developing, ensuring they are aligned with the needs and priorities of both individuals and municipalities.”
there is still room for improvement,” she says. “We are working to improve these modelling tools, to translate them, and to test them with our major target groups. We will summarise the feedback from the target groups, based on which we can then look to improve the tools further.”
The tools could also hold relevance for private companies and other organisations keen to reduce their carbon emissions in line with legislative requirements and adapt to a new energy landscape. The tools would first need to be updated to calculate scope 3 emissions, which many companies need to consider. “Scope 3 emissions are the lifetime emissions associated with a company’s activities, not just the initial, direct emissions,” explains Barisa. This is a topic Barisa plans to explore further in future,
“A user-friendly, accessible interface is also important in terms of encouraging people and municipalities to use these tools, which is a major priority in the project.”
A user-friendly, accessible interface is also important in terms of encouraging people and municipalities to use these tools, which is a major priority in the project. As a scientist, Barisa is interested in the underlying mechanisms behind the tools, but she says it’s also important to consider their appearance and aesthetic appeal. “When a municipality goes to their citizens or their stakeholders with new tools, they need something that is both visually appealing and also works effectively,” she stresses. The tools are continuously being modified on the basis of feedback from the pilot areas, and Barisa says a lot of progress has been made. “We are creating the tools, and we have reached a point where we have a pretty user-friendly interface, although
which could open up new possibilities. “We are looking into forming a new project proposal, to include scope 3 emissions, which we believe would be interesting for companies looking at how they can reduce their carbon footprint,” she outlines.
Both of the tools will be made available via an interactive online platform, together with extensive training materials, aiming to help people and municipalities use them effectively. “In our training materials we explain what sectors are covered by these tools, describe the underlying assumptions and what results can be expected,” continues Barisa. “We are translating these tools into several different languages, which is often a barrier to their wider use.”
There are four pilot studies within the TETRAS project, investigating different topics around the operation and management of RAS. We spoke to representatives of two pilot activities in Denmark, Mette Jørgensen and Annette Løttrup-Moore , about the project's work and how it will support the transition towards a circular blue economy.
EUR: What is your role in the TETRAS project?
Annette Løttrup-Moore: I am business development manager at Business LollandFalster, a business support organisation, one of the partners in the project. We are working to bring a very large, land-based fish production facility to our local region, which will produce around 5,000 tonnes of fish a year. In the pilot study we are looking at how to treat water from the facility to avoid discharging large amounts of nitrogen into the Baltic Sea.
Saltwater will be extracted from the ocean for use in the facility. Instead of then discharging it straight back into the ocean, we want to treat it so that it can be used for industrial purposes. How can we treat this water and use it for something else? What can we do with the residue filtered out of the wastewater?
EUR: What kind of water quality levels are you looking to achieve?
AM: We have been looking at cleaning the wastewater to the same quality as drinking water. If we can achieve this, we can then look to re-use the water in industry, for example in power-to-x, or for cooling water, rather than relying on limited groundwater resources. Water recovered from saltwater RAS can be re-used by many different industries.
EUR: What is the current status of the pilot?
AM: We've got the result from our pilot tests, and an expert is currently writing up a report.
We've shown that we can clean wastewater to drinking water quality levels, at a competitive price.
One of our recommendations is to conduct further research into the feed supply – where does the feed come from? What goes in it?
We also recommend looking into the treatment of residue from the cleaning of the water. That is the big issue, how can we separate the residue? And what can we do with it?
EUR: What is your role in the TETRAS project?
Mette Jørgensen: Guldborgsund Municipality works on pilot 4,which is about raising awareness about RAS and new value chains. We are demonstrating a mini version of a commercial RAS to produce ca. 1-2 tons of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Delicious recipes using Clarias have been developed by CELF Food, a local vocational school for cooks and nutritional experts. The students served almost 4,000 tastings at the Danish National Food Summit in May 2025, introducing Clarias, a fish that is currently not farmed in Denmark. The potential of the fish was highlighted and debated at the summit.
EUR: If you produce a fish using RAS, I guess you need to make sure there's a market for it?
MJ: Very much so. That is why it is important to expose young people and future consumers to RAS and Clarias and generate interest. We also need a skilled labour force to build and maintain RAS, which is a big issue in the aquaculture sector.
EUR: Are you looking to provide training to try and grow the workforce?
MJ: At the moment we're still at a relatively early stage, so we're focused more on supporting interest in RAS via (bio) technology and biology at gymnasium and vocational school level, which is relevant across many different subjects.
At the gymnasium lab they can test the RAS water for nutrients, and measure water chemistry parameters important for the welfare of the fish. They can reuse nutrients to grow plants. Equally importantly, electricians and mechanics can experience at an early stage of their career how their expertise can be crucial to PLC-programming, or how to perform a quick repair if a pump sets out or a filter is blocked.
For all activities, including creating interest for RAS among farmers, we find that having a physical, commercially relatable pilot plant makes a big difference. It makes the potential tangible and concrete.
Land-based recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) are a sustainable and controllable means of producing fish, yet in isolation they can be both expensive and energy intensive. The TETRAS project team are exploring new ways of re-using aquaculture sidestreams and establishing symbiotic relationships with other industries, as Freya Robinson and Erika Zavackienė explain.
The aquaculture sector has an important role to play in meeting global food demand, and the industry is set to grow rapidly over the coming years, with levels of fish consumption projected to rise. Landbased recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) offer a sustainable means of producing fish, as Freya Robinson, a project manager at the Submariner Network in Berlin, explains. “With land based RAS we are able to reuse up to 95 percent of the water, so you don't have to input large quantities of freshwater. RAS is also a controlled environment, so you don't have to worry about external parasites, like with sea-based systems such as salmon farms for example, and you can control the amount of waste you are discharging into the surrounding environment,” she outlines. The water is then filtered, and particulate matter is removed, forming a kind of sludge, which Robinson says represents a potentially valuable resource. “The sludge can then be used for fertiliser or biogas for example, rather than just being released back into the environment,” she continues.
As solution transfer manager of the EU-backed TETRAS project, Robinson is now working to build new industrial relationships and encourage the re-use of both this sludge and wastewater in countries around the Baltic Sea, helping to improve the economic and environmental sustainability of RAS. The project team, bringing together 10 partners and 14 associated organisations from countries across Europe, is exploring new ideas around industrial symbiosis. “We're looking at ways to not just put water back into the environment, but to reuse even small amounts for other industries,” explains Robinson. This involves to some extent a shift in perspective, away from aquaculture companies viewing waste simply as material to be disposed of as quickly as possible, but rather as another potential income stream. “We're trying to promote the circularity approach and look at how waste from the aquaculture sector can be processed and then re-used, for example by a concrete producer, or in the agriculture industry ,” continues Robinson.
The way in which this waste can be reused will depend to a large degree on the species
of fish that are being produced at a particular site and its overall composition, as well as the regulations and local policy regarding reuse of aquaculture nutrient streams. There are four pilots within TETRAS addressing different topics around RAS, and a number are working with specific fish species. “For example, in our Lithuanian pilot we're producing shrimp and rainbow trout, while our partners in Denmark are working with catfish (Clarias gariepinus),” says Robinson. The conditions required to produce different types of fish may vary; geothermal brine is
"We're
economic and environmental sustainability of RAS, a topic high on the project's overall agenda. In isolation RAS can be both expensive and energy-intensive, but re-using materials and establishing mutually beneficial relationships with other industries can help bring down costs. “It is very important that these new technologies are economically viable. So we are developing new business models, focussing primarily on the RAS aspect,” outlines Robinson. The team at the Klaipéda Science and Technology Park (KMTP) in Lithuania play an important role
trying to promote the circularity approach and look at how waste from the aquaculture sector can be processed and then re-used, for example by a concrete producer."
being used to support the growth of the shrimp and rainbow trout in the Lithuanian pilot rather than artificial salt or seawater, yet Robinson says this doesn't require specific filtration methods. “The tools required for different types of filtration and to enable the use of wastewater can be adapted to different systems,” she continues. “The industrial symbiosis concept can also be adapted to different species, depending to some degree on what waste they produce.”
This concept could also enhance the
here, by effectively acting as a bridge between business and academia. “We are looking at different ways to connect companies with new research ideas and to generate novel business models,” says Erika Zavackien ė , Innovation Manager at KMTP and Project Coordinator of TETRAS. “We have established a very close relationship with the local university, which is a key stakeholder, and businesses are looking for new solutions. We work closely with scientists and look to identify new possibilities.”
The experimental side of the project's work is nearly concluded, so now the focus is moving towards writing up the results, with the aim of providing recommendations and guidance to policy-makers on the ongoing development of RAS. The team are working towards four main deliverables - focused on the individual pilotsand one main output, which will bring together all elements of the project's work. “This will be a kind of guide to decision-makers, both in public policy and also the commercial sector, about how to adapt or integrate RAS systems. This is really interesting for Lithuania and Estonia in particular, as they do not have many RAS,” says Robinson. By contrast the RAS industry is fairly well-established in Denmark, and the government's recent decision to halt any further expansion of sea-based fish farming may lead to more interest in land-based systems, underlining the wider relevance of the project's work. “There is a lot of interest in novel RAS solutions,” continues Robinson.
This work forms part of the wider blue growth agenda, aiming to support long-term, sustainable growth in the marine sector. With land-based aquaculture systems set to play a major role in fish production, new challenges and opportunities will arise, and Zavackien ė says effective collaboration between business and academia will help support the ongoing development of RAS.
“Many businesses are looking for more effective solutions, and we regularly run workshops and discussions, bringing together scientists and the commercial sector,” she says. “We aim to demonstrate the potential of innovative industrial symbiosis concepts in supporting RAS, and will have more discussions with businesses and policy-makers in future, beyond the end of the project.”
Technology Transfer for Thriving Recirculating Aquaculture Systems in the Baltic Sea Region
Project Objectives
TETRAS aims to improve the economic and environmental sustainability of recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) by demonstrating new concepts of industrial symbiosis where RAS systems are placed strategically or combined with industrial processes to increase resource efficiency (i.e. water, energy) while producing affordable and healthy food.
Project Funding
Funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region and co-funded by the European Union.
Project Partners
• Klaipeda Science and Technology Park (Lead partner) • SUBMARINER Network for Blue Growth EEIG • Klaipeda University • Blue Research ApS • Ida-Viru Investment Agency • Guldborgsund Municipality • University of Gdansk • Business LollandFalster • Wismar University of Applied Sciences; Technology, Business and Design • AB Akola group
Contact Details
Erika Zavackienė, Project Manager Klaipėda science and technology parkVilhelmo Berbomo g. 10 -106 LT-92221 Klaipėda T: +370 684 50212 E: erika.zavackiene@kmtp.lt
Freya Robinson, SUBMARINER E: fr@submariner-network.eu W: https://interreg-baltic.eu/project/tetras/
Annette Løttrup-Moore - 15 years’ work experience from East Africa and an MSc in Sustainability and Environmental Management, are being utilised as a project manager on aquaculture projects.
Freya Robinson – MSc in Aquaculture; experienced in fish welfare, technology trials, and leading international aquaculture projects across Horizon and national funding frameworks.
Mette Jørgensen - MSc in Agronomy and Master’s Degree in Rural Development and Landscape Management. Programme coordinator in Bioeconomy Hotspot, Guldborgsund Municipality.
