Textile industry is facing major challenges. It is one of the most polluting industries, and consumers, as well as European regulations, are pushing for change. Indeed, global demand is changing, and consumers tend to expect more sustainable and smart textiles. Moreover, the EC is committed to a green and digital transition and needs to be more competitive globally. In this context, UPWEARS aims to contribute to structural resource efficiency and a sustainable economy by unlocking the potential of a new generation of biobased and hybrid fabrics for e-textile. UPWEARS e-textile will feature high performance, cost-effective multi-functionality, such as functionalized yarn and fibre, biomimetic fabrics, imbedded electronics and energy sensors. Partners will ensure a reduced environmental impact on the manufacturing value chain and end product – a country cycling suit – fully recycled. UPWEARS development will minimise manufacturing waste thanks to artificial intelligence technology and multiscale testing. It will also reduce chemical utilisation thanks to enzymatic & eutectic green solvents. For this, UPWEARS will: -Create an innovative & sustainable value chain from the native fibre to functional device end-of-life; -Switch from a traditional towards a modern textile fabrication process supporting the textile industry's digital and sustainable transformation; -Eco-design an e-textile for high added-value sportswear applications meeting European consumer's demand and contributing to EU competitiveness. UPWEARS implementation and exploitation will have many environmental, societal and economic impacts. It will contribute to EU policies like the EU Green Deal since it combines electronic devices and natural fibres and works on circularity. Finally, UPWEARS consortium covers the full value chain: formulation, functionalization; e-textile design & production; digital transformation; reliability & durability; industrial validation and recycling & additive manufacturing

IMPRESS (Interoperable electron Microscopy Platform for advanced RESearch and Services) aims to co-develop and deliver advanced transmission electron microscopy (TEM) instrumentation, methods and tools that will revolutionize the way in which TEMs are used by all new and well-established scientific communities, integrate them with other instrumentation at analytical research infrastructures (RIs) and create new business opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises. The core of the project is the development of a standardized cartridge-based interoperable platform for TEM that is based on common interfaces and data formats, is flexible and adaptable and allows users to perform advanced correlative experiments using different instruments and to co-develop methodological options that are not yet satisfied by commercially available electron microscopes. The solutions will be delivered at technology readiness level 8 through a pre-commercial procurement. The project also involves the co-development of new electron sources, techniques based on adaptive optics and event-driven detectors, application-relevant in situ/operando sample environments and software for simulation of experiments and remote access based on artificial intelligence. By the end of the project, these developments will be integrated with the new cartridge-based platform, in order to make them available to all users of RIs and other TEMs owners. An open knowledge and innovation hub for TEM will be created and a training programme will promote the new solution, to initiate RI staff in their use and to provide both materials and life science communities with optimized tools for tackling societal challenges, especially in the energy and health sectors. The project will exploit synergies and collaboration with five RIs of European dimension for the benefit of users from diverse scientific communities and will pave the way towards a new cooperative model for the development and operation of RIs for TEM

Structural biology provides insight into the molecular architecture of cells up to atomic resolution, revealing the biological mechanisms that are fundamental to life. It is thus key to many innovations in chemistry, biotechnology and medicine such as engineered enzymes, new potent drugs, innovative vaccines and novel biomaterials. iNEXT (infrastructure for NMR, EM and X-rays for Translational research) will provide high-end structural biology instrumentation and expertise, facilitating expert and non-expert European users to translate their fundamental research into biomedical and biotechnological applications. iNEXT brings together leading European structural biology facilities under one interdisciplinary organizational umbrella and includes synchrotron sites for X-rays, NMR centers with ultra-high field instruments, and, for the first time, advanced electron microscopy and light imaging facilities. Together with key partners in biological and biomedical institutions, partners focusing on training and dissemination activities, and ESFRI projects (Instruct, Euro-BioImaging, EU-OPENSCREEN and future neutron-provider ESS), iNEXT forms an inclusive European network of world class. iNEXT joint research projects (fragment screening for drug development, membrane protein structure, and multimodal cellular imaging) and networking, training and transnational access activities will be important for SMEs, established industries and academics alike. In particular, iNEXT will provide novel access modes to attract new and non-expert users, which are often hindered from engaging in structural biology projects through lack of instrumentation and expertise: a Structural Audit procedure, whereby a sample is assessed for its suitability for structural studies; Enhanced Project Support, allowing users to get expert help in an iNEXT facility; and High-End Data Collection, enabling experienced users to take full benefit of the iNEXT state-of-the-art equipment.

Research in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology is vital for sustainability globally: advancement in nanoscience and nanotechnology cannot be achieved without using research infrastructures (RI). RIANA encompasses 7 European networks of top-level RIs to cover the most advanced techniques relevant for synthesis, nanofabrication, processing, characterization, analytics, as well as simulation capacity. Highly customised and efficient access to 69 infrastructures is coordinated via a single-entry point and enabled through comprehensive Science and Innovation Service by senior scientists, experts for the transfer of technology from academia to industry, and highly trained Junior Scientists. The Junior Scientist boost RI experience to an entirely new level: they provide customised Science Service supporting users from initial ideas to hands-on experiments, data analysis and dissemination of results to generate the greatest impact from access to world-class RI. This core of RIANA is aligned to attract experienced and new users from academia or industry making their promising ideas a success and push them to higher TRL. RIANA is flexible to upcoming emergent scientific topics and needs: together with stakeholders from the nanocommunity, RIANA implements the opportunity to offer flexible access to additional infrastructures in, and even outside of Europe beyond the current consortium, and to direct the Science Service towards evolving user needs via additional specialised Junior Scientists. Based on the four years of experience, the RIANA consortium will develop a roadmap for the future of the nanoscience and nanotechnology at European RIs.