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Get to know the 125 projects that we fund so far. You can also check the list of operations to find out who receives the funding.

 

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125

Projects Funded

1135

Partners

1218

Outputs

69

Investments

382

Pilots

190 m €

Funding Allocated
3P4SSE

Reducing social disparities in a joint effort

Social and economic disparities remain evident in central Europe and negatively influence cohesion. Social exclusion and poverty also affect some regions more than others and this needs to change. To do so, the 3P4SSE project goes beyond state-of-the-art social innovation projects. The partners adopt a place-based clustering approach when addressing specific challenges of social and solidarity economies. Amongst others, they create a multilevel network scheme based ...

aerial-photography-of-freight-truck-lot
Nigel Tadyanehondo Unsplash
ACCESSMILE

Connecting regions to European transport networks

The trans-European transport networks carry a large share of long-distance freight transport across Europe. But connections between the main nodes of these networks and rural or peripheral regions are rather weak, with negative consequences for transport operators. The ACCESSMILE project improves the accessibility of such regions with the networks. To this end, the partners pilot new strategies and action plans to optimise IT processes ...

helicopter-spraying-water-on-a-field-of-green-grass
Drone Eft Unsplash
AGRI-DIGITAL GROWTH

Empowering agricultural innovation

Farmers and food companies are slower in adopting digital technologies in comparison to other sectors. It is therefore necessary to make farms and food industries aware of digitalisation advantages and benefits, in particular by providing them with success stories and testing with them how a technology can concretely be useful. The AGRI-DIGITAL GROWTH project introduces central European farmers and food companies to precision and ...

BIM4CE

Optimising bridge maintenance

Bridges are critical transport infrastructure and need regular maintenance to be safe. Smart systems help with monitoring and allow to optimise maintenance processes. But they carry a high price tag. The BIM4CE project designs a new bridge management solution that will be effective for less money. The solution will be based on already existing technology and scalable. It will pave the way not only ...

BIOECO-UP

Boosting the bioeconomy

The bioeconomy concept seeks to replace fossil resources with renewable raw materials in as many areas and applications as possible. The BIOECO-UP project widely establishes this concept across central Europe. The partners will design new circular value chains for the bioeconomy and change consumer behaviour. They will also support the policy level to push ahead with the transformation.

Aeriel picture of road crossing
Pexels Rdne
BIZ Mobility

Transforming business zones through eco-friendly transport

Rural business and industrial zones are key employers but lack sustainable, affordable transport, leaving staff dependent on private cars and driving up costs and emissions. BIZ Mobility aims to create greener commuting options. Partners in Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary co-design tailored mobility plans with companies and municipalities, appoint mobility coordinators, test funding models and cooperation agreements and run awareness campaigns. Pilot actions in all ...

Women walking down the stairs
Pexels Mikhail Nilov
BLUETWIN-CE

Creating healthier, happier and more connected rural communities

Peripheral and lagging areas often offer limited opportunities for healthy and active living due to shrinking public services and weak local governance, which in turn contribute to depopulation. BLUETWIN-CE aims to make rural communities more liveable and attractive by combining the Blue Zone approach with Digital Twin technology. Partners embed measures for active lifestyles, healthy diets and social interaction into local governance and test their potential impacts using Digital ...

BorderLabs CE

Testing new ways to bring border regions closer together

Thanks to EU integration, borders across countries have been softening - but public administration and policies still do not sufficiently address the needs of cross-border communities. The project BorderLabs CE will change this by improving public capacities for participatory cross-border cooperation. Partners from six countries jointly develop and pilot new governance models and solutions for integrated cross-border strategy development. They also investigate new approaches ...

Young woman presents graph
Pexels Mikhail Nilov
Brand4Talents

Making lagging regions more attractive for talents

Outmigration of young talents drains many lagging regions where jobs, services and image fall behind big cities. Brand4Talents aims to turn these into places where young people choose to stay or return to. Partners from four countries strengthen local governance for talent management, design and test action plans with better services, infrastructure and community engagement and launch place-branding campaigns. Together they co-develop a governance ...

Pexels Mikhail Nilov
Bridge2EastCE

Unlocking development potentials in cooperation

Eastern border regions in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania face demographic decline, weak governance and service gaps but also new opportunities from closer ties with Ukraine. Bridge2EastCE aims to help them plan this transition together. Partners create an interregional framework for territorial planning cooperation that synchronises policies across borders. They pilot it on migration and labour-market challenges and develop joint solutions and multi-level governance ...

tired woman-sitting-in-front-of-a-laptop-computer
Vasilis Caravitis Unsplash
BURNOUT PREVENT

Beating burnout at the workplace

The prevalence of anxiety, burnout syndrome, and depression at the workplace increases. Such health issues account for over 20% of all sick leaves. The BURNOUT PREVENT project strengthens entrepreneurial skills and develops innovative service solutions for an improved burnout prevention in selected industry sectors. In this process, the partners consider three main aspects of burnout: the corporate environment, spare time and digital stress. Their ...

Capacity2Transform

Building capacity for digital, green and creative business transformation

Many companies lack internal capacities for transforming their business models to a more sustainable one. The Capacity2Transform project promotes innovative business support scheme that systematically help companies to adapt and bring more sustainable products and solutions to the market. Project connects businesses, training institutions, research organisations and policy makers into a supportive digital, green and creative innovation ECOSYSTEM and supports the efforts of CCIs ...

Carbon Farming CE

Boosting carbon farming in central Europe

Carbon farming is the process of changing agricultural practices to increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil, or to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. It has huge potential but is still underused in central Europe. The Carbon Farming – CE project wants to change this and make regions more familiar with the concept. The partnership adapts and tests various techniques and ...

a-person-holding-a-black-pen
Pexels Mikhail Nilov
CE-PRINCE

Standardising circular public procurement processes

Circular procurement considers the whole life cycle of goods and services and can help to avoid negative environmental impacts. However, no common standards exist so far and requirements for incorporating circular criteria into public tenders vary from country to country. The CE-PRINCE project steps in to standardise circular procurement approaches across central European countries and industries. The partners improve capacities of public authorities to ...

Znojmo view, woman on a wheelchair
Cenia 2023
CE-Spaces4All

Making tourism accessible to all

Accessible tourism allows people with disabilities to travel independently. But there is still often a lack of awareness for their needs. The CE-Spaces4All project connects public authorities, the tourism sector and people with disabilities to improve governance for a more accessible tourism. The partners develop a digital tool for mapping barriers in rural regions and provide these with a joint strategy and local action ...

Pexels Mikhail Nilov
CE-VITA

Transforming healthcare access in peripheries

Peripheral regions face ageing populations, staff shortages and tight budgets that strain healthcare systems. CE-VITA aims to introduce a more efficient territorial care model, tested first on stroke rehabilitation. Patients continue therapy at home with digital support, reducing waiting lists and hospital pressure while keeping high-quality care. Health improvement hubs bring authorities, hospitals, NGOs and communities together to co-design and adapt the model and ...