Erika Zavackienė - Innovation-focused Project Manager at Klaipeda Science and Technology Park with extensive experience in EU projects, startup consulting, business development, and academia-industry collaboration.
The land-based aquaculture sector is growing rapidly, generating large quantities of sludge and other types of biowaste. The team behind the Terraforming LIFE project are looking to create pathways to use this fish sludge in producing fertiliser, part of the wider goal of shifting towards a circular economy where resources are re-used, as Sigurður Trausti Karvelsson explains.
The aquaculture sector is growing rapidly in Iceland, in particular land-based aquaculture, which is expected to exceed the volumes of fish produced by the country’s sea-based farms within the next few years. This raises the question of how to deal with the increasing volumes of sludge generated at aquaculture facilities, in the form of accumulated fish faeces and uneaten feed. “Currently we lack the infrastructure in Iceland to receive that sludge and deal with it,” acknowledges Sigurður Trausti Karvelsson, a project manager at the Icelandic company First Water. This topic lies at the heart of the Terraforming LIFE project (https://terraforming.is/), in which researchers are both developing a new type of fertilisation plant to treat aquaculture waste, and also exploring new ways in which sludge can be used in the agriculture sector. “The goal in the project is to essentially create pathways to use this fish sludge. For example, it could be put through anaerobic digestion, and then used as a fertiliser in agriculture,” outlines Karvelsson, part of the team behind the project. “This would be a really good solution for fish farmers to dispose of their sludge.”
This sludge typically includes nitrogen, phosphorus and certain heavy metals, yet potassium levels are usually low and salinity high, which makes it difficult to use directly in fertiliser production. The different parts of the sludge can be separated and processed however, generating products which can then be used in fertilisers and also in other areas of industry, representing a step towards a circular economy. “Putting the sludge and other biowaste like animal manure through an anaerobic digestion process results in a
volatile solid fraction of the organic waste, which can then be used to produce biogas. This is mainly methane and carbon dioxide, but also some other types. The biogas can be burned to generate energy,” says Karvelsson. The nutritionally-rich parts are therefore more accessible, and can be combined with animal manure to produce fertilisers. “After
A key aim is to develop methods to efficiently filter 80 percent of the total suspended solids from the effluent found in fish tanks, which will then be washed from drum filters into a specific channel heading to a de-watering station, designed to remove as much water as possible from the mixture. The ideal scenario is to reduce the salinity, while
“The goal in the project is to essentially create pathways to use this fish sludge. For example, it could be put through anaerobic digestion, and then used as a fertiliser in agriculture.”
the biogas has been taken out we’re then left with the digestate. Most of the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium remains, which can be used in NPK fertiliser, which is very valuable for farmers,” continues Karvelsson. “In the Terraforming LIFE project we’re looking to optimise the processing of the sludge.”
at the same time maximising the amount of nutrients available for use in fertilisers. “For an engineer this is essentially an optimisation problem, whereas for a biologist it’s more of a research question. Ideally the sludge will contain between 15-20 percent dry matter, then it can undergo the anaerobic digestion
process, which generates biogas and the digestate,” outlines Karvelsson. The project is focused primarily on salmon farming at this stage, and the composition of the sludge that is produced at these facilities will vary according to several different variables, an issue that Karvelsson and his colleagues in the project are also taking into account. “The nature of the sludge may vary depending on factors like the time of year, the average size of the fish being farmed, and temperature,” he explains. The long-term objective is to establish a pathway or plant capable of dealing with 100,000 tonnes of waste a year, one major stream of which will be fish waste, in line with expected growth in aquaculture. Two types of analysis have been conducted within the project, which will generate important insights in terms of the design of a plant. “We’ve performed chemical analysis in Iceland of different organic waste types to get a fuller picture of the amount of volatile solids, as well as the levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients. A feasibility study has also been conducted in collaboration with a Danish engineering company, which will tell us more about the likely biogas yield and the properties of the digestate,” says Karvelsson. While the ability to produce biogas is desirable, Iceland is already rich in geothermal energy, so Karvelsson says the main priority is not renewable energy but rather producing fertiliser. “We aim to develop an operational plant capable of receiving large quantities of fish sludge, so there’s a pathway for aquaculture companies and salmon farmers in Iceland to dispose of their sludge. We want to have the authorities on board, with an effective regulatory framework in place,” he continues.
A reliable new pathway to get rid of sludge would be greatly welcomed by fish farmers, who currently need to filter it themselves before disposing of it. The project’s work opens up the possibility of not only disposing of fish sludge, but turning it into commercially valuable products, so establishing new revenue streams. “You’re not just getting rid of sludge, you’re actually making use of the fish faeces,” stresses Karvelsson. This also represents a significant step towards the wider goal of establishing a circular economy, where resources are re-used rather than simply disposed of, while at the same time helping Iceland reduce its dependence on expensive imports of fertiliser for its agriculture sector. “Organic fertiliser is already quite expensive in mainland Europe, then there is an additional transport cost to get it to Iceland. An organic fertiliser, produced locally from fish sludge and animal manure, would be a good, cost-
From salmon sludge and manure to fertiliser: a circular economy around land- based salmon farming
Project Objectives
Terraforming LIFE aims to develop technologies and methods for a shared Integrated Agriculture-Aquaculture system that places farmers and aquaculturists at the center of a circular economy. By creating shared infrastructure and turning waste into value, the project addresses critical gaps in Iceland’s food supply chain and promotes sustainability in both agriculture and aquaculture.
Project Funding
This project has received funding from the European Union’s LIFE Programme under grant agreement No. 101113811.
Project Partners
• First Water
• Bændasamtök Íslands (Icelandic Farmers Association)
• Orkídea Innovation Promoter
• Ölfus Cluster
• SMJ Consulting Engineering
Contact Details
effective option for the agriculture sector as a whole,” says Karvelsson.
The project’s research is primarily focused on salmon, yet the knowledge gained over the course of the project and the technology could be relevant to other aquaculture settings, with large amounts of fish sludge potentially available for processing. Organic fertiliser based on fish sludge and animal manure could be applied on different types of farms, while Karvelsson is also keen to highlight its potential wider impact in terms of the circular economy. “With this technology it would be possible to generate fertiliser from fish sludge and animal manure which would then go into agricultural settings. The fertiliser generated could also be used to grow the plant-based material that’s used for fish feed, subject to regulatory approval, with the necessary verifications and permits,” he outlines.
Project Coordinator, Sigurður Trausti Karvelsson
First Water
Urðarhvarf 8b
203 Kópavogur
Iceland
T: +354 518 8000
E: sigurdur.trausti@firstwater.is
W: https://terraforming.is/
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Sigurður Trausti Karvelsson is the Project Coordinator of Terraforming LIFE and also manages R&D projects at First Water. He has a Ph.D in biomedical science and specialises in research, data analytics, modelling, and innovation, with extensive experience in process modelling and optimization.
Across Europe, farming has always found ways to adapt to the weather, but the pace and shape of change now feel markedly different. In some regions, dry spells are stretching longer than before; in others, rain comes heavier and less predictably, disrupting planting schedules and storage plans. Growers are rethinking not only when they sow and how they irrigate, but also what they can depend on harvesting. At the same time, the shift to clean energy is no longer a distant policy ambition - it has become a set of practical decisions about where power will be generated, how it will be connected to users, and who stands to gain from it. Agriculture sits naturally at that junction. With the right mix of policy stability and financial support, the same hectare can continue producing food while also generating electricity and managing water with far greater efficiency.
Within the EU’s policy framework, the Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth file sets the longterm course for cutting emissions and offers the stability that major investment needs. At its core is the proposed 2040 climate target, which would amend the EU Climate Law to require a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by that date. The purpose is to give investors, municipalities and farming cooperatives a clear, 15-year planning horizon for decisions that cannot be deferred: raising solar arrays above orchards and vineyards so crops continue to grow underneath; replacing diesel-powered pumps with solardriven drip systems; or funding anaerobic digesters and village-scale heat networks that turn farm by-products into useful energy. This work is overseen by European Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra.
Running in parallel, the Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy file focuses on the resources that underpin agriculture: water, soil and raw materials, while also addressing how waste can be reduced without undermining competitiveness. At its centre is the European Water Resilience Strategy, adopted in 2025, which sets out how treated water can be reused safely and how to plan for both drought and flooding so that supply for farms and urban areas remains dependable. This portfolio is led by European Commissioner Jessika Roswall. The two briefs, while distinct, point in the same direction: keep farms productive, integrate clean energy where it works best, and manage water in ways that make the entire system stronger and more resilient in a warmer, less predictable climate.
In Brussels, a “file” is the complete package that turns a political aim into something tangible: the legislation itself, the amendments that fine-tune it, the technical guidance that explains how it should work in practice, and the review processes that keep it on track. The climate, energy and water files linked to this story have been assembled in stages since the European Green Deal was launched in 2019. Each step has given the overall direction more clarity while revealing where the biggest obstacles remain: investment decisions hampered by uncertainty, permit processes that stretch for years, grids designed for an earlier era, and water systems built for weather patterns that no longer hold true.
The climate file provides the strategic anchor. The EU Climate Law, adopted in 2021, made climate neutrality by 2050 a legal obligation and fixed a 2030 target that requires steep emission cuts before the decade is out. Built into that law was the understanding that a post2030 target would follow, not as a symbolic gesture, but as a tool to guide long-term planning. The current proposal for 2040 continues that approach, committing to a net 90% reduction in greenhouse gases compared with 1990.
That 2040 target is designed to give long-term projects the stability they need to go ahead. A cooperative thinking about raising solar panels above vineyards so tractors can still pass, a municipality planning to replace diesel pumps with solar-powered drip irrigation, or a dairy weighing up the cost of a digester to supply a future village heating network all face the same concern: will the rules still be the same by the time the work is finished? If they change halfway
Europe’s renewable-energy framework has been built in stages. The first set of rules, agreed more than a decade ago, set national targets for 2020. A second phase strengthened the framework for 2030.
through, the cost of borrowing rises and many schemes stall before they start. Fixing the target in law is meant to lower that risk so banks, local authorities and cooperatives can plan with confidence.
The number itself may seem abstract, but it filters down into everyday decisions: whether a bank will back a farmer-led solar scheme; whether a town can justify upgrading a substation to handle midday solar peaks; whether a food plant connects its waste heat to a future district network instead of installing another gas boiler. In Smiltene, Latvia, the municipal heating plan now uses farm-based biogas and small-scale solar to supply both food-processing plants and homes, cutting fuel imports. Stockholm’s decision to run its district heating entirely on renewable and recovered energy by 2030 depends on the assumption that climate policy will remain steady into the 2030s. In Navarre, Spain, small olive and almond growers have joined cooperative solar projects because the regional energy plan is tied directly to EU climate targets, giving them the security to commit. These cases show how the climate file is meant to workshifting the question from “Is it safe to invest?” to “What is the best way to do this here?” Once the direction is trusted, the focus moves to designing projects that combine food production, clean energy and careful use of resources in ways that suit each place.
Europe’s renewable-energy framework has been built in stages. The first set of rules, agreed more than a decade ago, set national targets for 2020. A second phase strengthened the framework for 2030.
After the energy supply shock of 2022, the EU raised its overall renewable target again and introduced “acceleration areas” - places where the environmental impacts of renewable projects are already known and where permit decisions must be made within shorter, fixed deadlines.
