Category: News

• The Forum, held in Tunis, is a platform open to all stakeholders interested in efficient and sustainable water management in the Mediterranean region.
• The Foundation will present LIFE ECOdigestion 2.0, Horizon ONE-BLUE, Horizon RES4CITY and LIFE COSTAdapta.
• The projects can be scalable to other regions and European programs.

05/02/2023, Bruselas. The Finnova Foundation will attend this week, from 5 to 7 February, the V. Mediterranean Water Forum to be held in Tunis to present the projects related to water and climate change of which it is a partner. The Forum will be a unique opportunity to meet professionals from different countries sharing their knowledge, experiences and ideas to find innovative solutions to water related challenges.

Finnova will have a stand to showcase projects related to water management and protection, and on Tuesday, February 6 from 9:00 to 10:30 am (CET), will participate in the session “WEFE Nexus: Water/Energy/Food/Environment”. Finnova Foundation CEO Juanma Revuelta and European Funds Director Juan Viesca will present a total of 4 projects: LIFE ECOdigestion 2.0, Horizon ONE-BLUE, Horizon RES4CITY and LIFE COSTAdapta.

European projects

LIFE ECOdigestion 2.0 is a project financed by the LIFE program and budgeted at 970,000 euros, whose objective is to generate biogas by mixing putrescible organic waste, thus transforming sewage sludge into green energy through technology. The initiative led by Global Omnium, (Spain), in collaboration with the Finnova Foundation (Belgium) and Águas do Centro Litoral (Portugal), favors the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the use of sewage sludge generated in wastewater treatment processes, thus achieving a positive impact on the environment.

Horizon ONE-BLUE focuses on research into emerging pollutants and the effects of climate change on marine biodiversity and biota. The project is funded by the Horizon Europe program and has a budget of more than €6,200,000 to carry out case studies in the Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic and the Mediterranean Sea. Precisely, the samples in the latter case will be taken on the Spanish coast, in the Tyrrhenian, Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean Seas. In addition, the project may be scalable in other countries and through other European programs, such as the Interreg Next Med call, which aim to create projects that make the Mediterranean a smarter region.

Another of the projects that will be present will be Horizon RES4CITY, which focuses on the presence of education systems at the center of the ecological transition. RES4CITY, funded by the Horizon program and with a budget of €2.5 million, is focused on educational support for the development of sustainable renewables in urban environments. On the other hand, the RES4CITY STARTUP EUROPE ACCELERATHON will also be presented, an open competition that seeks entrepreneurs, students, researchers, … who propose innovative solutions to challenges on hydrogen, land management and energy conservation.

Finally, LIFE COSTAdapta focuses on the adaptation of the coast of Gran Canaria to sea level rise through the design of an innovative and progressive tidal pool-reef system. This methodology is inspired by the traditional technique of tidal pool construction, common elements in the Canary Islands and the rest of Macaronesia, for the coastal adaptation of Gran Canaria to climate change. This project is funded by the LIFE program and has a budget of more than €3,400,000.

The Tunis Days is a platform open to all stakeholders in water management in the Mediterranean region, which will bring together a variety of solutions for efficient and sustainable water management by providing innovative solutions. Participants will establish important contacts with water management professionals and innovative projects, technologies and practices developed in the Mare Nostrum will be presented.

Finnova, with the water protection

All these projects to be presented at the Mediterranean Water Forum are aligned with Next Water Generation, Finnova Foundation’s initiative for the dissemination of information related to water management and protection. Furthermore, these initiatives are aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 13 (Climate Action) and 14 (Underwater Life).

The CEO of the Finnova Foundation, Juanma Revuelta, explains that the objective of attending this type of event lies in the search for the sustainability factor in projects and scaling them with initiatives that obtain funding from other funds. Some of the calls to which these projects can be scaled may be the Interreg Next Med lines (ends March 30), projects that promote triangular cooperation with Latin America or calls for the LIFE program.

In addition to this forum, Finnova will attend in the coming months to events related to the care and management of water, such as Wex Global, Green Cities or Island Innovation. Finnova’s participation in these events demonstrates the paramount importance for the Foundation of water management, the fight against climate change in marine environments and the defense of marine biodiversity. Finnova reinforces a commitment of more than a decade with these causes and with the protection of the environment in all its fields.