Site visit in Szeged, Hungary
CE4CE group picture in Szeged in 2023
CE4CE

Greening public transport

Public transport helps to lower emissions but it is still resource- and waste-intensive in itself. The CE4CE project reduces the ecological footprint of public transport through a higher circularity. The partners identify circularity gaps and develop innovative circular economy models for planners and operators. They provide guidance on how to incorporate circular economy principles into procurement processes for services and infrastructure and design more ...

Olive trees
Michal Kostrzynski Unsplash
Central - BIC

Stopping biodiversity loss through better ecosystem management

Central Europe is challenged by a loss of biodiversity caused by an unsustainable management of ecosystems. Many rural communities miss support for a transition of their ecosystems. This shortcoming is tackled by the Central-BIC project, in which the partners develop new tools and methodologies for managing ecosystems sustainably. They involve producers and consumers directly in testing tailored solutions for three supply chains: livestock, agriculture, ...

green-pine-trees-on-green-grass-field-during-daytime
Rostyslav Savchyn Unsplash
Central Mountains

Improving cooperation among mountainous regions

The Alps and Carpathians are important natural corridors that connect many central European countries. Unfortunately, cooperation across borders often lacks a joint vision in mountain areas. To change this, the Central Mountains project designs and implements a joint strategy and regional action plans to create amongst others cross-border functional areas. By improving governance structures, processes and operations, the partners sustainably improve cooperation among Alpine-Carpathian regions.

CICADA4CE

Involving citizens to better adapt cities to climate change

Cities increasingly face negative effects of climate change and try to adapt. But their adaptation strategies often do not work out as planned because citizens and stakeholders are not sufficiently involved in developing these. The CICADA4CE project helps city authorities to design effective climate change policies based on the concept of ecosystem- and community-based adaptation. The partners co-create action plans with citizens and other ...

Flat Lay (Top view) of smartphone components isolate on white background with clipping path
CIRCOTRONIC

Increasing circularity in electronics production

The environmental impact of electronics manufacturing is not just limited to waste creation but also raises concerns about air pollution, water and soil contamination in production processes. To overcome this, the CIRCOTRONIC project brings together scientists, entrepreneurs, and policy makers from nine manufacturing regions in a transnational network of regional circular labs. Together, they develop solutions for more circular value chains and design a ...

E-waste of old hard discs
Ladislav Kubeš from Getty Images
Circular WEEEP

Taking care of electronics waste

Discarded electrical and electronic equipment is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in Europe. Regional approaches to reducing, recovering and reusing such equipment need to be better coordinated to prevent illegal waste trafficking and disposal across borders. The Circular WEEEP project connects public authorities to identify good practices and define common waste criteria. The partners also plan to develop and test a transnational strategy ...

CIREVALC

Preventing food waste through circularity

Nearly ten percent of all food produced for consumers goes to waste in Europe. Circular economy could help prevent much of that waste but businesses and regional planners often do not know how to introduce them. The project CIREVALC helps them to make regional value chains in the food, catering and packaging sectors more circular through a community approach. The partners jointly design and ...

lightning-thunder-at-daytime
Johannes Plenio Unsplash
Clim4Cast

Improving forecasts of extreme weather events

Climate change increases the risk of severe weather events in central Europe. Increasing resilience to droughts, heatwaves and fires is urgent but tools that monitor and predict these phenomena are widely missing. The Clim4Cast project establishes a new weather forecast tool, which will be integrated into existing national monitoring platforms of seven countries. Concrete action plans to set up regional response mechanisms are also developed.

pink umbrella
Erik Witsoe Unsplash
Climate_CRICES

Making better use of data to counter climate change

Huge quantities of environmental and meteorological data are already available both within public institutions and from open sources. But how to make sense of all the data to improve public responses to heatwaves, droughts, floods and reduce their impact on biodiversity? The Climate_CRICES project enhances the capacity of public authorities to manage climate change effects projected by the data. A dashboard visualises available data ...

Planner using laptop
Pexels Mikhail Nilov
CO-MOVE

Testing transport solutions that reduce rural isolation

Scattered settlements and low population density make classic public transport unviable in many rural areas, deepening transport poverty and depopulation. CO-MOVE seeks to bring people closer to their jobs and public services through community-based mobility. Partners co-design social carpooling, demand-responsive and peer-to-peer schemes with citizens and stakeholders, integrate them into existing networks and prepare action plans. Shared lessons also lay foundations for future data-driven ...

woman-in-gray-sweater-holding-tablet-computer
Adam Winger Unsplash
COEUS

Helping companies to go digital in a responsible way

The digital transformation is putting established ways of doing business to the test. This offers opportunities, but also harbours risks. Companies have to be aware of their digital responsibilities to shape the process of digitalisation and guarantee it serves the best interests of citizens. The COEUS project supports small and medium companies to meet legal requirements and make digital responsibility a normal part of ...

green-plants-on-black-metal-train-rail-during-daytime
Markus Spiske Unsplash
CoFarm4Cities

Promoting urban farming in central Europe

The rapid expansion of cities increasingly causes land use conflicts. Green areas are declining while citizens demand more community gardens and cultivable spaces. This calls for a new approach on urban land use, which the CoFarm4Cities project delivers. The partnership develops climate-friendly, nature-based solutions that increase urban resilience to climate change. They design and pilot a replicable model for profitable urban farming with key ...

Atardece en El Retiro, Madrid. Credit: Gregorio Puga Bailón, CC BY-SA 4.0.
CONE

Tackling climate change in cities together with their citizens

Despite the numerous negative effects of climate change on the environment and people’s health, climate risk awareness is generally quite low among citizens. To change this, there is a need to target and actively involve all generations. The CONE project helps city authorities to work better together with citizens to make cities greener. The partners design and test new participatory and digitally-driven processes that ...

Older woman showing a book to a child
Pexels Mikhail Nilov
COOPACTION

Creating a shared future for young and old

Peripheral regions must respond at the same time to rising care needs of elderly people and scarce opportunities for youth, but policies are often fragmented. COOPACTION aims to co-create inclusive solutions for both groups. Partners connect policymakers, social enterprises and communities in a bottom-up, multi-level governance process, test three pilot actions in elderly care and youth work and use an artificial intelligence-based participation platform ...

Rise of carbon cost
wutzkoh
CREDIT4CE

Helping regions to speed up the green transition of small companies

Small and medium enterprises account for nearly a third of carbon emissions. At the same time, many regions are not able to support their decarbonisation. The CREDIT4CE project builds the support capacities of such regions to take forward the green transition. The partners train them on technology transfer and speed up the development and uptake of innovative technologies needed for “net zero”. They design ...

