The GeoS-TECHIS project targets the decarbonization of industrial thermal processes, which currently account for approximately 20% of global energy consumption and predominantly depend on fossil fuels. The project introduces an innovative thermal system, combining a high temperature heat pump and a heat-driven cooling unit, which leverages geothermal resources as heat source, sink and storage. GeoS-TECHIS focuses on industries with sub-200 °C process heating needs and modest cooling requirements above 0 °C, aiming to reduce their carbon footprint by 60 - 75% compared to current fossil fuel-dependent solutions. The project will achieve these goals through several key initiatives: • Developing and field-testing an advanced thermal system using water (R718) as the working medium, designed for versatility across industrial applications and efficiently utilizing geothermal sources, industrial excess heat, and renewables like solar thermal. • Exploring cutting-edge concepts for high-temperature thermal energy storage (TES), focusing on operational flexibility in industrial contexts with sustainable thermal fluids. • Devising hybrid digital modelling tools to optimize industrial thermal processes and guide industries in decarbonization through tailored roadmaps. • Promoting societal and environmental acceptance through safe operational practices, comprehensive impact assessments, and advanced methodologies for geothermal energy potential mapping. GeoS TECHIS involves 10 partners and 1 affiliated: four private industry and technology providers, two universities, four research organizations and a specialised Communication and exploitation SME all committed and experienced within thermal research, innovation, manufacturing, testing and dissemination, thus a full complementary partnership for promoting the binomial geothermal energy & industry as a key pillar.

Climate change events, such as droughts and floods, are affecting water availability and the global economy. Decentralized water management (DWM) systems can enhance water reuse by treating wastewater near its source and repurposing it for suitable uses. However, widespread adoption requires greater awareness of its benefits, technical demonstrations, and policy adaptation. The WATERSENS project aims to demonstrate the benefits of six DWM technologies and provide an integrated decision framework to help water authorities and stakeholders select, design, and integrate these systems. The selected technologies cover diverse water resources and uses, addressing various geographic and economic contexts. They include floating wetlands for wastewater and stormwater treatment, biofilters for river pollution removal, phototrophic bacteria and biofilters for urban wastewater, green walls for greywater treatment, and green roofs and cisterns for stormwater collection. Quality control procedures will be followed, and emerging contaminants will be characterized. The impacts will be evaluated through LCA, LCC, and social LCA, supported by a risk management model to provide data-driven evidence of the benefits. WATERSENS will also identify barriers in different regions and propose a governance framework based on a cost-benefit analysis and the evaluation of administrative challenges. This will be integrated into a Decision Support System (DSS) platform, driven by AI, which will also include a DWM catalogue, GIS tools, and climate change models, aiding water management stakeholders in making informed decisions.

D4RUNOFF overall goal is to create a novel framework for preventing and managing diffuse pollution from urban water runoff through the data driven design of hybrid nature based solutions (NBS) adapted to the current and future risk scenarios solutions. This innovative approach will support water utilities, urban planners and policy makers in defining urban runoff and storm water management plans to enhance the quality of the water discharged to water bodies, considering the Climate Change. D4RUNOFF will have the following specific objectives (SO): - SO1 Increase the knowledge regarding urban runoff pollution sources and the impacts through the development of novel high-resolution suspect and screening & non target screening NTS methods for Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) detection and identification of the major CECs and relevant pollutantspresent in storm water source and assessing their fate in NBS - SO2 Development of cost effective advanced online sensors for targeted CECs, metals and microplastics for improving the monitoring of the water pollution derived from urban runoff - SO3 Enhancing the implementation of advanced preventive and mitigation strategies to reduce diffuse pollution through the development of and innovative multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methodology integrated in Geographical Information System (GIS) for hybrid NBS design - SO4 Development of a risk assessment and mapping methodology to identify diffuse pollution hotspots for specific sites & considering climate change effects. - SO5 Development of an AI based platform to facilitate the development of effective urban runoff and storm water management plans based on informed decisions - SO6 Implementation and validation of D4RUNOFF approach in 3 case studies and 5 replication sites - SO7 knowledge transfer and engagement with stakeholders, including civil society

Polyurethane (PUR) products, which include foams for building, construction, automotive and furniture and bedding, are petroleum-based and usually lack important properties. The need for sustainability in these industries leads to the development of cost-efficient processes and sustainable added-value products from low carbon footprint materials. The main objective of BIOMAT is to establish an Open Innovation Test Bed (TB) for the benefit of industries and SMEs, aiming to facilitate the cross-border partnership and accelerate innovation in nano-enabled bio-based insulation materials for these industries. Through the creation of a Single-Entry Point (SEP), SMEs and other industrial parties will have open access at a competitive price to physical facilities (pilot production lines) and services (characterisation, nanosafety, standardisation/regulation, business/marketing plans as well as technological and business-oriented mentoring) which will be focused on manufacturing and testing of nanoparticle-enabled functional PUR-based foams for the above mentioned industrial sectors. The SEP will follow all EC guidelines related to the establishment of new entities providing services through different testbeds across Europe. BIOMAT ecosystem will cover the entire Value Chain (VC) from fundamental biomaterials and functional nanoparticles to the final products and their proof of concept in an industrial environment, thus accelerating the market uptake of the new nano-enabled sustainable bio-based products. BIOMAT will, therefore, fill the existing gaps in the VC of these industrial sectors, by providing new services and support at different levels the use of such materials in these key industries.

SYMSITES?s main objective is to implement regional industrial urban symbiosis in four European regions different in social economic, and environment aspects, from the north Denmark, through the mid Austria to the south Spain and Greece. The four EcoSites will use the same technologies for wastewater and waste treatment and energy production and cycling, enabling a clean comparison of the EcoSite impacts. The four EcoSites will generate virtuous circles of energy, treated waste and wastewater streams between urban and industrial entities. The enabling technologies to be developed for waste and wastewater (WW) co-treatment, are: a newly developed IT Regional Management platform (ITRMP) including novel IIoTs and Social Decision support System (SDSS) to manage efficiently the I-U symbiosis; an anaerobic bioreactor(AnMBR) with advanced membrane coupled with a tertiary treatment, to be installed at the four EcoSites for a clean comparison of all impacts not directly influenced by different technologies. The aim is A) to achieve near-zero GHG emissions or CO2 negative footprint; B) use of bio-waste and non-recyclable wastes (NRW) to produce energy and reusable water as well as high-value new resources (HVNR), thus reducing the waste generation by ~50%; LCA and LCC studies and the quantity prevented from transportation (Ton-Kilometer units) and from landfilling (Ton/m3 units) will evaluate the costs and environmental impact. Dedicated tools will be developed to spread he I-US concept within Europe. These include: virtual demonstration of replication potential in other regions by setting up a network amongst waste associations ' facilitation services for implementing symbiotic processes; actions to facilitate relations and to involve the local community actors and establishment of a social innovation non profit spin-off involving tools and business models for streams exchange in a dynamic production.