About FINNOVA

FINNOVA is the Spanish-Belgian non-profit foundation based in Brussels and Spain, working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship in the EU. FINNOVA’s experience in leading communication and dissemination activities of European projects is combined with a solid proven track record in business creation and entrepreneurship support programs, such as accelerators, incubators and events, as well as its commitment to training and employability of young people.

• On 7 and 8 February, the Municipality of Novo Mesto, in Slovenia, will host the fourth activity of the WomenEquity project.
• The Finnova Foundation, which is part of the consortium together with 6 other entities, will organise the last of the events in Brussels.
• With a budget of €137,435, WomenEquity is a project of the Networks of Cities call of the Citizenship, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CESR), which addresses women’s access to the labour market from a European perspective.

On Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 February, the Slovenian municipality of Novo Mesto will host the fourth event of the European project WomenEquity, which aims to improve women’s access to the labour market from a European perspective. The event will bring together local actors from the different European countries that are part of the project consortium, with the aim of exchanging European values and cultural traditions and strengthening the links between EU territories.

The Finnova Foundation, a key partner in this project, will again play a key role by providing its essential European dimension. The Spanish-Belgian Foundation is already preparing the last event in Brussels of this project, the fruit of a public-private partnership that seeks to raise awareness, reduce barriers, and find solutions.

WomenEquity, developed in collaboration with seven European organisations from Belgium, Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia, aims to actively engage individuals and organisations to promote gender equality and provide practical tools to improve the situation of women.

The Slovenian event follows those held in Benaguasil, Lourinha and Guardistallo, and is one of seven events planned during the 18 months of the project. The aim is to produce audiovisual materials reflecting the reality of women in the world of work and a good practice guide, which will compile local initiatives carried out in the world of work and serve as a communication tool for citizens. This will allow participating municipalities to replicate them or serve as an example and inspiration for others.

About WomenEquity

With a budget of €137,435EUR, the project is led by Benaguasil Town Council togehter with a consortium of six other organisations from Italy, Portugal, Greece, Romania, Slovenia and Belgium.

WomenEquity is part of the Networks of Cities call of the Citizenship, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV), and seeks to address women’s access to the labour market from a European perspective, thanks to the collaboration between municipalities such as Benaguasil, Botosani, Lourinha or Guardistalo in cooperation with private entities such as Finnova or Fifty-Fifty. Through this public-private partnership, the aim is to raise awareness and seek solutions to reduce these barriers and improve their conditions. The project also aims to raise awareness and involve all citizens in this reality, as well as public and private entities, offering work tools based on equality to achieve greater inclusion of women in the labour market.

About the Finnova Foundation

Finnova is the Spanish-Belgian non-profit foundation based in Brussels and Spain, working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship in the EU. Finnova’s experience in leading communication and dissemination activities for European projects is combined with a proven track record in business creation and entrepreneurship support programmes, such as accelerators, incubators and events, as well as its commitment to training and employability of young people.

About the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme

The Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme funds citizens’ engagement, equality for all and the implementation of EU rights and values. The programme brings together the former Rights, Equality and Citizenship programme and the former Europe for Citizens programme. It thus promotes exchanges between people from different countries, strengthens mutual understanding and tolerance, and provides the opportunity to broaden perspectives and develop a sense of European belonging and identity through twinning and town networks. The programme follows a bottom-up approach while offering, in particular to town networks, the opportunity to focus on EU priorities.

• The Foundation, partner of the project, has attended the kick-off meeting held in Barcelona this week.

• The objective of ONE-BLUE is to improve the knowledge of the effects of emerging pollutants in different marine environments.

01/02/2024, Brussels. Finnova Foundation attended, last Monday 22nd and Tuesday 23rd February, the launch meeting of the Horizon ONE-BLUE project held in Barcelona. The meeting served as a first contact between the partners of the consortium and allowed to agree on the next steps to be taken.  FINNOVA explained to the consortium the guidelines that will be implemented in terms of dissemination and clustering in the project.