CURIOST meeting group photo
CURIOST meeting group photo
CURIOST

Piloting circular products in the manufacturing industry

The ongoing transition to a circular economy is not only a tedious obligation for the manufacturing industry. It also offers an opportunity to develop innovative sustainable products. The CURIOST project helps small- and medium-sized companies in sectors like mechanics, packaging, plastics, and construction to harvest the potential benefits. They help selected companies to co-develop tailor-made, innovative, sustainable and circular product prototypes. The learnings are ...

sustainable food packaging
Pexels Pavel Danilyuk
D4PACK

Facilitating the introduction of advanced packaging materials

Next-gen packaging solutions can considerably increase the shelf life of food, help reduce food waste and minimize the ecological footprint of packaging. However, traditional central European agri-food companies struggle to assess the impact of advanced packaging solutions on their production due to limited resources. To change this, the D4PACK project creates a technology transfer service that helps companies to better understand and estimate the ...

street-lamps-during-dawn
Pexels Francesco Ungaro
DARKERSKY4CE

Dimming urban lights to protect ecosystems

Bright city lights at night can be helpful but also polluting. They negatively affect human health and the environment. Awareness for this problem is still rather low in many central European cities and now addressed by the DARKERSKY4CE project. The partners change the perceptions about light pollution among local policymakers, tourism entities, and citizens. They spotlight the adverse impact of light pollution on ecosystems ...

photo-of-a-man-and-woman-using-a-laptop-computer
Pexels Elevate Digital
Digi-B-Well

Taking the stress out of the digital transformation

The digital transformation offers new opportunities for companies but also increases complexity. Especially employees over 55 can suffer from digital stress or burnout at the workplace. The Digi-B-Well project helps companies to transform and make employees fit for the digital age. The partners upskill competences of managers, public authorities, and academia to better prevent digital stress and burnout. They develop and test new tools ...

Elderly woman looking at the mobile phone
Georg Arthur Pflueger Unsplash
DigiCare4CE

Transforming care facilities for the elderly

Society is aging fast and taking care of the elderly is becoming a challenge. Digital solutions offer support to nursing staff but the potential of digitisation is still underused. The DigiCare4CE project promotes innovative solutions that improve care quality and develops a transnational strategy for the digital transformation of care facilities. The partnership tests the deployment of new technologies in pilot actions and elaborates ...

woman-in-white-shirt-standing-in-front-of-computer in the lab
Cdc Unsplash
DIGIVITALITY

Improving market access for care innovations

The health sector is digitalising fast. Innovative solutions are being developed but their market entry or broader application often fails due to structural shortcomings. The DIGIVITALITY project helps health care innovations to enter the health care market faster and to scale up more easily. To do so, the partnership develops a blueprint for smoother collaboration among start-ups, med-techs, hospitals and innovation hubs, which is ...

DiSTT

Fabricating better skills for the manufacturing industry

The World Economic Forum identified skills gaps in local labour markets as a main barrier to the adoption of new technologies in manufacturing. It predicted in 2020 that 40% of core skills will change within five years, putting pressure on manufacturing companies to reskill or upskill employees fast. The DiSTT project improves local skills in digital fabrication through innovative re- and upskilling programmes. Based ...

Internet security concept
anyaberkut from Getty Images
DoorCE

Making public data more accessible

All over central Europe, public and private institutions gather data that should be openly available. However, these public open data are often not easily accessible and real-time updates are missing. The DoorCE project changes this by establishing local open data hubs. In these, the partners help institutions to offer high-quality, dynamic data that are accessible to all citizens through innovative digital services. The partners ...

DREAM_PACE

Making mobility more demand-responsive

Sustainable mobility offers are improving across central Europe but the various modes are not always seamlessly connected with each other. Such integration is especially challenging in sparsely populated regions but also cities struggle to meet customer expectations perfectly well. The DREAM_PACE develops demand-responsive transport concepts for regional mobility networks. The partners develop a strategy to integrate these into sustainable urban mobility plans and test ...

gray-vehicle-being-fixed-inside-factory-using-robot-machines
Lenny Kuhne Unsplash
Drive2Transform

Helping the automotive sector to master the green transition

The automotive industry is in the middle of a transformative shift driven by climate change, disruptive technologies, and global competition. Smaller and medium-sized companies sometimes struggle to take up trends like electrification, connectivity, automation, and the platform economy. The Drive2Transform project helps them to master this shift by developing a cross-regional strategy and deploying an open transformation platform for the automotive sector. Through the ...

Artist drawing at the table
Pexels Pavel Danilyuk
ECLECTIC-CE

Revitalising regions through creative-tech cooperation

Rural industrial regions with strong cultural traditions risk decline as creative actors and firms struggle to adopt new technologies. ECLECTIC-CE seeks to renew these areas through creative-tech cooperation. Partners offer cross-border training and “learning by doing” labs where actors and students from the cultural and creative industries sector work with artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, robotics or virtual reality providers to co-create prototypes and ...

EnCLOD

Helping public authorities to make better use of data

Data is the raw material for territorial governance in our digital age, but public authorities often lack capacities to utilise data effectively. At the same time, the vast expertise of civil society and the private sector on technological issues remains untapped for solving urban issues. The EnCLOD project bridges this gap by fostering collaboration between local authorities, civily society, and the private sector in ...

Young woman looking at her mobile phone
Pexels Mikhail Nilov
ENRICH-US

Empowering communities to steer sustainable tourism growth

Cultural heritage and natural landscapes in peripheral regions are often underused because tourism governance is fragmented, and local voices are weak. ENRICH-US aims to empower communities to steer sustainable tourism growth. Partners test governance models such as destination management organisations, community cooperatives and public-private-community partnerships, backed by digital tools, cultural content platforms and small eco-tourism pilots. Together they develop participatory, replicable frameworks.

Ferry on the river
Corey Willett Unsplash
FERRYTALES

Making ferries sustainable to bridge rivers

Declining ferry services and lack of bridges have turned rivers into barriers, isolating rural communities and forcing long detours by car. FERRYTALES aims to restore these links with clean, modern ferry system's where bridges are not feasible. Partners in three countries prepare zero-emission and autonomous ferries on the Ipoly/Ipel’ and Elbe rivers, testing innovative technologies services, and user uptake. A joint ferry development guide, ...

a-person-holding-a-cell-phone-in-front-of-a-laptop
Sumup Unsplash
FI4INN

Improving access to funding for market-driven research

Funding schemes for market-driven research and innovation are rare in central Europe. Finance providers and policy makers often shy away from introducing such schemes due to their complexity. The FI4NN project is changing this by supporting the co-design of new finance instruments in regions that want to boost research and innovation. A knowledge centre promotes innovative instruments that already exist elsewhere and new financial ...

