Unprecedented rate of urbanization constitutes substantial risks to the resilience of cities, with public health and welfare being the most critical concern. This includes the emergence of (non-)communicable disease epidemics due to environment contamination and lifestyle factors. To increase the sustainability of cities, there is a critical need for an early warning system (EWS) for public & environmental health diagnostics that operates on a large scale and in real time. Rapid urbanisation and the young, growing population of Africa are also linked with rapid digitisation and an unprecedented up-take of new technology. This presents a unique opportunity for the development of a digital technology-based, comprehensive and real time EWS that is attuned to public and environmental health risks in rapidly changing Africa. We propose to build a network aiming to develop a public & environmental health diagnostics and hazard forecasting platform in Africa via urban environment fingerprinting underpinned by digital innovation. EDGE-I will develop a conceptual model (and a prototype in EDGE-II) of an environment fingerprinting platform for hazard forecasting and EWS using DIGITAL INNOVATION and state-of-the-art bioanalytical, socioeconomic, statistical & modelling tools. The digital innovation will be focused on the use of Internet of Things (IoT) enabled sensors and cloud computing as a plat-form for capturing, storing, processing, and presenting a wide range of environmental measures to a broad group of stakeholders. EDGE will focus on two key thematic areas of critical importance to rapidly growing and urbanising Africa: (1) Water, sanitation & public health: as a vector for infectious disease spread and environmental AMR. (2) Urbanization & pollution: as a vector for environmental degradation and non-communicable disease. EDGE postulates that the measurement of endo- and exogenous environment & human derived residues continuously and anonymously pooled by the receiving environment (sewage, rivers, soils and air), can provide near real-time dynamic information about the quantity and type of physical, biological or chemical stressor to which the surveyed system is exposed, and can profile the effects of this exposure. It can therefore provide anonymised, comprehensive and objective information on the health status of urban dwellers and surrounding environments in real time, as urban environment continuously pools anonymous urine, wastewater and runoff samples from thousands of urban dwellings. EDGE-I will focus on building a concept of a prototype of EWS in two geographically and socioeconomically contrasting areas in Africa: Lagos (Nigeria), Cape Town (South Africa). The young and growing population of Africa that is rapidly up-taking digital innovation provides a unique opportunity for building a system underpinned by digital channels to provide long and lasting impacts. To achieve above EDGE-I will: 1 Develop a transdisciplinary and cross-sectoral network focussed on building EWS in Africa 2 Develop a conceptual model of an EWS in Afri-ca underpinned by digital innovation in techno-logical solutions and Citizen Science 3 Engage with stakeholders: from citizens, through government to digital tech industry E DGE-I will catalyse the development of a large-scale research programme (EDGE-II).

Project summary ProBleu will expand and support the Network of European Blue Schools, attract a wide diversity of new members, improve ocean and water literacy across school communities, and contribute to the objectives of the Mission, in particular (1) to protect marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, and (2) to prevent and eliminate pollution. ProBleu recognises that a significant change in environmental education is needed to foster broad societal responsibility towards oceans and waters and to encourage related behavioural change. ProBleu will develop and offer a pool of innovative, practical resources based on methodologies of Open Schooling. Besides several actions to promote, encourage participation in, and increase the diversity of the Network, two resources, currently lacking from the majority of school curricula, are explored in ProBleu: (1) those related to what is collectively known as ‘citizen science’, with work undertaken by educators together with communities to advance science, foster a broad scientific mentality, or encourage democratic engagement, which allows society to deal rationally with complex modern problems, and (2) the interaction with scientists in the field. Collecting and analysing data through citizen science ensures that student activities contribute directly to fostering their ocean and water literacy. Students engaging with the work of scientists (e.g. through direct interaction, or following the work on ocean research cruises) have shown improvements in learning in the past, but this opportunity tends to be limited to relatively few or privileged schools. These resources will be complemented by stimulating the connection between people and the places where they live. By fostering relationships between the school communities and their local waters, ProBleu will assist schools in developing project activities related to the Mission.