The changes are meant to clear everyday obstacles that delay projects. They offer guidance on how to add generation to working landscapes without taking productive land out of use: solar panels high enough for crops or grazing underneath, floating arrays on reservoirs, and other designs that fit the setting. They also require forward planning for grid reinforcement and storage so that many smaller projects can connect without queuing for years.
For much of the last decade, most growth in renewables came from large wind farms and solar parks built where construction was straightforward. The focus now is on a broader mix of smaller, local schemes: panels on school roofs, agrivoltaics along farm roads, digesters using slurry from dairies, or heat pumps for watertreatment plants. These often sit close to where the energy will be used, but they still need three things to work: a permit that is clear and time-limited, a grid offer that is right the first time, and a connection date measured in months rather than years.
Gentofte in Denmark shows what can be achieved. By mapping acceleration areas over car parks, roadsides and unused municipal land, and working early with grid operators to size connections correctly, the municipality has cut the time from application to operation to under a year. In Helsinki, unused industrial rooftops now carry solar panels feeding directly into the tram network,
The adoption of the European Water Resilience Strategy in 2025 marks a clear shift in thinking. It starts from a blunt recognition: a stable water supply can no longer be taken for granted, and the droughts and floods that now affect many regions cannot be managed by emergency measures alone.
supported by battery storage to keep services running on cloudy days. The speed was possible because acceleration-area rules removed uncertainty and forced coordination between developers and grid planners from the start.
Tallinn has combined agrivoltaics with improved irrigation on farms at the city’s edge. Electricity is used locally or fed into a microgrid, while treated wastewater from a nearby plant irrigates the same fields, a practical case of the energy and water files working together. In Bavaria, small hydro plants are paired with nearby solar arrays to create hybrid generation systems feeding into local grids. Under older rules, these could have taken three years or more to approve; acceleration-area permitting has brought that down to less than a year, making them realistic for small municipalities.
The shift from a few large projects to many smaller ones also changes who can take part. Large-scale wind or solar parks are typically built by major developers. Smaller, distributed projects can be initiated by cooperatives, municipal utilities, or groups of farmers. With predictable permitting and grid connections, they can plan at a scale that suits their own needs and resources, while still contributing to Europe’s wider targets.
The energy file does not decide the destination, that is set by the climate file, but it determines how quickly and smoothly projects can move from plan to operation. When the process is predictable, investment is less risky, and the benefits of the transition: lower bills, greater local control over supply, and new income streams for landowners - can reach more places, faster.
Water policy has long been part of the EU’s environmental framework, but for much of that time it was approached primarily as a resource to be safeguarded, rather than as an essential service to be planned and maintained like energy or transport. The adoption of the European Water Resilience Strategy in 2025 marks a clear shift in thinking. It starts from a blunt recognition: a stable water supply can no longer be taken for granted, and the droughts and floods that now affect many regions cannot be managed by emergency measures alone.
The strategy treats water security in the same way the EU treats energy security: as something to be designed into infrastructure, reviewed regularly, and supported over decades. It calls for reducing losses from ageing distribution networks, upgrading irrigation so that every drop is used efficiently, expanding the safe reuse of treated water, and restoring natural systems such as wetlands, floodplains and healthy soils that store water and release it gradually when needed. It also makes explicit the link between water and energy. Pumps, treatment plants and cooling systems all depend on power, and aligning their operation with renewable generation and storage can both lower
Across Europe, the first signs of this approach are already visible. In Helsinki, restored wetlands at the city’s edge work alongside solarpowered pumping stations, capturing floodwater during heavy rain and holding it for use in dry spells. Pumps are run when local solar output is high, keeping operating costs down. In Smiltene, Latvia, peatlands upstream of farmland have been restored to act as natural reservoirs, releasing water slowly to fields below. This reduces flood damage during wet months and keeps soils moist during prolonged dry weather, while also storing carbon.
Stockholm has begun using reclaimed water from treatment plants for industrial processes and irrigation in public parks. By doing so, it has eased demand on the city’s main freshwater supply, freeing up capacity for households during heatwaves when usage peaks. In Portugal’s Alentejo region, a cooperative of vineyards and olive groves has switched to precision drip irrigation and built small lined reservoirs to limit seepage. Floating solar panels on the reservoirs power the pumps and reduce evaporation, cutting both water loss and energy costs.
The strategy’s focus is not on a single flagship project but on building capacity and reliability across many places at once. For agriculture, that can mean having confidence that irrigation will continue through a dry summer. For towns and cities, it means planning housing, green spaces and industry with a clear understanding of water limits. In practice, it might be a small town replacing leaking pipes, a farm reusing treated water from a nearby village, or a coastal city installing extra storage to prepare for both drought and storm surge. When such measures are taken together and aligned with the climate and energy files, water, power and land use can reinforce each other rather than compete, making the entire system more resilient to the pressures of a changing climate.
In Brussels, the climate, energy and water files each follow their own path, with separate legislation, consultations and timelines. On the ground, though, they converge in the same decisions that farmers, municipalities and cooperatives must make year after year. A farm preparing for longer dry spells will not separate the three: the ability to afford clean power for pumping, to rely on steady irrigation, and to trust that climate targets will hold long enough for a project to repay its costs all depend on how well these files work together.
The real test over the next decade will be how effectively they align. The challenge is no longer just to set ambitious targets or complete individual projects, but to design systems that serve multiple needs at once: farmland that produces both crops and
renewable energy; networks that move power and water efficiently; local plans that adjust as conditions change. In Navarre, solar panels placed above irrigation channels reduce evaporation while powering the pumps beneath. In southern Finland, restored wetlands hold back floodwater that could otherwise damage nearby wind farms, and release it slowly during dry spells to support surrounding fields. These are not isolated experiments. They point to a direction Europe could take if policy and planning keep pace with the changes already underway.
If the three files continue to provide stability and clear ground rules, integrated projects like these will become easier to deliver. The benefit will not only be in meeting climate targets, but in giving towns, farms and industries the confidence to plan decades ahead rather than year to year. By the mid-2030s, success will be judged not only in percentages of emissions reduced, but in whether Europe’s landscapes can continue to produce food, generate clean energy, store carbon and manage water without depleting the very resources they rely on.
Protecting biodiversity is widely recognised as an urgent priority, yet at the same time, decision-makers are under pressure to modernise infrastructure. We spoke to the team behind the GUARDEN project about their work in developing tools to monitor biodiversity and keep it at the forefront of decision-makers’ minds when considering development plans.
The world’s biodiversity is in decline, with animal and plant species disappearing across the globe at a rapid rate, prompting intense efforts to protect the natural world and restore habitats. Effective monitoring tools have an important role to play in these terms, both in assessing the current biodiversity status of specific areas and in evaluating the impact of restoration work, an issue at the core of the EU-backed GUARDEN project. “We aim to both build and improve tools to monitor biodiversity. Secondly, we’re also working to evaluate and assess ecosystemic services. Finally, we’re developing tools to inform decision-makers when they make decisions around protecting biodiversity,” says Jean-Marc Sadaillan, a Project Officer at CIRAD, an agricultural research organisation in France, responsible for coordinating the project.
The project brought together 18 different organisations across Europe and Madagascar to work on variety of technologies designed to provide a deeper and more accessible picture of biodiversity. One example is Pl@ntNet , an AI-driven tool available for several years on smartphones and the web, which enables users to identify plant species instantly. This technology has been significantly improved over the course of the project and made more accessible. In particular it now better serves the needs of decision-makers, with the inclusion of features such as plant community identification, allowing users to identify plants using high resolution quadrat photos.
As part of its ambition to provide powerful tools to both citizens and decision makers, GUARDEN developed new solutions such as GeoPl@ntNet — an innovative mapping tool that uses state-of-the-art AI models to generate interactive maps predicting the habitat types and plant species likely to occur across European landscapes. Two major databases, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the European Vegetation Survey, have been used by the project team in developing the GeoPl@ntNet tool.
A number of other tools have also been developed in the project and are in the process of being refined to cover biodiversity from a 360 degree perspective. These include AvesEcho, a technology designed to identify birds based on their calls. Sensors are used to capture bird sounds, which are then recognised using AI models trained with records collected by Xeno-Canto, and developed by researchers at the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre in Leiden.
Alongside developing new tools, the project team are also upgrading existing ones to a new level. Upgrades to the MINKA citizen science platform, developed by the EMBIMOS research group at the Institut of Ciències del Mar in Spain, is another important part of the project’s work. “Users can submit geolocated observations of both marine and terrestrial organisms via web, iOS, and Android apps, offering an easy,
accessible way for citizens to contribute to the goal of protecting biodiversity and restoring marine and costal habitats, especially through data collection.
There are already over 500,000 observations on the platform, representing an important resource of biodiversity and environmental data. The project team has a strong belief in the proven usefulness of citizen science as a means of monitoring biodiversity in order to progress towards the UN sustainable development goals. This will help highlight areas of concern, and keep biodiversity at the forefront of decision-makers’ minds.
This biodiversity data is integrated within the MINKA dashboard, a data visualization tool for multi-stakeholder projects. The dashboard essentially translates the raw data from MINKA into interactive visualizations and analytics, giving decision-makers a more structured insight into the issues they face.
Each dashboard is co-designed by the different stakeholders, so alternative perspectives are taken into account, helping to meet the specific needs of individual projects.
In developing these different tools, the project team have considered biodiversity in quite a broad sense. The AvesEcho technology for example includes data on almost 600 different bird species, while Pl@ ntNet covers around 70,000 plant species, representing almost a fifth of the estimated 350,000 plant species identified around the globe.. The project team is developing or improving a constellation of technologies which contribute to the same goal of facilitating the protection of biodiversity.
proposed path of the railway, and identify which plants are currently there. This provides decision-makers with a clearer picture in terms of the current biodiversity status, so they can properly assess the ecosystemic services currently in the area, which can then inform protection efforts.
The four case studies are being conducted primarily in countries around the Mediterranean, with broadly similar climates and biodiversity profiles, yet they differ in certain aspects. Some of them are in urban areas (such as the Barcelona metropolitan area or industrial sites in Cyprus) and others are more rural, while part of one case study is based in Madagascar, in collaboration with
“We aim to both build and improve tools to monitor biodiversity We’re also working to evaluate and assess ecosystemic services, and are developing tools to inform decision-makers when they make decisions around protecting biodiversity.”
These different technologies have been designed for a broad range of potential users, including citizens who may not necessarily have deep scientific expertise or knowledge of biodiversity, so accessibility has been a major consideration. These tools are very broad, with public institutions also envisioned as endusers. The aim is to establish these technologies as trustworthy tools for decision-makers at the local, national, or European level. To meet accessibility requirements, GUARDEN’s outputs are designed to be usable and relevant across a wide spectrum of users — from engaged citizens to the highest levels of decision-making within European, national, and state agencies. This inclusive approach ensures that the tools and knowledge produced can support both local actions and strategic policy planning.
The technologies have been tested and applied directly on the ground within four different case studies, where the authorities are looking to assess the likely impact of development plans and infrastructure projects on biodiversity. One of these case studies centres on the planned construction of a new railway line between Montpellier and Perpignan in France, that will inevitably have a significant impact on the local environment, something which project planners must take into account. French law, derived from EU directives, basically states that if development plans reduce biodiversity, then developers have to assess the damage that they will cause, and then compensate for that damage.