Flexishare logo
FlexiSHARE

Breaking mobility poverty in rural communities

In many peripheral areas, elderly, disabled and low-income residents face poor public transport with fixed routes that do not fit their needs. FlexiSHARE aims to offer flexible, affordable alternatives to such mobility poverty. Using the shared Flexiride model, partners from four countries co-design demand-responsive transport with residents, adjust routes and timetables based on data and test pilots in different contexts. Joint guidelines and business ...

Food4CE

Supplying food in a more sustainable way

Alternative food networks seek to transform food supplies by connecting ethical producers and consumers more directly. Systemic policies to support such networks are widely missing in central Europe and it is time to change this. The FOOD4CE project establishes local and transnational hubs for the food and logistics sectors, in which they can exchange good practices and take up innovative technologies. The hubs will ...

Kids having lunch
foodCIRCUS

Reducing food waste at schools through repurposing

Food waste has negative social, environmental, and economical impacts. It is estimated that about 20% of all food produced is wasted in the EU every year - and school canteens even throw away up to 70% of their prepared meals. The foodCIRCUS project works with schools to minimize this food waste. It promotes food waste prevention, and explores innovative circular methods like repurposing waste ...

white-jigsaw-puzzle-pieces-on-brown-marble-table
Jonny Gios Unsplash
GEtCoheSive

Engaging citizens to improve policies

Citizens across central Europe increasingly want to get more involved in local and regional policy-making. The GEtCoheSive project develops and tests inclusive governance practices to improve public authorities’ capacities to engage with citizens from vulnerable backgrounds, especially in view of environmental policies and access to care services. The partnership develops a transnational strategy and local action plans for four cities to make their societies ...

GINEVRA

Introducing transformative innovations safely

Technological innovations are transforming cities with a huge potential for improving people’s lives. But they need to be deployed responsibly. The GINEVRA project helps cities to effectively govern transformative innovations, such as autonomous vehicles. The partners jointly develop governance guidelines and new citizen engagement tools and test them in specific pilot actions. They also design a transnational strategy for responsibly governing the introduction of ...

Young woman sitting in front of the computer
Pexels
GLOW-CE

Unlocking female entrepreneurship for regional growth

In many lagging regions, brain drain, and gender inequality mean talented young women start businesses elsewhere. GLOW-CE aims to turn this untapped potential into local growth. Partners from four countries use participatory methods to train business support organisations. They co-design women-centred services and pilots in digital and green sectors and expand access to skills, mentoring and networks. Shared tools and lessons help regions reform ...

Woman on the bus stop in the rural area
Amel Majanovic Unsplash
GO4FAIR MOVE

Making mobility a right in lagging regions

In many lagging regions, workers depend on private cars because public and employer-based transport offers are fragmented and poorly coordinated, creating mobility poverty. GO4FAiR MOVE aims to make “mobility as a right” a reality. Partners build multi-level governance models linking municipalities, regions, operators and employers, use participatory data mapping and inclusive planning to design and test new cooperation schemes and produce replicable frameworks that ...

a-group-of-headstones-sitting-in-the-grass
Scott Greer Unsplash
GOV4PeaCE

Building on past heritage for future development

Central Europe has a vast cultural heritage related to World War I with significant potential to accelerate socio-economic development in rural areas. However, the joint management of this heritage remains challenging as it is dispersed across various countries and lacks a cohesive strategy for preservation and utilisation. The GOV4PeaCE project establishes a joint vision for managing the war-related cultural heritage across borders and sectors. ...

woman-in sweater-opening-a-door
Pexels Yankrukov
Green LaMiS

Greening the delivery of social services

Greening the delivery of products to people has been addressed for many years - but what about the delivery of social services? Offering these to people at home is often unsustainable, it causes CO2 emissions and traffic issues. The Green LaMiS project develops a common strategy for a more sustainable delivery of home social services based on carbon footprint calculations and territorial characteristics. The ...

a-large-building-with-a-lot-of-pipes-in-front-of-it
Travis Leery Unsplash
GreenChemForCE

Cleaning up the chemical industry

The chemical industry in central Europe struggles with excessive waste, high greenhouse gas emissions, and a strong reliance on petroleum-based materials. The GreenChemForCE project helps companies to change production processes from linear production streams to circular systems. The partners test new technologies that reduce hazardous solvents and reuse remaining ones. They also develop a strategy for the production of greener chemicals and train a ...

Assembly line
GREENE 4.0

Transforming value chains of the manufacturing industry

The manufacturing industry in central Europe is challenged by change. Global supply chains are increasingly disrupted and the green transition demands more sustainable, smarter value chains. The GREENE 4.0 project supports manufacturing companies in piloting such new value chains. The project also helps to co-design new products and services through open innovation approaches. In these they bring together the business sector with the education ...

Bulb drawn on the glass wall
Kobu Agency Unsplash
GREENPACT

Certifying impact-driven top executives

Futurepreneurs are professionals that are driven by purpose and impact. They take on societal challenges and climate change with an entrepreneurial mindset and want to improve our lives. The GREENPACT project sets up partnerships between companies and futurepreneurs. The aim is to develop a certification scheme for a new generation of impact-driven top executives. To this end, the project develops joint action plans, pilot ...

the-interior-of-a-public-transit-bus-with-passengers
GreenPATH

Co-designing sustainable mobility for commuters

Commuting from nearby places into cities is a major source of urban greenhouse gas emissions and the lack of sustainable mobility options heavily contributes to the problem. The GreenPATH project co-designs smart and green mobility options for students and employees together with mobility managers. More concretely, the partners develop a joint strategy for the integrated governance of commuter flows and draft action plans for ...

GreenScape CE

Making grey cities greener

Cities are growing in central Europe, often turning green areas into grey concrete places. This urban sprawl accelerates negative effects of climate change such as urban heat islands. The GreenScape-CE project works on reversing the trend by making urban areas greener again. The partnership strengthens planning capacities and pilots the application of nature-based solutions and green infrastructure approaches in five cities, which are significantly ...

a-man-riding-a-yellow-bike-down-a-street
Alain Rouiller Unsplash
GRETA

Greening urban freight transport

People like to shop online but this comes hand-in-hand with more freight transport. Cities are most affected by higher emissions, noise and the congestion of public spaces linked to deliveries. The GRETA project offers solutions on how to decarbonise the so-called last mile of freight transport. In their joint efforts, the partners pilot the use of zero-emission-vehicles like cargo bikes. They also re-organise urban ...

hydrogen gas tanking the car
Possessed Photography Unsplash
H2CE

Helping regions to use hydrogen

Transitioning to green energy is key to tackling climate change and creating sustainable economies. Green hydrogen holds significant promise but accounts for less than 2 percent of Europe’s current energy consumption. The H2CE project helps regions in central Europe to boost the integration of hydrogen in their local and regional energy planning. The project develops and tests new planning tools for public authorities and ...