The project ‘Climate smart, ecosystem-enhancing and knowledge-based rural expertise and training centres’ (RURALITIES) delivers an ecosystem-enhancing and climate action driven expertise and learning framework organised in hubs e.g., the ‘RURALITIES’, comprising a series of innovative methodologies with the learner at its core, supported by a comprehensive network of living labs, and a blockchain based digital platform combining the Internet and wireless technologies, to assist engage, connect and empower actors. This is done via a multi-point approach e.g., multi-actors, multi-disciplines, multi-systems, multi-scale, multi-sectors, and multi-levels. RURALITIES is rooted in the recruitment, preparation, training and coaching of 1.000+ facilitators (KPI) distributed in all participating countries, for a variety of tasks (e.g., trainers, facilitators, role models, hub coordinators, etc.), and who play a significant role in creating the matrix and the platform upon which the learning framework is built, develops, and evolves. RURALITIES proposes to ideate, implement, futureproof, validate and deliver the expertise and learning centres via real-scale practicing in 7 simplified rural socioecological systems (SIMSES) e.g., demonstrators, 2 in Italy, 1 in the United- Kingdom (UK), 1 in Slovenia, 1 in Spain and 1 in Romania. RURALITIES coordinates identified actions of local, regional authorities in supports of rural innovation in regions and economic sectors where rural innovators are not yet engaged in a relevant network. RURALITIES coordinates identified SIMSES networks promoting rural innovation solutions whilst establishing innovative multipoint ‘RURALITIES Hubs’ of expertise and training on rural innovation. This is done via coordinating action for the managing authorities and regional bodies influencing regional and national policy instruments in Italy, the UK, Slovenia, Spain and in Romania.

NATALIE addresses the risks posed by climate change and its impacts and proposes to advance the concepts of “ecosystem-based adaptation” in Europe combined with climate resilient development pathways, as the means for impact driven Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), to accelerate and mainstreaming the adoption of NBS for resilience to climate change, which is also the cornerstone identified in the recent IPCC AR6 WGII Report. NATALIE will deliver innovative and practical innovationsin co-creation ofsolutions and stakeholder engagement, modelling, testing, monitoring and validation mechanisms that will support regions and municipalities to plan and develop adaptation actions bringing along valuable knowledge and experience as actionable knowledge for adaptation and impact-driven NBS. To achieve this goal, NATALIE will develop a transformative NBS booster pack of 25 solutions (innovative actions that address the key six levers for transformative change: (1) socially acceptable, smart and financial innovative solutions; (2) societal, stakeholder and citizen engagement; (3) larger systemic solutions at regional level; 4) monitoring, evaluation and cost-benefit analysis of solutions; 5) pre-feasibility study; 6) evidence-based outcomes and recommendations). The main goal is to accelerate and foster the mainstreaming of NBS, by forming an ecosystem based adaptation for regional resilience. The booster Innovation Package includes innovative technical, modelling and IT solutions (including an innovative NBS knowledge booster and digital twin), governance, policy recommendations at EU and regional level, financing and public engagement transformative solutions. 18 NBS measures will be demonstrated at 8 case studies, in different biogeographical regions of Europe in Greece, Romania, Latvia, Canary Islands, Belgium (Flanders), France, Norway and Italy (Veneto region), as well as five follower regions in Iceland, the Balearic Islands, Romania, France and Lithuania).

Biotechnology has the potential to reduce the impact of human activities in nature. By developing new bio-based production platforms towards a more efficient use of waste streams, a step forward in industrial circularity can be achieved. CHEERS is a new biorefinery concept, inspired on nature biodiversity (insect and microbial platforms), to upgrade sustainably and efficiently underused or waste side streams such as bagasse, wastewater, CO2 and CH4 from bio-based industries into innovative bio-based products. CHEERS will help bio-based industries to improve their feedstock use efficiency and overall sustainability and competitiveness via upcycling and cascading the use of biomass produced from their side-streams. CHEERS is developed as a modular solution where bio-based industries can configure the optimal combination by selecting among 5 novel biotechnological routes which generate 5 bio-based products for industrial applications, with attractive market opportunities: insect protein, disinfectant, microbial protein, ecotoine and caproic acid. All value chains are based on new bioprocesses and/or innovative bio fermenters combined with sustainable downstream processes, which will be validated at demo-scale at an industrial brewery. A min. 45% carbon footprint reduction will be achieved in each value chain. The evaluation of CHEERS impacts will go beyond the classic LCA and will cover broader impacts such as biodiversity and land use. The beer company MAHOU is project coordinator working with 11 partners of 5 European countries, including technology suppliers, end-users and research entities. CHEERS will contribute to a “zero waste” biorefinery approach, fully aligned with the EU Green Deal, Circular Economy Action Plan and Bioeconomic Strategy, and foster the understanding of biotechnology-based value chains through the engagement of relevant actors, from small bio-based industries to consumers.