The Pl@ntNet and GeoPl@ntNet tools are providing invaluable information in this case, allowing the authorities to map the
the University of Antananarivo, which will allow researchers to assess the versatility of the technologies. The primary focus is the European context, but the project team also want to see whether these tools can be applied elsewhere. The case study in Madagascar will help the team to see whether those tools are effective in other contexts. Some of the project tools are already in use, such as GeoPl@ntNet, while others are being extended beyond the countries in which they were developed. The project team is looking to extend the MINKA platform beyond the Spanish border, with more than 50 languages included, while and works to integrate new services in the dashboard is ongoing. Overall, most of the tools are in a fairly advanced state of readiness.
With the project nearing its conclusion, the focus now is on refining, improving and especially disseminating the tools further. This work is set to continue beyond the end of GUARDEN in various sister projects pursuing research along broadly similar lines, which will build on the progress that has been made so far. For example, the sister project MAMBO is highly complementary to GUARDEN: both pursue converging research areas and actively share methods, datasets, and scientific results, thereby enriching each other’s work and amplifying the impact of their respective actions. Almost every advancement that has been achieved in GUARDEN will be picked up by other sister projects. The consortium unites diverse, complementary partners whose strong, established collaborations ensure valuable contributions at multiple scales, with a commitment to ongoing cooperation and sustained impact beyond the project’s lifetime.
safeGUARDing biodivErsity aNd critical ecosystem services across sectors and scales
Project Objectives
GUARDEN’s central mission is to ensure the safeguarding of biodiversity and its contributions to people by placing them at the heart of policy and decision-making processes. This was achieved through the development of user-oriented ICT tools, Decision Support Applications, and the mobilisation of Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships. These mechanisms took into account policy and management priorities across sectors and scales, fostered consensus to address data gaps, analytical uncertainties, and conflicting objectives, and supported the options to implement adaptive and transformative change.
Project Funding
Co-funded by the European Union Grant number 101060693.
Project Partners
https://guarden.org/consortium/
Project Tools
https://guarden.org/technologies/
Project Case Studies
https://guarden.org/guarden-case-studies/
Contact Details
Pierre Bonnet
CIRAD, GUARDEN Coordinator E: pierre.bonnet@cirad.fr
Alexis Joly INRIA, GUARDEN Scientific and Technical Director E: alexis.joly@inria.fr W: https://guarden.org/
Project Coordinator
Pierre Bonnet, CIRAD
Pierre Bonnet is a botanist specialising in biodiversity informatics at CIRAD and co-leader of Pl@ntNet, the collaborative AI-based plant identification platform co-developed by CIRAD and Inria. This platform, a pioneer at the intersection of biodiversity and data science, has laid the foundations for innovative and open digital solutions for plant research. It has directly inspired the GUARDEN project’s philosophy and tools, shaping its advanced approach to integrating cutting-edge AI and data platforms for nature-based solutions.
Extreme weather events such as droughts and floods can pose a significant threat to cultural and natural heritage sites. The team behind the EU-backed INACO project is developing tools and management plans designed to help local authorities protect valuable objects and important sites, as Alessandra Bonazza explains.
The European climate is changing, bringing with it an increased likelihood of extreme weather events, from prolonged droughts to dramatic floods. These kinds of events pose a significant threat to cultural and natural heritage sites, as illustrated by the floods of 2002, which affected large parts of central Europe. “The impact was felt across central Europe, for example the city of Prague and the surrounding municipalities saw very high water levels. The Wachau Valley in Austria was also badly affected,” says Alessandra Bonazza, a researcher at the National Research Council of Italy. Prague, the Wachau Valley and many other regions across central Europe are rich in cultural and natural heritage, and extreme weather can have a dramatic, lasting impact on artefacts and landscapes. “Extreme weather events can cause structural damage to buildings, and even when a flood recedes there may be secondary damage to the masonry, as the absorbed water can increase biodeterioration and salt crystallisation on building materials,” points out Bonazza.
As Principal Investigator of the EU-backed INACO project, Bonazza is working to help protect Europe’s cultural and natural heritage from the impact of extreme weather events. This follows an earlier project which focused primarily on built heritage, such as city centres, museums
Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists. “We are considering both natural and built heritage sites in the project,” continues Bonazza. “Cultural heritage sites have social, economic and cultural value, and need protection by regional authorities. We are working to encourage cooperation amongst the different entities, looking to transfer
“Extreme weather events can cause structural damage to buildings, and even when a flood recedes there may be secondary damage to the masonry, as the absorbed water can increase biodeterioration and salt crystallisation on building materials.”
and archives; Bonazza says INACO now has a wider scope. “We want to enlarge our knowledge by including natural sites,” she outlines. These natural sites may be for example the terraced landscapes found in several Euro-Mediterranean regions, which are characterised by dry stone walls; the traditional technique used to build these walls has been included on the UNESCO
best practice and knowledge and improve the resilience of those areas which are not well protected at the moment.”
This work is focused on areas that are particularly vulnerable to the impact of extreme weather events, such as around river basins. A number of pilot studies are being conducted in the project at different sites, with the aim of developing effective risk management plans
to protect local heritage. “We are working in locations along the Danube, while we are also doing some studies in the coastal area around Dubrovnik, by the shortest river in Europe, the Ombla. We have pilot studies in the Po Delta in Italy, and are also considering inland areas and lake shore environments,” says Bonazza. Local citizens in these areas have played a major role in identifying which sites hold particular cultural importance, and which specific artefacts should be protected. “We have been engaged in dialogue at the local level throughout the project,” says Bonazza. “We have organised local events, roundtables and workshops to ask local citizens about their needs, and to identify which areas they consider to be particularly vulnerable and which sites need protection.”
The major aim of the project is to prevent damage to cultural heritage sites, which starts
from identifying risks and forecasting extreme weather events before they occur. A free, open access web GIS platform is being developed in the project, designed to support local people by providing detailed, relevant information about local weather patterns. “We are using outputs from both climate models and earth observation datasets, including the atmospheric monitoring Copernicus service,” outlines Bonazza. This will provide stakeholders with a fuller picture of which areas are at particular risk of flooding or droughts, while Bonazza and her colleagues in the project are also considering the possible future evolution of the climate and its likely impact. “We are going to develop tools from another web-based app to assess the vulnerability of different sites, we are providing support for risk assessments,” she says. “In future, our ambition is to eventually release a mobile tool or app for citizens.”
This accumulated knowledge will be highly valuable for managers and professionals, the people responsible for protecting cultural heritage sites. One part of the project centres on providing effective, reliable decisionsupport tools to managers, helping them assess whether measures like reversible barriers should be deployed for example, while researchers are also developing training courses. “We are going to identify the curriculum that risk managers should follow, and structure a course around the key issues. We also aim to encourage the inclusion of cultural heritage protection measures into existing local climate change adaptation plans,” outlines Bonazza. While protecting culture will of course always be secondary to protecting human life, Bonazza says European countries are committed to preserving their heritage and
INnovative strategies for the Adoption of risk management plans to enhance the resilience of sensitive Cultural and natural heritage Objectives against climate hazards in river basin districts
Project Objectives
INACO enhances resilience of cultural and natural heritage in Central European river basins by developing and implementing innovative risk-management strategies. It delivers Web GIS-based tools and mobile apps for vulnerability self assessment, establishes trained local “heritage risk managers,” and pilots tailored adaptation plans across eight sites vulnerable to climate induced hazards.
Project Funding
The INACO project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the Interreg Central Europe 20212027 programme.
Project Partners
Lead partner: Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate - National Research Council (Italy)
Communication Manager: Foundation for Landscape Protection (Poland)
Project partners:
• SISTEMA GmbH (Austria) • Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
CAS (Czech Republic) • University for Continuing Education Krems (Austria)
• Lake Balaton Development Coordination Agency (Hungary) • District Forchheim (Germany) • Technical University of Košice (Slovakia) • Institute for the Restoration of Dubrovnik (Croatia) • BAW Research, Statutory body under public law” (Austria)
• Po Delta Park – Emilia Romagna (Italy)
Contact Details
Project Coordinator, Alessandra Bonazza
CNR-ISAC
Via Gobetti 101, Bologna, Italy
T: +39 392 9170868
E: a.bonazza@isac.cnr.it
W: https://www.interreg-central.eu/ projects/inaco/
Alessandra Bonazza is a Senior researcher at the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ISAC), where she coordinates the research unit “Impacts on Environment, Cultural Heritage and Human Health”.
some detailed plans have been put in place. “It’s important to have a risk manager and a rescue team dedicated to heritage protection, to know which objects are the priorities, and to have dedicated storage places,” she says.
Many of the cities and regions that boast rich cultural heritage tend to attract a lot of visitors, both domestic and international, and tourism is often a major part of the local economy. Cities like Dubrovnik can become very crowded, and removing or limiting access to major cultural attractions will have a significant economic impact, an issue that Bonazza says is being taken into account. “We are considering what lessons both high and low levels of tourism will have on heritage management, and we are considering this in our methodology for vulnerability assessment. Tourism is part of socio-economic evaluations,” she acknowledges. The tourism industry is not a primary consideration however, with the project team focused more on developing effective management plans and enhancing resilience, and work in this area is ongoing. “We have finished the first year of INACO, and we are building on the previous projects. Our work in INACO gives us the opportunity to improve earlier work, and to close gaps we previously identified,” says Bonazza.
The plan is to share the project’s findings widely, with different institutions and stakeholders involved in dissemination and communication. Local events are being held, for example in Dubrovnik, alongside work at the national and international levels.
“We are also presenting at conferences, and at events organised by UNESCO and
other institutions,” continues Bonazza. This reflects the wider relevance of the project’s work, which Bonazza says is not limited to the countries directly involved. “Our platform covers Europe, the Mediterranean, and North Africa, but our methods and methodologies have been developed to be transferable. The idea is that our methodologies could be transferred and applied elsewhere, and our use cases hold wider relevance. Our case studies are examples of what can practically be done, by applying our methods,” she stresses. “In future we would like to develop our platform further, with an emphasis on making it accessible, with a user-friendly interface.”
This will help heighten awareness among public authorities of the threat that climate change poses to cultural and natural heritage, and underline the need for effective protection measures to be put in place. The project aims to provide stakeholders with the tools and strategies they need to prepare effectively for extreme weather events, while also encouraging their effective use. “We plan to prepare a memorandum of understanding - or letter of intent - for the partner responsible for a site to sign. We want to encourage them to commit to adopting - and using - all the instruments and strategies that we have put in place at the local level,” outlines Bonazza.
There are six pilot activities in the CE4CE project covering different topics related to the circular economy in public transport, including predictive maintenance, digital twins and the re-use of materials. We spoke to Zoltan Adam Nemeth, Agnieszka Szmelter-Jarosz and Jan Roehl about their work in the project and how it could point the way towards a more sustainable public transport sector.
Szeged: Zoltan Adam Nemeth is Chief of Public Transport and Railway safety at Szeged Transport Company (SZKT), which operates four tram and six trolley bus lines in the Hungarian city.
EU Researcher: Why did SZKT decide to participate in the CE4CE project?
Zoltan Adam Nemeth: In Szeged we have long relied on second-hand vehicles and used infrastructure materials in our public transport network, and we are interested in exploring new ways of reusing or lengthening the lifecycle of different materials, vehicles and spare parts.
For example, our trolley buses use catenary switches on overhead wires, which have to operate reliably between 200-300 times a day. Towards the end of the lifecycle, they tend to get less reliable and need to be replaced.