Health medical device
Testalize Unsplash
Health Labs4Value

Digitalising patient-oriented health care

Health care has to digitalise to cope with an aging population and a growing number of patients with chronic diseases. Digital solutions often exist but their transfer from one ecosystem to another remains challenging. The Health Labs4Value project supports the transfer of digital solutions through living labs. These bring together health care organisations and companies as well as policy makers and patients to jointly ...

HealthyForestRegions

Keeping forests healthy and functional

Can there be healthy people without healthy forests? Without fresh air, clean water, climate regulation, biodiversity, and natural recreation places? The answer is “No”. What we need now is commitment. The HealthyForestRegions project aims at paving the way for regional inhabitants, actors and decision-makers to secure the remaining healthy forests and support the recovery of those jeopardized by human impact.

Modern,Sustainable,Neighbourhood,In,Almere,,The,Netherlands.,The,City,Heating
HEAT 35

Greening district heating systems

Many district heating systems in central Europe still rely heavily on fossil fuels. New approaches utilize various heat sources but are complex to implement. The HEAT 35 project supports eight regions and cities in the transition process to run their district heating systems on 50% of renewables and waste heat by 2035. The partners involve district heating operators and experts to design new solutions. ...

Field with wind turbines
HERCULES-CE

Establishing renewable energy communities in central Europe

Central Europe is phasing out fossil fuels but related costs remain high. Extensive investments in renewables and energy efficiency are needed. Renewable energy communities (REC) can help with that. They enable collective and citizen-driven actions, such as the production and sharing of renewable energy. The HERCULES-CE project promotes the introduction of these communities strategically and in local pilot actions. The partners test innovative data-driven ...

River nature tourist path
Alessa Ciraulo Unsplash
HUMANITA

Sheltering protected areas for and with tourists

Tourism in protected areas is a sensitive issue. It is sometimes hard to find the right balance between preserving these and opening them up to visitors. The HUMANITA project develops evidence-based and participatory management tools that allow regions to better monitor and evaluate the impact of tourism in protected areas. The partnership involves tourists and local communities in the development of their solutions, which ...

Hand with hydrogen nozzle
Scharfsinn86
HyEfRe

Rolling out green hydrogen to electrify the economy

Sector-coupling is a promising approach to replace fossil fuels with renewables. However, this idea of “electrifying” the entire economy requires the rollout of new technologies and rules. The HyEfRe project helps with this by establishing green hydrogen ecosystems in eight regions. The partners foster an investment-friendly environment for renewable energy and green hydrogen technologies. They evaluate hydrogen potentials with a new model and develop ...

person-cycling-on-road-distance-with-mountain-during-daytime
Urban Vintage Unsplash
ICTr-CE

Helping businesses profit from cycling routes

The potential of transnational cycling routes for tourism is still underdeveloped in central Europe. This includes the Iron Curtain Eurovelo Trail, which connects regions from Poland to Croatia along the European Green Belt. The ICTr-CE project improves the business case for this route by developing new tourism products. These result from a newly developed participatory business model, which strengthens the innovation capacities of local businesses.

Vltava
Laszlo D Unsplash
INACO

Increasing the resilience of heritage sites in river basins

Climate change increases the intensity and frequency of hydrometeorological events, including landslides, flash floods, storms, heat waves or prolonged drought periods. Amongst other negative consequences, this endangers natural and cultural heritage sites close to river basins. The INACO project strengthens the resilience of these by deploying joint adaptation strategies. The partners also design and test new WebGIS-based solutions for heritage sites and tools for ...

Worker at the factory
Pexels Mikhail Nilov
INNOSKILLS-CE

Smart skills for next-gen manufacturing jobs

Peripheral manufacturing regions face youth unemployment and brain drain because advanced training is concentrated in big centres. INNOSKILLS-CE aims to bring next-generation manufacturing skills and careers closer to young people. Partners develop immersive training using tools such as 3D headsets and interactive simulators, combine this with mentoring and links to local SMEs and refine curricula together. Shared modules help regions support smart specialisation, keep ...

white-wind-turbine-on-green-grass-field-during-daytime
Johny Goerend Unsplash
JETforCE

Involving citizens for a just transition

With increasing energy prices, social aspects of the green energy transition have moved into focus. There is broad consensus that the transition has to be just and fair. Ideally, future energy policies and investments are co-created with citizens. The JETforCE project helps regions to better involve their citizens digitally. The partnership tests and validates two novel solutions for digital citizen engagement in policy-making and ...

Group of seniors learning digital skills
Pexels Kampus
LEADER-CE

Empowering social enterprises for the digital transition

Many rural areas lag in digitalisation and social innovation, leading to shrinking services, jobs and population. LEADER-CE aims to boost social enterprises as local champions of the digital transition. Partners from four countries run a place-based, community-led capacity-building programme that delivers tailored digital skills, tools and coaching and bring stakeholders together in local labs. By comparing pilots and co-developing a shared action plan, they ...

wolf crossing a river in wild
Tomáš Hulík Vlk Dravý
LECA

Improving life with large carnivores

The Carpathians are home to large populations of lynx, wolves and bears. In recent years, conflicts between large carnivores and humans have increased, but no one knows if this is due to growing populations because data are not collected in a harmonised way across borders. The LECA project introduces a consistent and efficient monitoring approach, which involves local stakeholders. It will result in up-to-date ...

LOCALIENCE

Joining forces against extreme weather events

Extreme weather events are increasing with rising temperatures. They are best tackled in collaboration but the task too often relies on experts alone. The LOCALIENCE project takes disaster managers out of their one-directional information and service provider position and connects them in a co-design process with local communities. The partnership develops and tests collaborative disaster response and management solutions and mobilises local communities through ...

old water pump
old water pump
MAURICE

Safeguarding urban water supplies

The impact of climate change is increasingly important for the design, construction, and maintenance of water infrastructure. Scarcity of water resources due to extreme weather events and falling groundwater levels threaten our cities and regions. The MAURICE project introduces new water management solutions for cities. The partnership helps to integrate these into broader concepts on regional climate change adaptation and encourages the uptake of ...

City of Warsaw
By Warsaw partners
MECOG-CE

Strengthening metropolitan governance

Urban and rural regions are growing closer together across central Europe. As a result, the focus of spatial planning moved up to the level of metropolitan regions, which include commuter belts around cities. But cooperation between a city and its hinterland often remains challenging. The MECOG-CE project overcomes this by connecting eight metropolitan regions in central Europe that identify, test and share good governance tools.