The main objective of the project, with a budget of 6.200.138,75€ is to improve knowledge of the presence, effects and risks of contaminants of emerging interest in different marine ecosystems and marine biodiversity in an environment affected by climate change. This project is funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe program, the main research and innovation funding program of the European Union.

On Monday, Adrian Noheda, European project manager at FINNOVA, presented the role of the foundation to the partners, and gave a brief summary of the more than 10 years of operation of the entity. On Tuesday, Jon Larrachea, European projects communication assistant, presented the proposals that the foundation has proposed to the partners in dissemination and clustering tasks.

FINNOVA, dissemination and clustering experts

FINNOVA will put at the service of the project its more than 10 years of experience communicating European projects, performing several tasks focused on the dissemination and attraction of ONE-BLUE stakeholders. The foundation will be responsible for the creation of a dissemination strategy for the project, which complies with the guidelines set out in the consortium agreement and reaches the target audiences (related projects, the scientific community, public agencies, regulatory bodies, students, researchers, etc.). In addition, a strategy will be adopted for the dissemination of project data from an early stage of the project, based on the publication of the collected data deposited in the IPCheM portal of the European Commission. On the other hand, at the request of the project leader, Finnova will be in charge of creating and feeding the project’s social networks, a key tool for the dissemination of the project.

ONE-BLUE, commitment to the protection of the seas

ONE-BLUE is a project led by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and the Instituto de Diagnóstico Ambiental y Estudios del Agua (IDAEA), the Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM) and the Instituto de Tecnologías Físicas y de la Información (ITEFI), institutes belonging to the CSIC. The consortium has a total of 18 entities (reaching 21 by adding the institutes within the CSIC) representing 11 countries of the European Union. The Italian Water Research Institute, the University of Milan, the University of Padua and the Regional Agency for the Environmental Protection of Tuscany (Italy), Venthic Technologies and the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (Greece), the Association for Research and Development of Sciences and the International Iberian Laboratory of Nanotechnology (Portugal), Delft University of Technology, Micronit and Microlife Solutions (The Netherlands), Dublin City University (Ireland), the Alfred Wegener Institute (Germany), the University of Dubrovnik (Croatia), the University of Orebro (Sweden), the Cyprus Research and Innovation Center (CYRIC) and FINNOVA (Belgium) are the partners involved in this 3.5-year project.

In line with the EU zero pollution action plan for air, water and soil and the EU biodiversity strategy 2030, ONEBLUE will contribute to building new knowledge on pollutants and their impacts on different marine ecosystems, through three complementary case studies in the Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, 179 sampling stations and more than 800 samples to be explored. The project will also use marine mesocosms (miniature ecosystems) to simulate scenarios to predict situations related to the effects of pollutants and climate change in the seas.

ONE-BLUE will assess the impact on the biota and biodiversity of marine microbial communities, as they are the main organisms affected and regulators of climate and biogeochemical changes, and this process will allow a better understanding of the combined effects of climate change and pollutants. The results extracted from the studies will provide tools that will allow the application of these data in policies that can be implemented in the European Union and will contribute to the creation of the CECsMarineDB database, which will house the data generated in ONE-BLUE and will take advantage of data from other projects with similar themes.

Scalability of the project

The ONE-BLUE project can be scalable in other countries and through other European programs. An example of this is the next Interreg Next Med call, where projects that make the Mediterranean a smarter, greener, more inclusive and better governed region will have a financial support of between 500,000 and 2.5 million euros with funding of up to 89%. The deadline for submitting proposals is March 28, 2024.

About Horizon Europe

The new European Framework Program for Research and Innovation for the period 2021-2027, Horizon Europe, is the European Union’s main initiative for the promotion of research and innovation. It succeeds the Horizon 2020 Framework Program, and has a budget of more than 95 billion euros to be implemented from 2021. The objectives of this new program include the fight against climate change, alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and boosting the competitiveness and growth of the European Union.

The idea of the program is to achieve a scientific, technological, economic and social impact of EU investments in R&I, thus strengthening its scientific and technological bases and fostering the competitiveness of the Member States.

For the Commission, Europe’s future growth and prosperity depend on its ability to remain a world leader in research and innovation. Horizon Europe aims to provide the means to achieve this goal in order to address major global challenges in crucial areas such as health, ageing, security, pollution and climate change.