We are looking to apply older switches, nearing the end of their lifecycle, in areas where there is less traffic and lower safety requirements, for example in the depots. We are trying to extend the lifecycle of the older catenary switches, in order to save money.
EUR: Are you also looking to extend the lifecycle of trams?
ZN: In Szeged we operate Tatra KT4 trams, some of which are close to 40 years old. We have to keep these Tatra vehicles in operation, but the original producer of the door system doesn’t exist any more, so getting spare parts is problematic.
Each door has an electronic unit which has inputs from sensors and also certain outputs. We aim to replace the previous door system with a new one with modern parts to perform the same function, and thus extend the lifecycle of the vehicle.
EUR: What is the current status of the pilot actions?
ZN: We started the replacement work on the trolley bus network in Spring, and so far six switches have been exchanged. With the door systems, there is a four-step process; we are getting towards the end and the first prototype is now in a test on a tram.
Gdynia: Agnieszka Szmelter-Jarosz is Assistant Professor in the Department of Logistics, Faculty of Economics at the University of Gdansk. She is, together with Marcin Wołek, Aleksander Jagiełło (the same university), Dominika Kowalkowska, Agnieszka Jankowska (PKA Gdynia) and Jan Roehl (KRUCH), working on a pilot project in the Polish city of Gdynia.
EUR: What is the main focus of your work in the project?
Agnieszka Szmelter-Jarosz: We have been developing a digital twin to simulate energy flow to identify the ideal parameters for the operation of e-buses or trolleybuses by PKA Gdynia, a public transport company in the city. We wanted to find out what routes should be optimised first and how this will contribute to saving energy and managing energy in an optimal way
EUR: Will this help transport companies assess what level of energy will be needed in different circumstances and then plan accordingly?
ASJ: Yes, and it will be very different in different cases. We’ve looked at large numbers of scenarios and have a lot of data, on issues such as peak demand and which routes are prone to delays. We wanted to adjust the decisions of the company about electrification of routes to real-life data and possible scenarios. We also have to consider differences in energy demand between winter and summer, with a greater need for cooling in summer, and heating in winter.
EUR: Are you also looking at the potential to include more energy from renewable sources in the overall mix?
ASJ: It’s important to also consider the wider context – for example, PKA plans to put PV panels on the roof of the depot to cover a part of energy demand, especially when they are using new software optimising the energy use. We want to know the likely amount of energy this would generate in relation to demand and how it will impact the operational costs in different scenarios prepared within the digital twin.
Bergamo: One of the partners in CE4CE is ATB Mobility, a public transport organisation in the Italian city of Bergamo, which has a strong interest in the circular economy. ATB is responsible for managing the bus fleet in the city, while TEB operates the sole tram line, with another scheduled for completion by 2026. Jan Roehl is CEO of Kruch Railway Innovations, an Austrian company involved in several of the pilots within CE4CE, including those in Bergamo, Gdynia and Leipzig, looking to help tram and trolleybus operators work more efficiently.
EUR: What is the main focus of your work in the project?
Jan Roehl: We’re looking to help public transport operators consume less energy, for example by optimising driving settings, optimising the technical settings, and reusing energy. Modern vehicles generate energy when they brake, but currently much of this energy is lost without usage. With the digital twin simulation we could find ways to optimise and recover this energy.
EUR: Are you also working with data gathered from trams during journeys?
JR: In Bergamo we added sensors and computers on vehicles to extract live data. So we receive a dataset out of an operational vehicle every second – including its position and speed, as well as data relating to energy consumption, voltage on the line, ampage and kilowatt hours consumed. With that we can track the energy consumption and compare it with the simulation.
EUR: Have you found significant variations?
JR: In Bergamo, we found a more than 60 percent difference in energy consumption between the most and least efficient rides of the day, all in the same vehicle.
Even small changes have a big impact on energy consumption, and that information can help drivers optimise their driving style to maximise energy efficiency, considering things like the acceleration phase, maximum speed, and the coasting phase. We can do this very specifically for each part of a route, telling them the optimal speed for different sections.
The transport sector is highly carbon-intensive, and reducing its environmental impact is widely recognised as a priority. The team behind the CE4CE project are exploring ideas around the circular economy and looking to apply them in public transport, helping to boost sustainability and ‘green’ the sector, as Alexandra Scharzenberger and Marta Woronowicz explain.
An effective, reliable public transport network is the lifeblood of a city, helping people get to work, to sporting and cultural events, and supporting the local economy. Many transport authorities have historically invested in new vehicles and infrastructure without considering how their existing fleet could be re-used, but with the sector looking to reduce its impact on the environment, the team behind the EU-backed CE4CE project are now investigating a different approach. “We’re looking into how different components of the public transport network can be re-used. For example, the components and materials used in vehicles,” outlines Alexandra Scharzenberger of trolley:motion, one of the partners behind CE4CE. This represents an important contribution to the wider goal of establishing a circular economy in the public transport sector, where resources are re-used rather than simply disposed of. “We aim to build a
knowledge base, to influence transport operators and conduct some pilot activities around re-using materials. Are these activities economically viable? Are they really circular?” continues Scharzenberger.
The project brings together 11 partners from seven countries in Central Europe, with the shared goal of improving efficiency and reducing waste in the public transport sector. Six pilot activities are planned in the project around different modes of transport, for example trolley buses, which form the backbone of the transport network in many European cities. “The pilots in Gdynia and Szeged are focused on trolley buses, while other pilots are focused on tram and e-bus networks,” says Scharzenberger. The project team is looking to develop more energy-efficient solutions for the public transport sector, which includes extending the operational life of vehicles in some cases, particularly
trolley buses. “We have shown that it is possible to use trolley buses for much longer than a diesel bus. While a typical diesel bus has a lifespan of around 10 years, a trolley bus can run for between 15-20 years, if they are maintained effectively,” explains Scharzenberger. “We promote the message that buses can be used for longer than might be expected, and they can also be re-used in other countries without the resources to invest in entirely new vehicles.”
A matchmaking forum, a second-hand marketplace designed for public transport companies, is being developed for this purpose. The aim is to match currently unwanted vehicles, spare parts, unused leftover stocks and infrastructure elements with potential purchasers, extending their lifespan and improving resource efficiency. “Public transport operators will be able to upload information to the forum about a motor, other types of spare parts or even the whole bus, for interested parties who may be considering
purchasing and re-using them,” outlines Marta Woronowicz, a colleague of Scharzenberger at trolley:motion. This will help extend the lifetime of vehicles, in line with the project’s overall ethos. “We aim to move away from a take-use-throw model where resources are extracted, used and then disposed of, towards a model where the use of certain materials is avoided, while others are extended and transformed at the end of their operational life, enabling their use in new ways,” explains Woronowicz. “We want to encourage public transport operators to look at alternatives to simply buying new vehicles and to try to extend the lifecycle where possible.”
together different strands of research, which Scharzenberger hopes will prove a valuable resource for public transport operators, even beyond the conclusion of CE4CE. “The knowledge platform (https://circularity4publictransport.eu/) will be available beyond the end of the project in 2026,” she stresses.
The project’s pilot activities are currently progressing well, encouraging a shift in approach across the partners. This work has attracted a lot of attention, and the project team are sharing their insights about the circular economy more widely, beyond the partners directly involved. “For
“We’re looking into how different components of the public transport network can be re-used. For example, the components used in vehicles.”
These principles are central to the circularity compass, a tool developed in the project which outlines how a circular economy can be developed in the public transport sector, boosting efficiency and pointing the way towards a more sustainable future. The transport sector is still extremely carbon-intensive, accounting for around 28 percent of Europe’s overall CO 2 emissions, underlining the wider importance of the project’s work. “We are engaging with train, tram and bus companies, looking to understand how they operate now, and to identify what changes they can make in future. We have held a lot of online webinars and workshops, and we’ve found that there is a lot of interest in circular economy principles,” says Woronicz. A knowledge platform has been developed in the project, bringing
example, we’ve had a lot of interest from the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), who have invited us to contribute to different events and share our findings with companies and prominent people. We also regularly participate in events about the future of the public transport sector,” continues Woronicz.
Electric bus charger in Gdynia, Poland.
Advancing Circular Economy
Innovation in Public Transport Systems
Project Objectives
CE4CE aims at bringing circular economy principles into the public transport sector and thus reduce waste, increase efficiency in the sector and improve the ecological footprint of public transport.
Project Funding
The CE4CE project is co-funded by the INTERREG CENTRAL EUROPE programme, Project ID: CE0100250.
Project Partners
11 partners from 6 countries and 8 regions:
• Lead partner: Leipzig Public Transport Company
Project Coordinator Mr. Stefan Roell, E: CE4CE.Verkehrsbetriebe@L.de
• Przedsiębiorstwo Komunikacji Autobusowej w Gdyni sp. z o.o.
• University of Gdansk
• Szeged Transport Company
• KRUCH Railway Innovations GmbH & Co.KG.
• Municipality of Maribor
• University of Maribor
• ATB Mobility S.p.A.
• Redmint social enterprise
• Mobilissimus Ltd.
• trolley:motion
Contact Details
Project Lead Contact, Alexandra Scharzenberger Organisation Verein trolley:motion urban-e mobility
A-5321 Koppl, Ladaustraße 73 T: +43 664 4141 866
E: scharzenberger@trolleymotion.eu
E: CE4CE.Verkehrsbetriebe@L.de W: www.trolleymotion.eu
Alexandra Scharzenberger has led trolley:motion since 2012, managing PR, international campaigns, conferences, and EU projects like eBRT2030 and CE4CE to promote electric bus systems and InMotion Charging technology.
Marta Woronowicz is a public transport expert at trolley:motion, an international association promoting trolleybus and other sustainable transport modes. She is also chair of the UITP Trolleybus Committee Benchmark & Data Working Group.
The transport sector is highly energy-intensive, and improving efficiency is key to meeting ambitious emissions reduction targets. The REDU-CE-D project team are developing an environmental management system customised to the challenges facing different transport modes, as Hrvoje Spremić explains.
The European Union’s energy efficiency directive sets out ambitious targets for reducing consumption, part of the wider goal of limiting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and shifting towards a more sustainable energy model. The transport sector has a major role to play in this respect, yet the directive does not set out specific measures on how energy efficiency targets should be reached by different modes, an issue central to the EU-backed REDU-CE-D project. “We are looking to develop and implement an Environmental Management System (EMS) for different transport modes. This will transpose the requirements set out in the energy efficiency directive into different transport sectors,” outlines Hrvoje Spremić, Assistant General Manager at Dubrovnik Airport ltd in Croatia, lead partner in the project. The project consortium brings together partners from five countries in Central Europe, including transport organisations from four different sectors; air, train, urban public transport and water. “The project consortium includes Ruđer Bošković Airport (Dubrovnik) and Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (airports), Adriafer s.r.l and Ecco-rail GMBH (rail), Municipality of Krakow (Krakow transport authority) and BKK Centre for Budapest Transport (urban public), Freeport of Budapest Logistic and Port of Ploče Authority (water) ” says Spremić.
There are also two technical and research partners within the project (University of Maribor and Romagna Tech), responsible for research and development, with the wider aim of implementing effective, reliable EMS packages to help transport companies and organisations reduce their energy consumption. The main priority in the project’s first workpackage was to assess the current approach of each partner to energy efficiency and the environmental practices they have already implemented, with reference to industry best practice.