MedWaveImage

Introducing microwave imaging to hospitals

Healthcare institutions suffer from a considerable undersupply of employees as well as from a lack of sufficient infrastructure and equipment. The project MedWaveImage tackles this growing challenge by transferring cutting-edge technologies from near-by universities to hospitals. The partners focus especially on the potentials of microwave imaging, which can be used to develop portable and cost-effective devices for treating diseases like breast cancer and monitoring ...

solar-technician-installing-solar-panel
Pexels Cristian Rojas
MESTRI-CE

Investing in climate-neutral buildings

A climate-neutral central Europe requires a drastically reduced energy consumption of buildings. However, renovation is often costly and complex. The MESTRI-CE project introduces a new investment model to finance more climate-friendly buildings that guarantee sustainability. The model covers both the supply and demand side of the renovation market and builds on data collected and tools and green standards developed by the project.

High angle shot of a group of unidentifiable businesspeople forming a circle with their hands
MISSION CE CLIMATE

Introducing cross-sectoral climate adaptation systems

Resilience to climate change can only be achieved when you look at all parts of the puzzle. Cross-sectoral approaches are needed but silo-thinking is still hard to overcome in central Europe. The MISSION CE CLIMATE project helps regions to better coordinate their responses to climate change. The partners activate citizens in pilot regions to contribute to newly introduced community climate missions and develop a ...

More than a Village

Creating smart villages

Many rural areas in central Europe struggle with the digital transition. Strategies to become smarter and stay competitive are either missing or hard to transfer. The project “More than a village” is changing this. The partnership develops a smart village model that will make rural regions more attractive for people and businesses. The partnership tests the model including action plans in five different regions ...

Highway full of cars
Pexels Mikhail Nilov
MUTABLE

Connecting communities through smarter mobility

Rural regions with scattered populations often have weak links to cities, making it hard to reach work, education and healthcare. MUTABLE aims to improve public transport through stronger local mobility management. Partners from three countries introduce mobility managers who coordinate services, pilot demand-responsive connections and involve citizens in designing user-focused solutions. Exchanging methods and tools helps also other regions in central Europe build smarter, ...

NiCE

Revitalising fading city centres

City centres have long been busy places where people meet, shop and consume. This started to change fast when the Corona pandemic and growing online trade forced many shops to close. The NiCE project re-vitalises fading city centres by making local trade and consumption more circular and sustainable. The partners develop innovative urban development approaches, which focus on the creation of multifunctional resource centres ...

Bike sharing station
acinquantadue getty images
NUTSHELL@CE

Improving public transport planning in rural areas

Transport policy in rural areas is still too often focused on cars. To reduce land use for streets and offer more sustainable mobility options, the NUTSHELL@CE project will transform transport planning in these areas. Partners from eight countries work towards a public transport system that is based on integrated spatial and transport planning. This new approach will increase flexibility, offer better access to transport ...

NXTLVL Parking

Parking cars the greener way

Urban mobility planning has long been focused on cars. As a consequence, parking lots reduce public spaces for trees and plants in cities. The needs of cars are prioritised over the needs of people. To change this, the NXTLVL Parking project reviews innovative parking policies and transfers them to central Europe. They design alternative approaches to make mobility planning more sustainable and introduce new ...

OPTI-UP

Developing smart tools for green public transport

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 ...

Forest
Pexels Mikhail Nilov
Pannon Future Forest

Boosting skills for nature-based economies

Border regions between Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia host rich forests and rivers but struggle with low incomes, weak connectivity and little awareness of new green markets such as carbon farming or biodiversity credits. Pannon Future Forest works to turn this nature into shared prosperity. Partners create a cross-border knowledge hub and mentor network that train local actors and business support organisations, coach pilot projects ...

bike lane
Pexels Mikhail Nilov
PATH-CE

Building walkable towns and cities

In many small and medium-sized towns, fragmented walking and cycling networks lock people into car use even for short trips, harming air quality and liveability. PATH-CE aims to make these places more walkable and bike-friendly. Four municipalities, supported by research partners, test ten small-scale interventions such as clearer pedestrian information, greener streets and safer crossings. Together they develop an economic blueprint for walkable cities ...

Small city centre
Pexels Mikhail Nilov
PER-MOVE

Linking urban and rural areas sustainably

Peripheral and lagging areas often lack reliable, green links to nearby towns, which limits access to services and raising transport costs. PER-MOVE aims to improve urban-rural connectivity while cutting car use. Partners from three countries pilot e-bike schemes, demand-responsive transport and enhanced public transport, co-designing them with users and local authorities. Joint strategies and guidelines then help transfer the most effective solutions to other ...

Soil path
Dylan De Jonge Unsplash
PoLaRecCE

Cleaning up contaminated soils in central Europe

In many of our regions, agricultural soils are contaminated by various pollutants. Moreover, these lands are still used for growing food or animal feed, leading to an uncontrolled uptake of pollutants into the human food chain. The PoLaRecCE project works on a sustainable land management programme and tests cutting-edge tools and techniques to remediate degraded soils for non-food agricultural production. The partners disseminate knowledge ...

PopUpUrbanSpaces

Demonstrating the benefits of greener mobility

Mobility in our cities is still dominated by cars. Sustainable options often exist but are underused. A change of user behaviour is needed. The PopUpUrbanSpaces project applies a “show and tell” approach to raise awareness on the issue. The partners design pop-up interventions to show citizens and policy makers what it would be like to have streets and public spaces not dominated by cars. ...

PROCAREFUL

Digitalising rural home care

Elderly and vulnerable people wish to be taken care of in their homes. But technical solutions to support independent living of people in need of care are often missing, especially in rural regions. The PROCAREFUL project wants to improve the situation by developing a new model for hybrid homecare services. The partners work on a solution that combines face-to-face care with remote and digital ...

blue-and-orange-train-on-rail-tracks-during-daytime
Lukas Lehotsky Unsplash
Rail4Regions

Putting freight on rail

To reduce carbon emissions, more goods need to be moved by rail. But currently, most freight is still transported on central Europe’s roads due to rail infrastructure gaps that reduce competitiveness. The Rail4Regions project helps transport planners to integrate regional rail lines into European freight networks. The partners develop solutions to optimise regional rail lines and access points and create action plans to encourage ...

Railway station
Pexels Mikhail Nilov
RAISE-CE

Turning rural train stations into mobility hubs

Underused rural railway stations miss the chance to connect people with wider mobility networks and services, fuelling isolation and outmigration. RAISE-CE aims to turn six stations in Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland and Germany into more vibrant mobility hubs. Pilot actions introduce e-sharing assets, demand-responsive links, digital kiosks and Wi-Fi community spaces co-designed with locals. Partners build capacities of station managers and embed results ...