About FINNOVA

FINNOVA is the Spanish-Belgian non-profit foundation based in Brussels and Spain, working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship in the EU. FINNOVA’s experience in leading communication and dissemination activities of European projects is combined with a solid proven track record in business creation and entrepreneurship support programs, such as accelerators, incubators and events, as well as its commitment to training and employability of young people.

The consortium of the Erasmus+ SETOFF project has met during the last three days, 22, 23 and 24 January, at the Finnova headquarters in Brussels, the European capital. The aim of this project is to train personnel in the different stages of both civil protection and the private sector in protection and security. The aim is to improve job security in the field of crisis management and protection and rescue, and to incorporate the private sector in the process of managing future crises and emergencies.

The meeting brought together the 8 project partners from Greece (International Hellenic University, ELINYAE and Sustainable City – City Network), Belgium (EuroCore Cosulting SPRL.), Spain (Finnova Foundation and Benaguasil City Council) and North Macedonia (C3I and MAGMA).

The headquarters of the Finnova Foundation hosted the fourth and last transnational meeting of the consortium where the partners analysed the progress of the project and discussed the next steps to be taken in the final stretch of the project. Furthermore, this meeting has had the final objective to disseminate the results as much as possible and to increase the impact of the training on public and private security personnel and on all those interested in risk management. The meeting will also focus on the sustainability of the project, new opportunities and synergies in order to move forward with the SETOFF project. The partners also stressed the importance of underlining the validity of the course throughout Europe as, upon completion of the project, the trainee obtains a certificate validated by ECVET.

The consortium was also involved in several events that were also held at Finnova’s offices in Brussels. In these events, different actions have been developed together with the FIREPOCTEP+ project, financed by the Interreg POCTEP 2021-2027 Programme, which aims at the adaptation to climate change through the prevention and management of the landscape exposed to large forest fires (GIF) in rural areas between Spain and Portugal.

Firstly, both projects attended the launch of the Waste Forest Challenge promoted by the Proptech Association – EU PropTech House, which aims to use forest mass and forest fire residues for construction and building materials. In the same space, networking activities were also carried out, together with Firepoctep+ partners, on topics such as communication, finance and legal issues. At the same time, the participating partners had the opportunity to present their organisations with an Elevator Pitch.  In addition to all this, the winners of the Finnova – Technovation Girls CV Firepoctep + Challenge presented their Firepoint app, created with the intention of providing a solution to the challenge of firefighting.

On the second day of the event, a forum entitled “FIREFIGHTING Interreg Legacy” took place in which several experts in the field of forest fire and crisis management presented their perspectives on these topics.  As one of the topics of the SETOFF being fires, the attendance to this forum was of great value for the partners of the consortium.

During the 3-day stay in Brussels, the partnership also took the opportunity to visit several institutions based in the Belgian capital. Among the visits included in the work programme was the visit on 23 January to the European Emergency Response Centre, the main body of the programme, which has been present throughout the training offered by the programme. During this visit they had the great opportunity to present the SETOFF project to European institutions. The partners also went to NATO headquarters to present projects and share experiences.

About SETOFF

SETOFF (Smart Education and Training Programme for Central and Local Government Officials: Embracing Vulnerability as our Greatest Strength and Innovative Risk Management Tools), aims to improve the readiness and occupational safety of both civil protection and private sector Safety and Security Personnel against future crises and emergencies by developing an innovative e-training curriculum based both on a successfully tested and implemented simulation model combined with the latest scientific knowledge and on comprehensive needs analysis.

The SET-OFF consortium consists of 8 partners including universities and training organisations with expertise in civil protection issues, municipalities and non-profit research organisations, as well as technical consultancy service companies from Greece, Macedonia, Belgium and Spain.

The European PropTech Association – PropTech House

Our mission is to support a sustainable European PropTech market and to create a positive impact on the European living environment and beyond.

Our objectives: to scale up cross-border collaborations, to standardise the European PropTech markets, to create a legal framework adapted to PropTech, to foster innovation in Real Estate and to facilitate access to funding.