“We looked at the standards regarding environmental management in each partner’s area,” outlines Spremić. This provides a solid basis for the project team to then produce a trans-national assessment report, identifying the areas that can be improved by each partner.
“We have developed a strategy to guide the implementation of environmental management systems in different transport sectors and institutions,” continues Spremić. “The strategy includes general guidance, which is applicable to all the transport modes and more specific guidance for each transport mode, with different KPIs applicable to the different modes.”
These key performance indicators (KPIs) will be defined in a second workpackage, alongside defining planning and operational tools that each of the partners will follow.
This is all part of the overall EMS package that each partner will implement within their own specific environment, together with tools that enable them to track and monitor progress with respect to different KPIs; these may cover not only energy efficiency, but also certain environmental parameters.
“Some partners may decide to implement tools to monitor air and water quality for example,” explains Spremić. In the specific case of Dubrovnik Airport, Spremić says the plan is to closely monitor resource use, part of efforts to improve energy efficiency.
“We will monitor and optimise energy consumption, CO 2 emissions, noise levels and water use. We expect that the KPIs defined will cover energy consumption per passenger, building energy efficiency CO 2 emission per passenger, noise pollution or number of noise complaints,” he outlines.
“Other transport modes may also choose some different measurement KPIs more specific to their environment. Currently we are in a phase of the project where KPI’s are defined on each transport mode level”
An EMS package will be implemented at four pilot sites from organisations in the project, one in each mode of transport, with the support of another partner from the same sector. For example, Dubrovnik Airport will implement the EMS package in their own environment with the help of Budapest
Airport, who will monitor the results. “We plan to develop and test a customised EMS package that can be easily implemented across different transport modes,” explains Spremić.
This could then act as a kind of template or how-to guide for other organisations seeking to reduce energy consumption, says Spremić.
“We hope that we will be able to provide clear technical guidance and know-how to other institutions and partners on how to implement an EMS in their organisations. We hope that we will be able to develop guidelines which will be adopted and used by other institutions in future,” he continues.
“The main objective in the project is to establish procedures, methods and tools to monitor energy and environmental efficiency, and in future to reduce consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.”
for project partners, as well as local, regional and national stakeholders, highlighting the practical measures that can be taken to reduce overall energy consumption. “We will promote the EMS package, and look to show how it can be implemented and used in different environments,” continues Spremić.
The current priority however is more to lay the foundations of the EMS, with work in the preparation phase of the project mainly centered on conducting assessments and background work. With the project into the second year of its three-year funding term, the teams are now developing operational documents which will guide partners in the implementation of EMS. “We have now finalised the preparation phase, and are starting with the implementation phase and structuring pilot actions. We have developed
“We are looking to develop and implement an Environmental Management System for different transport modes. This will transpose the requirements set out in the energy efficiency directive into different transport sectors in several countries in Central Europe.”
A third workpackage in the project will contribute to this wider goal by establishing training and dissemination activities, encouraging other transport organisations and companies to consider how they can reduce energy consumption and optimise their environmental management process.
The first step will be to establish a transnational advisory forum, which will then test and evaluate the implementation of EMS in the four different transport modes.
“This forum will be comprised of experts and stakeholders,” says Spremić. A training programme on EMS will also be established
EMS guidelines for each specific transport mode as well as a toolkit, which contains both general and mode-specific parts,” outlines Spremić. This work is very much in line with the goals of the European Union’s Green Deal, which imposes new energy requirements on ports and airports. With the transport sector still highly energy-intensive, improving efficiency is key to meeting ambitious emissions reduction targets, underlining the wider importance of the project’s work. “We aim to help our partners with their energy planning, and to identify the areas they should prioritise for future investment in order to reduce their CO 2 emissions,” says Spremić.
Customized Environmental Management System (EMS) to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption of different transport modes in Central Europe
Project Objectives
Transport in Poland, Slovenia, Croatia and Czech Republic has doubled their mobility energy consumption in the last decades and their transport GHG emissions are above EU average. Through project REDU-CE-D, partners will transpose Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) requirements to increase energy efficiency of different modes of transport (air, waterway, urban and rail) by developing unique Environmental Management System (EMS) and joint strategy. Stakeholders and key experts will be engaged in testing and training activities for EMS customized package as well as in dissemination activities for policy makers.
Project Funding
The REDU-CE-D project is co-financed by INTERREG CENTRAL EUROPE programme, Project ID: CE0200836.
Project Partners
• Dubrovnik Airport Ltd (Lead partner) • Budapest Airport • Municipality of Krakow (Krakow Transport Authority) • BKK Centre for Budapest Transport • University of Maribor • Adriafer s.r.l • Ecco – rail Gmbh • Freeport of Budapest Logistics Ltd
• Port of Ploče Authority • Romagna Tech
Contact Details
Project Manager, Tomislav Macan
DIREKTOR SEKTORA ODRŽAVANJA
CHIEF MAINTENANCE OFFICER
Dubrovnik Airport ltd
Dobrota 24, Močići, HR-20213 Čilipi, Hrvatska
T: +385 20 773 344
E: Tomislav.Macan@airport-dubrovnik.hr W: www.airport-dubrovnik.hr
W: https://www.interreg-central.eu/ projects/redu-ce-d/
Hrvoje Spremić is Assistant General Manager at Dubrovnik Airport Ltd. He is responsible for the preparation, implementation and management of EU-funded projects, and also conducts internal audits.
Tomislav Macan is Chief Technical Officer at Dubrovnik Airport.
Many smaller cities lack the capacity to gather data on how their public transport networks are used and plan their ongoing development. The team behind the OPTI-UP project are developing data-driven methods and smart tools to help optimise public transport networks and reduce their environmental impact, as technical director Mateo Uravić explains.
Many public transport networks across Europe have been developed and planned stochastically, particularly in small and medium-sized cities, which often lack planning capacity. Transport planning is a complex area, and often decisions around provision are driven by political demands rather than actual data, an issue the team behind the EU-backed OPTI-UP project is working to address. “We want to highlight the importance of data-driven methodologies and explore how modern analytical tools and modeling techniques can support effective planning and decisionmaking,” outlines Mateo Uravić, the project’s Technical Director. These solutions will be tested in six small and medium-sized cities across central Europe, with the aim of helping them provide sustainable public transport networks that meet local needs. “We want to introduce transport authorities in these cities to the tools that current exist, to broaden their vision on public transport planning, and also integrate this with urban and spatial planning,” says Uravić.
The transport networks in these six cities vary in terms of length, scope and the dominant modes. The Italian city of Modena has a fairly large network, with trolley buses and buses, while Uravić says the five other cities – in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia and Hungary – have a different profile. “Pécs is also a fairly big system, with just buses. Osijek is a medium-sized system, with trams and buses. Then Grosuplje, Paks and Český Krumlov are smaller, and they have only buses in their public transport systems,” he outlines. There is a relative
lack of organised, regular data collection and analysis in these cities. While various types of data, such as socio-demographic statistics, spatial development plans, transport demand patterns, and information from city, national, and EU-level databases, may be available, they are rarely integrated or used effectively. “This data is often overlooked and not systematically applied in transport planning,” Uravic explains. “Decisions and plans around transport networks are often driven by political concerns, rather than looked at from above with a holistic perspective. They are not data-driven.”
“We
their partners in each of the six cities to strengthen their capabilities in this area, taking local circumstances and the nature of the public transport network into account. The current status of transport modelling in each of the areas will be assessed, with researchers working on local plans and strategies, which will then provide a solid foundation for the development of smart tools. “We will develop tools and look to see which have the biggest impact and which can be built within the scope of the OPTI-UP project,” outlines Uravić. Ensuring these tools are accessible and easy to use
want to highlight the importance of data-driven methodologies and explore how modern analytical tools and modelling techniques can support effective planning and decision-making .”
This is something that Uravić and his colleagues in the project, which brings together nine partners across six countries, aim to change. A key step here is to first gather relevant data on public transport usage patterns. “First of all you need data on the population size, and of course certain groups of customers tend to use a network at different times and with varying frequency. They also have varying points of origin and different destinations,” points out Uravić. “It’s also important to collect data on car usage patterns and other private modes of transport, and to consider the plans for land use in an area.”
This data is not easy to collect and use, and the project team are working with
is a major priority in the project. “We want to develop tools that can simplify the transport planning process, or at least strengthen stakeholders’ understanding of its importance,” says Uravić. “We want to enhance their transport modelling capabilities, and to teach stakeholders about the data they need to collect and how to interpret the results of modelling.”
The wider backdrop to this work is the goal of reducing the environmental impact of transport networks, while at the same time keeping people moving around to where they want to go. Cities need to prepare their public transport networks and fleets to shift towards alternative fuels in line with emissions reductions targets,
another topic of interest to Uravić and his colleagues. “Cities, operators and public transport agencies need to prepare and think about how they will plan their public transport networks with new rolling stock, as they start to use electric and hydrogenpowered vehicles. These vehicles will be very different to conventional buses and trams,” he acknowledges. Pilot actions are planned in two cities – Český Krumlov and Pécs – around electrifying the public transport system, which involves significant modification. “It’s necessary to make changes to the actual vehicles themselves, as well as to install charging points and optimise the public transport network with respect to the capabilities of electric vehicles,” continues Uravić.
A number of other pilot activities are also planned in the project with preparatory work currently ongoing, such as evaluating the overall financial picture, as well as checking technical capabilities and rolling stock. The project team are also developing local plans for each of the six cities, which can help guide the ongoing development
of their public transport networks. “We plan to develop detailed, local plans that will help cities to further develop their public transport service in the future, regarding all the external impacts that are now happening,” says Uravić. These impacts include the green transition, the intense focus on sustainability, as well as demographic and technological changes that Uravić says will also need to be considered in transport planning. “Public transport jobs will be very different in future, while the emergence of new artificial intelligence tools is already having an impact,” he says.
The long-term aim is to help improve the public transport networks in each of the six cities participating in the project, which will encourage more people to use buses and trams and reduce the number of cars on the road. The tools could also be applied in other urban areas facing similar challenges in future, with Uravić and his team looking at the broader picture. “We want to develop a single comprehensive strategy for all small and medium-sized cities, focusing on how they can develop specific local plans for themselves,” he outlines.” Improving public transport systems leads to significant benefits.”
Optimizing and greening Public Transport networks through Integration with Urban Planning and data-driven approaches
Project Objectives
Public transport in small- and medium-sized central European cities is challenged by a decline of customers, difficult long-term planning and suburban connectivity gaps. To improve this situation and at the same time create more eco-friendly urban mobility systems, the OPTI-UP project fuses transport and urban planning with data-driven methods. New solutions for demand-responsive transport, intelligent route planning and fleet optimisation are tested by the partners in six pilot areas. Experiences and learnings will result in a toolkit and a joint strategy.
Project Funding
2,26m € Project Budget. 80% of the Budget is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Project Partners
• Poliedra–research and consultancy centre of Milan’s Polytechnic University on environmental and territorial planning • Agency for mobility and local public transport of Modena Inc. • South-Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency • Paks Transportation Limited Liability Company • Institut of Traffic and Transport Ljubljana l.l.c. • TU Wien • Institute of Technology and Business in České Budějovice • Urban Passenger Transport Ltd. Osijek
Contact Details
Lead partner
Ernst&Young Advisory Ltd. Radnička cesta 50 10000 Zagreb
Croatia (HR) E: Mateo.Uravic@hr.ey.com : https://www.linkedin.com/company/opti-up W: https://www.interreg-central.eu/ projects/opti-up/?tab=home
Please see the link below to be able to view OPTI-Up’s collected data: https://www.interreg-central.eu/projects/optiup/?tab=media
Uravić, EY Croatia
Mateo Uravić is a Croatian expert in sustainable mobility planning and public transport, specializing in GIS and data visualization. With a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Transport Sciences, he has over 8 years of experience, managing projects that promote environmentally friendly transportation solutions.
