This ERA-NET Cofund action is a transnational collaboration on CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS) technology. CCS is regarded as one of the main routes for Europe to mitigate climate change. Our initiative "Accelerating CCS technology as a new low-carbon energy vector" (ACT) targets mainly the energy sector, but will also have benefits for energy intensive industries. The vision of ACT is to ensure that the energy sector makes a better contribution to climate protection by developing a collection of different CCS technologies ready for commercialisation. The consortium consists of 10 partners from 9 countries highly engaged to further development of CCS. The partner contribution for the first call is Euros 28.8 million. The consortium has received Letter of Support (LOS) from several important stakeholders in the CCS area in Europe. The main objective of ACT is to facilitate the emergence of CCS by significant transnational joint calls that will stimulate close cooperation between researchers and industry in order to accelerate the deployment of CCS. During these calls the consortium will address the most relevant RD&D gaps in the CCS chain. ACT will bring researchers and CCS stakeholders from a number of countries closer together in a joint effort that will generate momentum towards deployment of CCS technology in Europa. ACT will fund transnational R&D and innovation projects, facilitate meeting places for knowledge sharing, ensure synergies with pilots and demonstration projects, and invite to discussions with stakeholders in the CCS field. ACT will also ensure dissemination of results from ACT funded projects as part of an extensive outreach program targeting the research community, policymakers and the public in general. The result will be new knowledge which in turn will close gaps and accelerate CCS deployment. ACT has seven work packages, of which five are directly related to the first call and the last two are dedicated to additional activities.

EnerDigit - A joint programming initiative to establish transnational innovation eco-systems for the designing, implementing and testing of interoperable technical and business services for energy systems, unleashing the potential of digital transformation for the energy transition This ERA-Co-fund Action aims to enhance the transnational collaboration in digital transformation of energy systems and networks. It helps unleashing the potential of digitalisation for the energy transition towards a de-carbonised, secure and resilient European energy system. The initiative coordinates relevant RDD programmes in the involved European and associated countries and regions, implementing at least two joint calls for RDD proposals. It contributes to the implementation of the EU SET-Plan, particularly Actions 3 and 4. Beyond the funding of transnational RDD projects, it accelerates the development of transnational innovation ecosystems by initiating a Transnational Validation Ecosystem with existing and upcoming living labs, allowing start-ups and innovative companies to test their solutions in different frameworks. It also promotes the development of interoperable solutions, enabling wider impact and use of applications, systems and services, by piloting a European Collaboration Platform for Interoperability Testing, providing an open, independent development and test environment for developers, manufacturers and suppliers of components and solutions for smart energy systems. A highly ambitious consortium establishes an Impact Network with Associated Partners, acting as intermediaries towards regional and local stakeholders, start-up supporters and incubators as well as to follow-up financers and investors in order to enhance need driven technology policy. This ERA-Net co-fund action is exploiting on sustainable coordination structures already established by the Joint Programming Platform Smart Energy Systems (JPP SES) and will be integrated there as a new "Focus Initiative".

The Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETP) is a transnational initiative on joint RTDI programming to boost and accelerate the energy transition, building upon regional and national RTDI funding programmes. It aims to empower the energy transition and contribute to the EU’s goal of becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, by pooling national and regional RDTI funding for a broad variety of technologies and system solutions required to make the transition. It will foster transnational innovation ecosystems from the very local and regional level, up to the transnational European level, thus overcoming a fragmented European landscape. The CETP is aiming to enable 70 national and regional RDTI programme owners and managers from 32 countries to align their priorities and implement annual joint calls from 2022 to 2027 (original first proposal as published by the EC on CORDIS). Actually 30 countries and 55 programme owners and managers formally participate in this Initial Grant Agreement. They also organise joint accompanying activities to enable a dynamic learning process, extract strategic knowledge (“Knowledge Community”) and maximise the impact (“Impact Network”) to accelerate the upscaling, replication and market diffusion of innovative solutions. This will foster the up-take of cost-effective clean energy technologies. The common vision of the CETP is already manifested in its Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) that has been co-created in a broad engagement process during 2020, together with the involved countries, the EU SET-Plan Implementation Workin Groups and ETIPs, all energy relevant ERA-Nets as well as the EERA joint programmes (over 500 editors, co-authors, commenters and discussants). The SRIA was endorsed together with the European Commission (DG RTD and ENER) in November 2020 . This articulates the common goal of (1) building a transnational transformative Joint Programming Platform, (2) developing and demonstrating technology and solutions for the transition of energy systems, and finally (3) building innovation ecosystems that support capacity building at all levels.