About FIREPOCTEP+:

FIREPOCTEP+ (0139_FIREPOCTEP_MAS_6_E), which aims to strengthen forest fire prevention and extinction systems in the cross-border region between Spain and Portugal known as La Raya. This project is co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in the framework of the Interreg VI-A Spain-Portugal Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2021-2027 (POCTEP).

Led by the University of Vigo, FIREPOCTEP+ has a total budget of 3.3 million euros, a duration of three years (01/01/2024-31/12/2026) and a total of 15 beneficiaries from Spain and Portugal, as well as 2 unfunded partners.

FIREPOCTEP+ (Large Forest Fire Resilient Landscape: Emergency Response, Improving Interoperability and Operational and Social Capacity Building in the Face of Climate Change), is the vital evolution of the successful FIREPOCTEP (0756_FIREPOCTEP_6_E) funded by the 2014-2020 POCTEP programme. The new project design seeks to deepen the tasks carried out in its predecessor and extend the results through the design of connected governance protocols.

This ambitious project is positioned as a beacon of cross-border cooperation, committed to environmental preservation and socio-economic growth in the regions involved. FIREPOCTEP+ promotes an integrated and sustainable approach to address common challenges jointly with a series of ambitious objectives ranging from the development of innovative methodologies and tools, to promoting shared solutions through participatory strategies involving the rural population and the productive sector.

About Technovation Girls

Technovation Girls is an entrepreneurship and technology programme that aims to inspire girls and young women between the ages of 10 and 18 to become leaders and innovators. Led in Valencia by María José Valero, CEO of Talent Growth Management and ambassador of Technovation Girls Comunidad Valenciana, the programme aims to reduce the technological gender gap that currently exists. The aim of this competition is to create groups of girls and young women who, with the help of a mentor, develop a mobile application (app) that helps to solve a social problem that is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. In this way, in a fun and didactic way, the girls learn about programming concepts, app development, the development of a marketing plan and market research, in addition to learning about the social problems that affect their communities

• They will analyse the progress of the project after almost two years of work and the next steps to be taken in the final stretch.
• The meeting includes institutional visits and networking activities and synergies with other projects and entities of interest.
• The European project SETOFF is funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ programme, and has a budget of 312,307 €.

The consortium of the Erasmus + SETOFF project, which aims to improve occupational safety in the fields of crisis management and protection and rescue, and to involve the private sector in the process of managing future crises and emergencies, will meet in Brussels on 22 and 23 January to analyse the progress of the project and to discuss the next steps to be taken in the final stretch.

The headquarters of the Finnova Foundation in Brussels will host this last working meeting that will focus on the sustainability of the project, synergies and new opportunities to continue working on SETOFF. After almost two years of work, the consortium, together with different experts in security and risk management, has designed a training course consisting of 13 modules, which is available on the project’s training platform in five languages (English, Greek, Spanish, French and Macedonian).

The meeting aims to conclude with a strategy to disseminate the results and maximise the impact that this training can have on both public and private security personnel and anyone interested in risk management.

In addition to the internal meetings, and with the aim of creating synergies and giving continuity to this project, institutional visits and networking activities will be carried out together with other related projects and entities.

Among the visits included in the work agenda, it is worth highlighting the visit on 23 January to the EU Emergency Response Centre, an extremely important body for the project and which has been very present throughout the training offered by the project. During this visit they will present the SETOFF project within the European institutions. The partners will also visit NATO headquarters in order to present the project and share experiences.

ABOUT SETOFF

SETOFF (Smart Education and Training Programme for Central and Local Government Officials: Embracing Vulnerability as our Greatest Strength and Innovative Tools for Risk Management) aims to improve the preparedness and occupational safety of civil protection and private sector security and safety personnel for future crises and emergencies by developing an innovative online training curriculum based on a proven and successfully implemented simulation model combined with the latest scientific knowledge.

The SET-OFF consortium consists of 8 partners including universities and training organisations with expertise in civil protection issues, municipalities and non-profit research organisations, as well as technical consultancy service companies from Greece, Macedonia, Belgium and Spain.