Swedish startup NitroCapt has developed the unique SUNIFIX® solution to reduce the environmental impact of the nitrogen fertiliser industry. The company won The Food Planet Prize in 2025 thanks to the solution’s unique potential, now they are looking to scale up production, as founder and CEO, Gustaf Forsberg explains.
The Haber-Bosch process is used for nitrogen fixation to produce synthetic nitrogen fertilisers which according to research is the origin of ~48 percent of the world’s food production. The team at the start-up NitroCapt, first funded in 2022, have now developed a novel, more environmentallyfriendly solution, using NitroCapt’s unique plasma process to create the same reactions as in lightning. “When there is lightning in the air, oxygen and nitrogen will combine and ultimately form nitrates. The earlier Birkeland-Eyde process was based on the discovery that NOx generated from artificial lightning, electrical discharges in the air, could be used to produce nitrate fertilisers,” explains Forsberg. The SUNIFIX® solution developed by NitroCapt is based on essentially the same pathway, but uses a high pressure microwave plasma rather than electrical discharges. “In this way, we split nitrogen and oxygen molecules into atoms, to form NO very effectively,” says Forsberg. “We then cool it
Sustainable Nitrogen Fixation pilot plant for green fertilizer production
NitroCapt has been co-funded by EU LIFE. Key investors are LRF VC, ALMI Invest Greentech, InnoEnergy, Novax VC. NitroCapt received the €2m Food Planet Prize in 2025. NitroCapt AB Almas Allé 3B, 756 51 Uppsala, SWEDEN E: gustaf.forsberg@nitrocapt.com https://nitrocapt.com/life-sunifix/
Gustaf Forsberg, Founder and CEO - Physician and agronomist, PhD. Previously key person in the development of the ThermoSeed(R), the most important innovation from The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
Björn Lindh , first investor and Strategy Director - Co-founder of 7 companies including Graphmatech, Airis Garden and Agteria. Business Angel with green technology focus.
extremely quickly again, conserving the NO formed in the plasma. When oxidised a second time into NO2 , it mixes with water to form HNO3 which can then be used to produce different kinds of nitrate fertilisers.”
This solution holds rich promise as a means of supporting food production while at the same time reducing the agricultural sector’s carbon
a small-scale, commercial production facility with a capacity of 600 kW has been designed, for a first full commercialisation, while Forsberg and his colleagues are also looking further ahead. “We will then look to scale up to larger, ‘region-size’ facilities and we have already letters of intent from customers inside and outside Europe for 33 such larger production units, with a future commercial value for NitroCapt of more than 1.1 bn EUR,” he continues. “We will start in Europe, as nitrates are already widely used here while they are less common elsewhere. However, our long-term ambition is to help decarbonise agriculture, and so we have strong ambitions to expand more globally in future.”
“With the SUNIFIX® solution we split nitrogen and oxygen molecules into atoms under a very high pressure, which makes the process extremely productive and efficient.”
footprint, and an industrial pilot plant has been developed to demonstrate its wider potential in the EU-backed LIFE SUNIFIX® project. As part of their work in the project, the team at NitroCapt are validating the pilot plant, which has been up and running since February, and the fertiliser produced has been tested in field trials showing very high performance.
“We are making a common nitrate calcium nitrate fertiliser, so the end-product is not new – only the green and and energy-efficient process,” outlines Forsberg. As a next step,
The company has attracted a lot of support and recognition as it pursues this ambition, recently winning the 2025 Food Planet Prize, worth $2 million, while it is currently in the final for the International Fertilizer Association’s Cultivate Challenge Award. This reflects both the wider importance attached to mitigating the environmental impact of the production and use of nitrogen fertilisers, which accounts for around 2.7 percent of the global fossil-based greenhouse gas emissions, and the potential of the SUNIFIX® solution in this respect.
“The SUNIFIX® solution is a cost-effective alternative to fossil fuel-based methods of producing nitrogen fertiliser. It can play a critically important role in climate mitigation, and we have the skills and expertise to make it happen,” stresses Forsberg.
“Often
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are often at the forefront of technical innovation, yet they typically don’t have the same resources as larger companies to commit to improving energy efficiency. The team behind the EcoSMEnergy project aim to provide European SMEs with a helping hand in this area and boost competitiveness, as Birgit Arens explains.
very different behaviour between different companies and sectors,” says Arens. The next phase of the project will be to conduct detailed energy audits of individual companies, which will help them identify areas where efficiency could be improved. “These energy audits will allow companies to see where they use a lot of energy, and where savings could be made,” explains Arens. “The companies will be given recommendations for improving their energy efficiency and the measures could range from changing lighting to changing the ventilation system, installing solar panels, or other process related aspects.”
small and medium-sized enterprises are absorbed in their day-to-day business, in developing new ideas and products. Energy efficiency is not a core preoccupation.”
Many new ideas and technologies emerge from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), defined as those with less than 250 employees, yet this relatively small size means they have limited capacity to deal with operational challenges. Typically SMEs do not have the same resources as large corporations to commit to improving energy efficiency for example, which can leave them at a competitive disadvantage. “Often they are absorbed in their day-to-day business, in developing new ideas and products. Energy efficiency is not a core preoccupation,” explains Birgit Arens, Senior Project Manager at Eurochambres, the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry. As coordinator of the EU-funded EcoSMEnergy project, Arens aims to help European SMEs across a range of sectors improve their energy efficiency performance. “We are looking into manufacturing companies of Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE) sectors C20-C22, and C25-C29. These range from chemicals and pharmaceuticals to the production of motor vehicles and spare parts,” she outlines.
These industries are typically characterised by a high level of energy usage, which forms a big part of their running costs, an issue the EcoSMEnergy team are working to address. A key first step in the project was to conduct an energy assessment with a limited sample of SMEs across six European countries, looking at their current approach to energy efficiency, which revealed wide variations. “We saw that there is no uniform picture. We saw
The project team are also developing different tools and methodologies for SMEs to identify ways to improve energy efficiency, while at the same time minimising the administrative burden. A Voluntary Code of Conduct (VCC) is under development, which Arens hopes will encourage wider change amongst SMEs. “We want companies to use the VCC and to subscribe to the energy management systems we are setting up, while we also provide training on how to use these tools. Besides, we provide different online resources that offer companies information on how to finance their energy efficiency efforts,” she outlines. This is part of the wider goal of boosting the competitiveness of European industry, which is a major priority for Eurochambres as a business organisation. “Our work in EcoSMEnergy is about helping European businesses remain competitive, while at the same time taking into account the overarching priorities of shifting towards cleaner industry and greening the economy,” continues Arens.
These tools and methodologies are replicable and scaleable, so could be adopted by more SMEs beyond the conclusion of the project, contributing to the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. A dedicated energy management platform has been developed, which will also continue running in future, part of the project’s long-term legacy. “We really foresee a long-term impact,” stresses Arens. The project team have long experience of working with SMEs, and Arens says they share a strong commitment to helping companies improve energy efficiency. “We aim to really give companies a helping hand in terms of information, recommendations, and practical tools,” she says.
Co-funded funded by the EU LIFE Programme, Grant agreement n° 101166959 LIFE23-CET
European Coordinator, Birgit Arens
Eurochambres
Avenue des Arts 19 A/D 1000 Brussels
T: +32 (0)2 282 0857
E: ecosmenergy@eurochambres.eu
W: https://www.ecosmenergy.eu
Birgit Arens Birgit has been working at Eurochambres for over 20 years, assuming different functions, first in the policy and then in the project department, building a solid EU project management experience. She currently manages projects related to skills development, VET in particular, energy efficiency and the integration of migrants in the labour market.
Buildings account for around 40 percent of Europe’s total energy consumption, making them a central focus for efficiency and CO2 reduction efforts. Water pumping systems also represent a significant share of local energy demand, and are increasingly targeted for upgrades to reduce operating costs and emissions, issues the CEOS project team are addressing.
The rising cost of energy is placing intense financial pressure on Greek municipalities, compelling them not only to explore ways to reduce consumption and improve efficiency and comply with obligations stemming from EU directives (EED, EPBD) and national guidelines (NECP) that set binding targets for energy savings, emissions reduction, and the promotion of renewable energy in public infrastructure. One step towards this is to renovate and upgrade municipal infrastructure, such as building stock and local lighting systems. “Many municipalities in Greece have changed their lighting system to LEDs for example,” says the coordinator of the team behind the EU-backed CEOS project. More substantial investment is required however if Greece is to meet ambitious CO 2 emissions reduction targets, and the country’s building stock and pump stations are a major target in this respect. “There is a clear need for municipalities to renovate their building stock and their infrastructure,” says the project coordinator. “In the CEOS project we aim to facilitate the renovation process. For example, we are looking to identify the right funding schemes to support renovation projects.”
This will help get the ball rolling on energy retrofit projects designed to reduce energy consumption in water
pumping stations and certain municipal buildings, such as health centres and schools. A variety of different funding schemes at the national and EU level are available to support these projects, yet many municipalities may not be aware of these options, an issue the project aims to address. “We are investigating the funding tools that municipalities can use and are also looking to communicate with them about the different options available. Municipalities may not know about how to blend funds from different sources,
A key step in the project was first to assess the energy efficiency performance of different municipalities’ building stock and pump stations from the available data, such as utility bills or other background information. From this point researchers could then look to evaluate each one in more depth, aiming to identify those buildings with the greatest potential to reduce energy consumption through targeted interventions. A number of different interventions have been identified, such as changing the pumping system as a whole, while other measures can also have a
“Municipalities in Greece lack the resources to mature their energy efficiency projects. CEOS provides this support by enabling energy efficiency improvements in buildings and pumping systems that reduce operating costs and contribute to meeting National climate targets.”
from the public and private sectors for example, or by using their own funds,” outlines the coordinator. Municipalities stand at the frontline of the energy and climate challenge. With the right support like CEOS, today’s constraints can become tomorrow’s opportunities, driving the transition to resilient, climate-neutral cities” says Vassilis Papaefstathiou, Deputy Mayor of Strategic Planning and Climate Neutrality Municipality of Kalamata.
significant impact. “We can also install different components, like inverters, or Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) to improve efficiency. Certain changes to the control panel can also have a positive impact,” says the coordination team. “We are also looking into connecting photo-voltaic (PV) systems with pumping stations, helping to reduce further energy costs and CO 2 emissions.”
