The overall aim of PROSPECT is to enable peer to peer learning in regional and local authorities in order to finance and implement sustainable energy plans. The learning will empower them to make use of best practices in developing financing for these plans. PROSPECT will address the needs of regional and local authorities through developing a complete peer to peer learning program addressing them. The learning process will be focused on how different sustainable energy projects and measures have been successfully financed. Peer to peer learning involves sharing information and experience from each other through mentoring activities, work shadowing, and study tours, among others. Primarily, the networks Eurocities, Energy Cities and FEDARENE will perform “needs assessment and gaps identifications” with public bodies for learning and match these needs with available best practices. Then PROSPECT will select public authorities and agencies and the roles of trainer and trainees will be assigned. The learning program will be divided into five modules that include development of financing for : i) public buildings, ii) private buildings, iii) public lighting, iv) transport (private and public), and v) cross sectional. The overall estimation is for PROSPECT to launch 5 modules per year (fifteen in total) with an average participation of 15 partners per module. This number can differ depending on the demand there is for each module, but as an average value this can be manageable in terms of teaching requirements. The added value of PROSPECT in comparison to other initiatives is that the learning program is not limited to a capacity building process. Instead, the learning curriculum will follow the project steps of energy efficiency finance from the first stages of its development to monitoring its sustainable operation. The learning program will ideally result to the launch of pilot business models and financing partnerships for implementing sustainable energy plans.

Cement production is responsible for 8% of global CO2 emissions, mainly from limestone processing to produce clinker. Clinker can be replaced by other raw materials, such as clay, ashes, slags or recycled concrete fines. These materials can be processed into Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCM), which have a lower CO2 footprint than Portland Cement. DETOCS proposes a new approach to rapidly increase the use of SCMs on existing production facilities: by exploiting the latest innovations in digital tools to predict and control the quality of cement and concrete blends with high amounts of SCMs compared to today’s standards. Our network aims to lay the scientific foundations to create knowledge and new models to study the production of high quality SCMs and their impact on low-carbon cement and concrete mixes. The goal is to reduce clinker factor from ca. 70% today to 40% by 2030 and 25% by 2035, targeting a CO2 emissions of 0.2 t.CO2/t.cement (compared to today’s global average of 0.65 t.CO2/t.cement). At DETOCS, the partners combine top-notch scientific expertise, interdisciplinary know-how, engineering solutions and real-world process data into an industry-driven network. The structured approach combines complementary research for each individual project in the academic and industry sectors. The top-level research work is accompanied by a balanced mix of the newest scientific courses and transferable skills training delivered by each partner locally and in dedicated training schools, seminars, and workshops at the network level. This way, each doctoral candidate builds up deep scientific expertise and interdisciplinary knowledge to deliver game-changing cleantech innovations during and after the project. DETOCS is impact-driven and strives for a portfolio of high-class joint publications, patents, and innovations along the value chain. The project will lay the foundations for first-of-its-kind engineering solutions to decarbonize cement and concrete products.

NURISH aims to enhance climate resilience and sustainable development in rural and small urban communities by implementing transformative nature-based, technological and circular economy solutions. It supports the EU’s long-term vision for stronger, connected, resilient, and prosperous rural areas by 2040, contributing to territorial cohesion, innovation, job creation, skills development, better infrastructure and sustainable agriculture. The project will develop the Regenerative Rural Resilience Framework to help rural areas mitigate climate risks through nature-based solutions (NBS), fostering entrepreneurship and creating green jobs. Resilience Hubs (RHs) in Greece, Cyprus, Finland and the UK will demonstrate tailored NBS to address flooding, water scarcity and land degradation, while digital tools will support real-time monitoring and decision-making. Communities in the demonstration and replication areas will actively participate in the EU Rural Pact, promoting rural perspectives, fostering collaboration and advancing nature restoration and conservation through NBS. By sharing knowledge and scaling solutions across rural regions, NURISH ensures its strategies are adaptable and replicable throughout Europe, contributing to the EU Green Deal, the Climate Adaptation Strategy and rural prosperity goals by 2040.