• The project’s main objective, which has a budget of 6,200,000 euros, is to improve knowledge of the impacts and effects of emerging pollutants in different marine environments
• FINNOVA will oversee the communication and dissemination of the project
• The project can be scaled up and submitted to other European programs, such as Interreg Next Med, whose call for proposals closes on 28 March 2024

19/01/2024, Brussels. The Kick-Off meeting of the Horizon ONE-BLUE project will be held next Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 of January, a meeting that will be the first face-to-face contact between the partners involved in the project. The main objective of the project, whose budget amounts to 6,200,138.75 €, is to improve the knowledge of the presence, effects and risks of pollutants of emerging interest in different marine ecosystems and marine biodiversity in an environment affected by climate change. This project is funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe program, the European Union’s main research and innovation funding program.

ONE-BLUE is a project led by the Consjeo Superior de Investigaciones (CSIC) and the Instituto de Diagnóstico Ambiental y Estudios del Agua (IDAEA), the Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM) and the Instituto de Tecnologías Físicas y de la Información (ITEFI), institutes belonging to the CSIC. The consortium has 18 entities (reaching 21 by adding the institutes within the CSIC) representing 11 European Union countries. The Italian Water Research Institute, the University of Milan, the University of Padua and the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Tuscany, Venthic Technologies and the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (Greece), the Association for Research and Development of Sciences and the International Iberian Laboratory of Nanotechnology (Portugal), Delft University of Technology, Micronit, y Microlife Solutions (The Netherlands), the Dublin City University (Ireland), the Alfred Wegener Institute (Germany), the University of Dubrovnik (Croatia), the University of Orebro (Sweden), the Cyprus Centre for Research and Innovation (CYRIC) and FINNOVA (Belgium) are the partners involved in this 3 and half years.

Beyond the main objective, the project seeks to address the problem of ocean pollution from other perspectives. For example, to test the effects of pollution in the oceans, marine mesocosms (miniature ecosystems) will be used to simulate scenarios to predict situations related to the effects of pollutants and climate change in the seas. In addition, these tests, which will be carried out in artificial ecosystems, will provide tools that will allow the application of these results in policies that can be implemented in the European Union. In addition, we should underline the creation of the CECsMarineDB database, which will harbor the data generated in ONE-BLUE and will take advantage of data from other existing projects and databases that report on emerging pollutants in the marine environment.

In line with the EU zero pollution action plan for air, water and soil and the EU biodiversity strategy 2030, ONEBLUE will contribute to build new knowledge on pollutants and their impacts on different marine ecosystems, through three complementary case studies in the Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, (179 sampling stations and more than 800 samples to be explored). ONE-BLUE will assess the impact on the biota and biodiversity of marine microbial communities, as they are the main organisms affected and regulators of climate and biogeochemical changes, and this process will allow a better understanding of the combined effects between climate change and pollutants.

Finnova, experts in communication 

FINNOVA will put at the service of the project its more than 10 years of experience communicating European projects, performing several tasks focused on the communication and dissemination of ONE-BLUE. The foundation will be in charge of the communication plan, exploitation and dissemination strategy that complies with the guidelines set out in the consortium agreement and reaches the target audience (related projects, the scientific community, public agencies, regulatory bodies, students, researchers, etc.). In addition, a strategy for the dissemination of project data will be adopted at an early stage of the project, based on the publication of the collected data deposited in the IPCheM portal of the European Commission.

With this project, the Finnova Foundation once again shows its commitment to caring for the environment and defending biodiversity. The foundation is a partner in another Horizon project, RES4CITY, an innovative €2.5 million educational project, which aims to ensure that education systems are at the center of the ecological transition, closely aligned with those values of sustainability and the fight against climate change that the foundation supports. It also participates in LIFE COSTAdapta, a €3,337,563.47 project, 60% subsidized by the LIFE Program, for the adaptation of the coast of Gran Canaria to sea level rise through an innovative Tidal pool-reef methodology that partially uses the traditional technique of tidal pool construction, common elements in the Canary Islands and the rest of Macaronesia for the coastal adaptation of Gran Canaria to climate change.

Scalability of the project 

The Horizon ONE-BLUE project can be scalable in other countries and through other European programs. An example of this is the next Interreg Next Med call, where projects that make the Mediterranean a smarter, greener, more inclusive and better governed region will have a financial support of between 500,000 and 2.5 million euros with funding of up to 89%. The deadline for submitting proposals is March 28, 2024.