Forest in Poland, damaged by fire
Photo by Ewa Zin
RE-ENFORCE

Designing a common framework for forest restoration

Forests in central Europe are suffering from climate change, physical disturbances and unsustainable management. To reverse their decline requires joint restoration efforts beyond borders but there are no commonly agreed restoration definitions and guidelines, yet. The RE-ENFORCE project addresses this absence by drafting a transnational restoration strategy, based on experiences made in pilot actions with a newly developed, web-based decision support system. The partners ...

RE-PUBLIC SPACES

Making historic courtyards fit for climate change

Historic cities often find it difficult to become resilient to climate change. Especially in their centre, quartered buildings with internal courtyards need special attention while tools and policies for their adaptation are missing. The RE-PUBLIC SPACES project involves local communities and applies participatory methods in changing this. The partners develop a new methodology to analyse courtyards as a single spatial organism and prepare adaptation ...

a-fountain-with-children-playing-in-it
Pexels Helena Jankovičová Kováčová
Ready4Heat

Protecting citizens from heat

Global warming comes with more frequent and intense heat waves. Cities in central Europe need to adapt but many still lack efficient strategies and action plans to protect their citizens from heat. The Ready4Heat project helps them to introduce tested short-, medium- and long-term measures with a focus on the most urgent issue: sudden heat waves. The project makes proven and tested measures such ...

Dresden elbe
Nicole Kurtze Unsplash
ReBioClim

Restoring urban streams to improve the micro climate in cities

Ecological restoration could help overheated cities with improving micro-climatic conditions and halting the decline of biodiversity. However, restoring green and blue nature corridors still lacks widespread acceptance among urban planners. The ReBioClim project addresses the many barriers and challenges for their nature-based solutions and strengthen the provision of sustainable biodiversity and ecosystem services. The partners focus on the re-establishment of urban streams. They analyse ...

Green building
Shannia Christanty Unsplash
ReBuilt

Building a greener construction sector

The construction industry heavily contributes to resource consumption, waste generation, and greenhouse gas emissions. The adoption of circular and digital practices can help reduce the environmental impact of the sector. The ReBuilt project promotes these approaches in an education programme and deploys new solutions. The partners also design a transnational circular and digital construction strategy that builds on green labelling, end-of-waste criteria, and green ...

ReCo creates habitat connectivity, needed e.g. by migrating wading birds
ReCo creates habitat connectivity used by migrating waders (Škocjanski Lagoon, Slovenia) - © Jörg Schmiedel
ReCo

Protecting ecosystems across borders

The European Green Belt is a unique network of ecologically important habitats and protected nature areas. Crossing countries along the line of the former Iron Curtain, it is under pressure: growing land use is leading to biodiversity and habitat degradation. The ReCo project pilots a new protection and conservation strategy by capitalising on geo-information and data processing systems. The partnership also adopts a ...

a-group-of-people-walking-across-a-street-in front of tram
Joshi Milestoner Unsplash
REDU-CE-D

Reducing the energy consumption of transport systematically

Transport remains a huge consumer of energy in central European countries. It is still highly dependent on fossil fuels and produces enormous emissions. Partners in the REDU-CE-D project work together to increase efficiency of different modes of transportation by transposing the European energy directive. They develop and disseminate a customized environmental management system based on EU requirements and a joint strategy. In this process, ...

RehAllianCE

Innovating the rehabilitation care system

Rehabilitation is care that helps people get back or improve abilities necessary for their daily life. The challenge is that such a care often lies with the family without much systemic or technological support. The RehAlliance project helps MedTech companies to break-through and accelerate the commercilisation of their products. The project partners share experiences and good practices to develop a set of policy recommendations ...

geometrical 3d image
Pexels Mikhail Nilov
ResilienCE

Strengthening the social economy for green transition

Small social enterprises in peripheral areas often lack the skills and resources to go green and digital. RESILIENCE aims to change this and make them drivers of local transition. Partners from five countries set up transnational resilience labs and a joint training programme that provide green and digital skills, mentoring and bottom-up community engagement. Together they co-create and test market-ready solutions in sectors such ...

3D rendering of electric car battery.
Kittipong Jirasukhanont
REUSE2030

Making the mechanical sector more circular

The manufacturing industry in central Europe uses a lot of resources but recycles only 12%. To improve circularity, waste streams need to be better understood and new solutions developed. The REUSE2030 project analyses current waste streams and circular practices in the mechanical sector. This leads to a new digital circular inventory, which empowers mechanical companies to autonomously choose sustainable practices. The inventory is complemented ...

Young people addressing waste problems
Pexels Karola G
RUREVIVE

Revitalising rural regions through zero-waste innovation

Youth emigration, ageing and underused resources hold back development in many lagging rural areas of central Europe. RURE VIVE aims to turn this around by building zero-waste local economies and attractive local jobs. Partners from Slovenia, Croatia and Poland set up rural demo centres run as community-based zero-waste hubs that map resources, train residents and support local initiatives and start-ups. They combine know-how from ...

Project partners of the SMART CIRCUIT project.
SMART CIRCUIT

Cleaning up the manufacturing industry

Manufacturing is an important employer in central Europe. But it is also resource-intensive and produces much waste and emissions, especially in value chains related to the electronics, construction and textiles sectors. The SMART CIRCUIT project extends the scope of existing digital innovation hubs to promote circular economy practices. By connecting these hubs throughout central Europe, the partners increase knowledge on best practices and strengthen ...

Efficient innovative company and business people working together
SMERF

Preparing companies for a greener future

Countless companies will have to change their business models to stay competitive. They need to innovate to be prepared for a greener and more digital future. One way to cope with this challenge is to seek support from so-called innomediaries that function as innovation bridgers or change agents. The SMERF project offers smaller companies guidance on working with innomediaries. The project also creates a ...

a-wood-building-with-a-solar-panel-roof
Thomas Werneken Unsplash
Solar4CE-Cities

Reducing barriers for prosumers of solar energy in cities

A wider use of solar energy in urban areas is often hindered by insufficient policy frameworks that lead to administrative, technological, and financial barriers. The Solar4CE-Cities project helps cities to change this by promoting the prosumption approach. Prosumers are citizens or entities that not only consume but also produce renewable energy and thus contribute to decarbonise their communities. The partners assess existing prosumer schemes, ...

Pexels Karola G
SOSPHERE

Improving access to health and social services

Residents in peripheral areas often feel isolated and insecure because health and social services are fragmented, hard to access digitally and poorly known. SOSPHERE aims to make support easier to reach and to trust in. Partners co-design one-stop-shops that bring providers together, improve coordination and give citizens a stronger voice, and develop strategies and guidelines to boost digital health literacy. Successful models can then ...

Freepik
SuPeRBE

Helping regions to adapt buildings to extreme weather

Central Europe experiences climatic changes with a growing number and severity of extreme weather events. Communities are affected by climate-related hazards that impact their ecosystems and their built environment. The SuPeRBE project helps local and regional authorities in their adaptation efforts. The partners develop a new digital toolkit, which features a multi-scale assessment tool for the adaptation of buildings, decision-making methodologies, and a 3D ...