The project team are also examining various interventions in the building envelope, for
example around the operation of heating and cooling systems, some of which can’t be applied on buildings of historical or architectural importance. A Municipal Energy Reduction Plan (MERP) is then produced, building on a detailed picture of where each municipality uses the most energy, and where savings can be made. “We can see in which areas they need to focus in terms of energy usage,” explains the project coordinator. The target is to reach around 21-22 million euros worth of construction work by the end of CEOS in December 2027, covering more than 40,000 m2 of building stock, and the coordination team says good progress has already been made. “We have nine municipalities involved in the project and we have already engaged the necessary numbers in terms of buildings and overall area,” they say. “Two of the municipalities are part of the EU’s mission cities network, which aim to achieve climate neutrality by 2030. They are ambitious in their approach to improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
This work is very much in line with wider climate and energy efficiency goals, and particularly the recent revision of the EUs Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. This directive, which comes into force in 2026, sets out even stricter energy efficiency requirements for municipal buildings. “The project will make an important contribution in terms of the push towards net zero emissions buildings. We can also have a big impact in the implementation of the new urban wastewater
treatment directive, through energy audits on pumping stations,” says the coordination team. The project team are currently working with municipal partners across Greece, looking to improve overall energy efficiency and varying degrees of progress have been made in the early stages. “In some municipalities we have already completed the whole proposal and are applying for funding, while in others we have not yet have started the technical studies,” they outline. “We are working closely with municipalities and helping them navigate the various options that are open to them.”
The initial targets in terms of the number of pumping stations and the overall footprint of the buildings have been reached, yet at the same time the project team are also in contact with other municipalities beyond those involved in CEOS, looking to widen the impact of the project’s work. A number of public events will be held, sharing the knowledge gained during the project and encouraging more municipalities to investigate how they can improve their energy efficiency. “Representatives from other municipalities can follow the project at these public events, and we can share our results and help shape their energy efficiency strategy. Many stakeholders from beyond our partners are engaged in the work of the project,” explains the team. This reflects a wider commitment to improving the energy efficiency of buildings in line with national and international targets, while this also brings more tangible benefits. “Energy costs are reduced for municipalities, while people are simply more comfortable in buildings with improved energy efficiency performance,” stress the coordination team.
The City Energy Optimization Solutions
Project Objectives
CEOS is a LIFE project aiming to enhance energy efficiency in Municipal infrastructure through upgrades, funding support, RES integration, and CO2 reduction. The project involves a comprehensive assessment of the current state of municipal infrastructure, including key elements such as pump systems and buildings, with a strong emphasis on energy performance and exploring financing opportunities from regional, national, and/ or private sources. A key aspect of CEOS is the development of tailored plans to enhance energy efficiency, reduce consumption, and promote the adoption of renewable energy.
Project Funding
The CEOS project is Co-funded by the European Union under the LIFE Programme – Grant Agreement No. LIFE23-CET-CEOS - 101167707.
Project Partners
• Sustainable and Development Engineering EE - Coordinator
• Eqs Thalis Ypiresies Epitheorisis Epivlepsis Poiotitas Kai Diacheirisis Technikon Ergon Ike
• Anaptyxiaki Attikis A.E. Anaptyxiakos Organismos Topikis Aftodioikisis
Contact Details
Anastasia Fotopoulou
Architect Engineer, PhDSenior Project Manager T: +30 6973 343 460 E: ceos.pda23@gmail.com
: https://www.linkedin.com/company/city-energyoptimization-solutions/?viewAsMember=true W: https://build-up.ec.europa.eu/en/resourcesand-tools/links/life23-cet-ceos-project W: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/life/publicWebsite/ project/LIFE23-CET-CEOS-101167707/city-energyoptimization-solutions
Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA.
Mrs Fani Papakosta is a project development expert in sustainable infrastructure, leading municipal energy projects and aligning them with EU funding tools to drive climate resilience.
Dr Anastasia Fotopoulou is a sustainable architecture expert with strong experience leading EU-funded urban and building decarbonisation projects, combining technical, policy, and strategic expertise to advance climate-resilient infrastructure.
The team behind the ERC-backed COREX project are building a relational database that allows researchers to analyse correlations between data. This will help researchers gain new insights into the events during prehistory that helped shape the genetic and cultural diversity of modern Europe, as Professor Kristian Kristiansen and Professor Stephen Shennan explain.
Many different sources of evidence can now be harnessed to investigate the past, including not just written materials and archaeological remains, but increasingly ancient DNA (aDNA), strontium samples and other types of data. Over the last decade or so sophisticated new techniques have been developed to analyse aDNA, opening up new insights into migratory patterns during prehistory, which have surprised many archaeologists. “Recently uncovered aDNA evidence shows that during prehistory people moved around Europe on a far wider scale than had previously been thought,” says Stephen Shennan, Professor of Theoretical Archaeology at University College London (UCL). As part of the team behind the ERCbacked COREX project, Professor Shennan is now working to link this new aDNA information about migratory patterns with other forms of evidence, and investigate the causes and effects of past population shifts. “We are exploring whether migrations were caused by factors like climate change, and the effects these migrations may have had on material culture,” outlines Professor Shennan.
There has historically been a tendency in research to attribute these migratory shifts to a single cause, for example a change in the local climate, yet it is now thought that
other factors may also have been involved. The project brings together researchers from several different disciplines, mobilising all the available knowledge to build a fuller
understanding of migrations and their wider effects. “We know that migrations led to some major changes in European prehistory. Farming was introduced into Europe by migrants who started in Anatolia, then moved into the Balkans,” outlines Kristian Kristiansen, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Gothenburg, one of the project’s Principal Investigators. The migrants halted for a long period south of the Baltic Sea and farming practices did not spread more widely until later on, an example of the kind of topics that can now be probed in greater depth. “Were crops not yet robust enough to go further North? Was the climate conducive?”continues
Professor Kristiansen. “Other migrations have had a marked influence on the DNA profile of all Europeans. How did these migrations unfold?”
Researchers are seeking out periods in prehistory where major changes took place, with the aim of looking at the underlying factors behind them. This research is focused on the period between 6,000 BCE up to around 500 BCE, with Professor Kristiansen and his colleagues taking samples of what is called environmental DNA (eDNA) from sites across Europe. “We have been sampling sites dating from the Neolithic period to the Iron Age. We take samples from sites like historical garbage pits, then analyse the soil for DNA evidence. We can potentially get a timeslice of the DNA that was in the air when that garbage pit was used. This could be pathogens, or animal or plant DNA. We are learning more about the conditions under which DNA is best preserved,” he says. This data will be brought together in a relational database called BIAD (Big Interdisciplinary Archaeological Database). “We’ve collated a lot of data from a wide variety of sites, in particular we have large amounts of C14 (carbon-dating) evidence,” says Professor Shennan. “We’re also going to link the BIAD database to pollen data from the European Neotoma pollen database.”
The data is linked to the site from which it was sampled, providing a firm basis for the project team to tackle six main research questions, covering different topics around the social, economic and cultural changes that have helped shape modern Europe. Researchers can look at the periods when certain new practices were adopted in Europe, and investigate the wider circumstances at the time. “We can investigate the time around the
beginning of agriculture or metallurgy for example, then look into our data and see whether we can see any correlations with changes in land use or diet,” outlines Professor Kristiansen. Once researchers have got a sense of whether there are any
correlations between different datasets, they can then apply new types of modelling to test hypotheses around historical events, for example about how migrations may have occurred. “What was going on in terms of the mixture between the incoming
From correlations to explanations: towards a new European prehistory
Project Objectives
The ERC Synergy project will combine prehistoric human genomic, archaeological, environmental, stable isotope and climate data to better understand the processes that shaped our biological and cultural past from the time of the first farmers to the Iron Age (between 6000 to 500 BC).
Project Funding
This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No. 949424).
Project Team
https://www.gu.se/en/historical-studies/ corex-team
Research Partners
• University of Copenhagen, Globe Institute • UCL Division of Bioscience • UCL Institute of Archaeology University of Plymouth • School of Geography, Earth and Environmental • National Museum of Denmark
Contact Details
Project Coordinator, Kristian Kristiansen
The University of Gothenburg Department of Historical Studies Renströmsgatan 6 41255 Göteborg Gothenburg
Sweden
T: +46 704-18 57 67
E: kristian.kristiansen@archaeology.gu.se W: https://www.gu.se/en/research/corexfrom-correlations-to-explanations
Stephen Shennan, Kristian Kristiansen, Mark Thomas, and Kurt H Kjær (left to right)
Stephen Shennan is Professor of Theoretical Archaeology at University College London (UCL). He holds a deep interest in the Neolithic and Bronze Age prehistory of Europe.
Kristian Kristiansen is Professor of Archaeology at the department of Historical Studies at the University of Gothenburg. His research combines grand narratives with indepth studies of local settlements.
Mark Thomas , Professor of Evolutionary Genetics, Department of Genetics Environment and Evolution, University College London
Kurt H Kjær, Professor, Globe Institute, Section for Geogenetics, University of Copenhagen.
people and the people who were already there?” asks Professor Shennan. “There are complex processes of interaction going on, which we’re beginning to model in the project.”
One important indicator of the impact of migration is any changes to long-established cultural practices, for example burial rituals, a major topic of interest in the project. Burial rituals are one of the most fundamental institutions in any society, from prehistory right through to the present, and Professor Kristiansen says they tend not to change without good cause. “Burial rituals are among the most consistent things in prehistory. When they change, it’s because new people have come in and taken over,” he says. The project team have access to thousands of records about neolithic and bronze age burials, as well as aDNA on the same burials, from which researchers can then look to draw wider insights. “We can look at how changes in aDNA relate – or not – to changing burial practices,” outlines Professor Shennan.
The BIAD database will provide an invaluable resource in these terms, giving researchers access to a variety of sources of data, from which they can then look to analyse correlations between time-slices and gain new insights into different periods in prehistory. The database will be operated on an open access basis, and will also incorporate work from other EU-backed projects. “We are collaborating with other projects, and we intend to expand this over time,” outlines Professor Shennan. BIAD has been designed to be more or less infinitely extendable, and Professor Shennan is interested in including new categories of data in future. “As people come up with new kinds of datasets which they want to include we can simply build a new table in the relational database. One might be metal analysis for example. There are massive volumes of data which can tell us about the changing sources of copper in pre-history,” he explains. “We don’t yet have any tables of trace element data, but we’re starting
“Recently uncovered ancient DNA evidence shows that during prehistory people moved around Europe on a far wider scale than had previously been thought.”
This research will help build a deeper picture of the background to major events in history and prehistory, the changes that helped shape the genetic and cultural diversity we see in Europe today. One example is the large migrations from the Eurasian Steppe that took place around 5,000 years ago; evidence suggests climate change did not play a major role here, and that other factors contributed. “We have found that a plague pandemic spread across Eurasia, prior to the Steppe migrations. It looks like there was a kind of collapse of these neolithic societies, that we think could have been caused by a plague pandemic,” says Professor Kristiansen. While migratory waves have often been explained with reference to a single specific event, Professor Kristiansen says there is typically a build-up of changes beforehand. “We want to look at the forces behind the event, that led up to it,” he continues. “It’s important to identify what came first, for example plague, climate change or migration.”
to work with colleagues on a metallurgical project, who will want to put in precisely that kind of data.”
The data in BIAD relates primarily to European sites, yet this could potentially be widened in future, to also include data from other parts of the world. aDNA data is available in databases like the AADR database at Harvard, now BIAD will help researchers draw links between genome information and the details around the archaeological contexts from which the samples were gathered, which Professor Kristiansen hopes can spur further progress in the field. “When new, more refined methods emerge, it’s then possible to go back and re-analyse your data,” he says. With the data collection stage nearly concluded, Professor Shennan is now starting to turn his attention towards analysis. “We’re beginning to analyse some of the data that has been collected, and the modelling work is just getting underway,” he outlines.