About Horizon Europe 

The new European Framework Program for Research and Innovation for 2021-2027, Horizon Europe, is the European Union’s main initiative to promote research and innovation. It succeeds the Horizon 2020 Framework Program and has a budget of more than 95 billion euros to be implemented from 2021. The objectives of this new program include the fight against climate change, alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and boosting the competitiveness and growth of the European Union.

The idea of the program is to achieve a scientific, technological, economic and social impact of the EU’s investments in R&I, thus strengthening its scientific and technological bases and fostering the competitiveness of the Member States.

For the Commission, Europe’s future growth and prosperity depend on its ability to remain a world leader in research and innovation. Horizon Europe aims to provide the means to achieve this goal to address major global challenges in crucial areas such as health, aging, security, pollution and climate change.

About the FINNOVA

Finnova is the Spanish-Belgian non-profit foundation based in Brussels and Spain, working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship in the EU. Finnova’s experience in leading communication and dissemination activities of European projects is combined with a solid proven track record in business creation and entrepreneurship support programs, such as accelerators, incubators and events, as well as its commitment to training and employability of young people.

• During the next 6 months, the Belgian executive will influence the main European policies.
• The Finnova Foundation, as a Spanish-Belgian entity, will cover the most relevant information of the semester related to the projects in which it is involved.

04/01/2023, Brussels. The Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union began on Monday 1 January, a six-month period in which Belgium will establish the Union’s road map. The Central European country will take over from Spain in this position, within the rotating system of Council presidency. This period will be particularly important due to the European elections to be held between 6 and 9 June, when Europeans will elect the 720 MEPs who will represent them in the European Parliament.

Belgium will set the European agenda in the first quarter of 2024, with the country hosting the European institutions establishing a total of six priorities: defending the rule of law, democracy and unity, strengthening competitiveness, promoting a green and just transition, strengthening the health and social agenda, protecting people and borders, and promoting a global Europe. Among the priorities of the Belgian Presidency, two are directly related to the activity of the Finnova Foundation: strengthening competitiveness and promoting the ecological and just transition.

Competitiveness for SMEs

On competitiveness, this semester will prioritise long-term competitiveness measures, ensuring a level playing field for businesses, especially SMEs, enabling them to compete fairly both within Europe and on the global stage. The Presidency aims to strengthen the role of research, development and innovation to become pioneers in developing and commercialising tailored solutions that boost the resilience and competitiveness of key EU value chains.

The Finnova Foundation has innovation as one of its main pillars. One of the foundation’s main objectives is to support start-ups and SMEs in bringing innovative ideas to life, with a view to strengthening the industrial fabric. An example of this is the Startup Europe Awards (SEUA) methodology, an open innovation tool that allows companies to identify talented startups capable of solving current challenges in multiple areas. This initiative is extremely useful for promoting knowledge sharing, adding value to the entrepreneurial ecosystem and helping startups to grow and position themselves in the market. SEUA is a project promoted by the European Commission and supported by the Committee of the Regions and the European Parliament.

Green transition, another key point

The Belgian Presidency underlines the importance of addressing the triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Aligned with the Green Pact, the Presidency will place the energy and climate transition at the heart of its priorities. To reduce vulnerabilities to climate change, the Presidency will strive to improve the Union’s circular economy, adaptation and preparedness capacities, sustainable water management and make rapid progress in the development of renewable and low-carbon energy sources and carriers.

Finnova Foundation has a long track record of successful projects aligned with sustainable development advocacy. Currently, Finnova is a partner in the LIFE Costadapta, LIFE ECOdigestion 2.0 and LIFE NextFUMIGREEN projects, initiatives that address coastal adaptation to sea level rise, biogas generation from waste and the use of natural fumigants, respectively. In addition, the foundation is also a partner in the RES4City and InnovationThread Accelerator projects, projects that aim to contribute to sustainable development and which also have accelerators that aim to provide start-ups and SMEs with tools to make them competitive and improve their market positioning.