Train on a platform. Green mobility. Public transport.
SUSTANCE

Improving mobility in border regions

Leaving the car at home remains challenging for people in sparsely populated areas close to borders. Too often, there are simply no satisfying public transport offers available. The SUSTANCE project involves a wide range of transport stakeholders to co-design innovative mobility services and governance schemes that will help public authorities to change this. In this process, the partners deploy amongst others customised intervention action ...

rolled-textile-lot-in-shallow
Pexels Pixabay 236748
SYMCRAFT

Crafting new products from industrial waste

Approaches to circular economy are often fragmented and inefficient. They suffer from a lack of cooperation and symbiosis across sectors. The SYMCRAFT project fosters collaboration between the craft sector and key industries like textiles, wood, furniture, and agri-food. The partners focus on the challenge of repurposing industrial waste from these sectors into innovative craft products. They pioneer eco-friendly business models tailored to the craft ...

TASK4ISI

Making entrepreneurship more attractive for neglected groups

Entrepreneurship in central Europe is marked by limited inclusiveness. Women, migrants, and young people are still underrepresented when it comes to building a business. TASK4ISI embraces the potential of these “missing” entrepreneurs by establishing inclusive “entrepreneurship and social innovation hubs”. The partners develop and test specific learning programmes and craft strategies for a sustainable and inclusive growth of central European regions. In their pilots, ...

TeBiCE

Creating a market for biomass products

Central Europe has a strong potential for economically utilising biomass from agriculture. It can be processed in biorefineries and transformed into a range of high value products. But this circular approach is still in its early stages and needs support. The TeBiCE project contributes by establishing sustainable value chains for biomass-based products. The partners also help with creating a market for these products by ...

Doctor in front of computer
Pexels Mikhail Nilov
TeleHealthAid

Strengthening peripheral healthcare with telemedicine

Peripheral regions face shortages of general practitioners, ageing populations and long distances to specialised care, putting pressure on local health systems. TeleHealthAid aims to secure quality healthcare closer to home through telemedicine and smart specialisation. Partners in Austria, Germany and Hungary co-design digital tools and professional-to-professional cooperation models, test them in pilots and develop joint training and policy recommendations with local stakeholders. Shared experience ...

Person holding smartphone
Oleg Magni Pexels
TRANS-BORDERS+

Providing better service and information for cross-border travellers

Cross-border connectivity is crucial for people in peripheral areas. But they often lack efficient service and information on public transport links to regions across borders. The TRANS-BORDERS+ project targets this issue by introducing new services and digital information systems that help with planning public transport journeys in border regions. Project partners from five countries develop solutions like open journey planners that link travel information ...

Copyright © Jasmina Perkič 2024
TRANSGEO

Using abandoned wells for geothermal energy production

The fossil fuels industry is declining in central Europe and leaves behind countless gas and oil wells. The TRANSGEO project is turning this environmental problem into an opportunity: it investigates the potentials of such abandoned infrastructures for producing and storing green geothermal energy. The partnership develops a transnational strategy and regional action plans to give a second life to the wells and tests their ...

Man learning in front of computer
Pexels Mikhail Nilov
TWINUP4CE

Building a stronger workforce with green and digital skills

Peripheral regions often lose workers because they cannot access green and digital upskilling, widening development gaps with dynamic centres. TWINUP4CE seeks to build a future-ready local workforce. Partners from three countries set up regional upskilling management alliances that link employers, training providers and authorities. Together, they map skills needs, pilot re- and upskilling schemes for key sectors and agree shared strategies and funding paths, ...

high-angle-photography-of-dome-building-near-bridge-and-body-of-water
Dan Novac Unsplash
UrbanBlueHealth

Making it safer to swim in urban lakes and rivers

When it’s hot in summer there is nothing better than taking a swim. However, in central European cities this might not be a good idea: 65% of urban surface waters meet only minimum quality standards. The project UrbanBlueHealth improves this condition by first assessing health impacts and then creating new solutions for cleaning up urban lakes and rivers. Amongst others, the partners develop a ...

a bench in a city park
URBIO BAUHAUS

Developing a master plan to protect urban biodiversity

The loss of biodiversity due to climate change is enormous, also in urban areas. To counter this negative development, the URBIO BAUHAUS project protects and boosts urban biodiversity by combining aesthetic design, citizen participation, and science. With this holistic approach, the project innovatively integrates “New European Bauhaus” principles to develop urban biodiversity solutions. The partners create and test biodiverse islands to preserve keystone species ...

a-car-plugged-into-a-charging-station-on-a-city-street
Rick Govic Unsplash
V4Grid

Turning cars into power banks

The transformation of our energy systems to renewable energies poses many challenges. One challenge is that renewable energy fluctuates largely over time and needs to be balanced to match demand. The Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technology offers a solution by allowing cars to draw energy from the grid to recharge their battery. Or send it back to the grid. The V4Grid project addresses regulatory challenges and ...

woman-in-black-sweater-holding-white-and-black-vr-goggles
Maxim Hopman Unsplash
VReduMED

Integrating virtual reality into medical education

Medical interventions are increasingly digitalised but training of health care staff is still lagging behind. The VReduMED project helps to untap the potential of virtual and augmented reality for their education. The partnership develops a roadmap for virtual reality training products and services and will publish a handbook on the integration of virtual reality into health care education. They also set up three regional ...

a-forest-filled-with-lots-of-fire-and-lots-of-smoke
Emma Renly Unsplash
Wildfire CE

Fighting wildfires better together across borders

Climate change increases the threat of wildfires across central Europe. Since they often affect more than one region, fighting these fires needs better cooperation and information sharing. The Wildfire CE project improves the assessment and management of wildfire risks by mapping fire potentials, providing fire assessment manuals, and developing action plans for pilot regions. In cooperation with regional authorities and emergency services, the partners ...

© Sandra Moelants
x-Inno Radar

Transforming industrial regions with a focus on soft skills

Industrial regions in central Europe are amidst a heavy transformation of their economic and social base. It is especially the non-metropolitan regions who must change profoundly in response to global economic trends, political demands, and structural disadvantages. The X-Inno Radar project increases their agility and innovativeness by strengthening soft skills. The partners jointly apply a new place-based approach, which centers around transversal skills, maker ...

ZEB4ZEN

Reducing the energy usage of historic neighbourhoods

Public zero-energy buildings produce enough renewable energy to meet their own annual energy consumption requirements. They help regions and cities to save energy and money. But what to do in historic neighbourhoods with rigid building protection rules? The ZEB4ZEN project develops a transferrable transnational methodology and regional action plans for achieving zero-emission standards, which they also test in pilot actions in historic city neighbourhoods.