About Finnova Foundation

Finnova is a foundation working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship at EU level. Based in Brussels, it operates through collaborations and partnerships in all countries of the European Union. Finnova’s experience in leading European project communication and dissemination activities is combined with a strong proven expertise in start-ups and business support programs, such as accelerators, incubators and ceremonial event selection and awarding.

About LIFE ECOdigestion 2.0

LIFE ECOdigestion 2.0 is a pilot demonstration project, funded by the LIFE program with a budget of over 970,000 EUR, which generates biogas in wastewater treatment plant digesters through the mixing of putrescible organic waste (manure, poultry, organic fractions, municipal solid waste, horeca, etc.), thus transforming sewage sludge into green energy through technology. The initiative, led by Global Omnium (Spain), in collaboration with the Finnova Foundation (Belgium) and Águas do Centro Litoral (Portugal), aims to become the most versatile digestion control tool in the market, achieving environmental and economic benefits through biogas production by optimal waste utilization. Thanks to this technology, it promotes the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the utilization of sewage sludge generated in wastewater treatment processes, thus having a positive impact on the environment. This program is easily scalable with other funds such as the FEDER, NextGenerationEU, or RepowerEU.

About LIFE NextFUMIGREEN

The European project LIFE NextFUMIGREEN actively promotes food safety by developing natural fumigants from plant extracts to control pests in intensive horticultural crops under glass. With the leadership of Fumihogar and with the collaboration of the Foundation for Agricultural Auxiliary Technologies, the Finnova Foundation, B&B Asesores Auditores Ambientales, Comercial Quimica Masso and BrioAgro Tech, the project has a total budget of 2,758,921.01 €, 60% subsidised by the LIFE Programme.

About LIFE COSTAdapta

LIFE COSTAdapta has the main objective of addressing the adaptation of the coast of Gran Canaria to sea level rise through an innovative methodology. To this end, the objective is to design and test an innovative and progressive Tidal pool-reef system, which uses, partially, the traditional technique of tidal pool construction, common elements in the Canary Islands and the rest of Macaronesia, for the coastal adaptation of Gran Canaria to climate change. The project, which has a duration of 7 years and a total budget of 3,409,864 €, is coordinated by the Consejo Insular de Energía de Gran Canaria (CIEGC) of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria with the support of 7 partners: Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC); Universidad de Cantabria (UC); INGECID S.L.; Raley Estudios Costeros S.C.P.; ECOncrete AQUA; Fundación Canar.

About Startup Europe Awards

The Startup Europe Awards (SEUA) is an initiative driven by the European Commission, implemented by the Finnova Foundation in collaboration with StartUp Europe. It is an open innovation tool that allows companies to identify talented startups capable of solving today’s challenges in multiple areas. Its mission is to help Startups and Scaleups become more efficient, smarter and more successful. These awards are a useful tool to promote knowledge sharing, add value to the entrepreneurial ecosystem and help startups to grow and position themselves in the market.

About LIFE ECODIGESTION 2.0

It is a demonstration pilot project, funded by the LIFE programme and with a budget of more than 970,000 euros, which generates biogas in water treatment plant digesters by mixing putrescible organic waste (slurry, poultry, organic fractions, MSW, horeca, etc.), thus transforming wastewater treatment plant sludge into green energy through technology. The initiative led by Global Omnium, (Spain), in collaboration with the Finnova Foundation (Belgium) and Águas do Centro Litoral (Portugal) aims to become the most versatile digestion control tool on the market by achieving environmental and economic benefits through the production of biogas through optimal waste exploitation. Thanks to this technology, it favours the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the exploitation of sewage sludge generated in wastewater treatment processes, thus achieving a positive impact on the environment. This programme is easily scalable with other funds such as ERDF, NextGenerationEU or Repower EU.

About RES4CITY

RES4CITY is a new innovative educational project, in which the Finnova Foundation is a partner. The project has a budget of €2.5 million, fully funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe Programme. Juan Viesca, Director of European Funds at Finnova, explained at the launch meeting that this initiative “aims to address the skills shortage in the EU in the renewable energy sector” through a set of educational programmes and tools that enable students to develop skills in renewable energy systems, fuel technologies and sustainability.