The overall objective of the NEWBITS project is to provide with a deep understanding of the changing conditions and dynamics that affect and/or influence C-ITS innovations. New KPIs will be designed to feed reactive and network oriented value creation propositions that improve the collaborative decision-making process across the various stakeholders. This improved value definition must minimize the failures inherent to (C-) ITS innovation diffusion, evolve present business models, and identify effective incentives to accelerate (C-) ITS deployment. To support its main goal, the project proposes to apply a business ecosystem approach for (C-) ITS which acknowledges the context of economics of networks by introducing a higher conceptual level than that of individual organisations, focusing at how organisations create value within the context of the networks in which they interoperate. NEWBITS consortium will design and implement a holistic intelligence process that will gather key information and indicators on market, demand, stakeholder’s involvement and innovation diffusion for ITS and C-ITS. Furthermore, the project will develop a tailored application of the Value Network Analysis (VNA) business modelling method, which enables to model value networks, either internal or external to the organizations acting in the business ecosystems. NEWBITS method will be applied at macro-level (ITS and C-ITS context and market) and the meso-level (upon 4 pre-selected case studies). NEWBITS will configure Communities of Interest to foster a fully integrated network approach to the business modeling and develop a web-based network platform to support the project approach. NEWBITS will formalise the enhanced understanding of the potential system benefits and fundamental economics of new business models suited to C-ITS in the European context, and develop relevant outcomes to support policy measures towards C-ITS deployment.

To achieve climate neutrality by 2050, EU policy will have to be reoriented. It needs work simultaneously towards climate neutrality across the economy rapidly enough to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goals, while delivering on a broad range of issues, from competitiveness and productivity to employment and health. The concept of the European Green Deal captures this overarching narrative. However, to mobilise the creative, financial and political resources to achieve the required degree of technological, economic and behavioural change, the EU also needs a governance framework that facilitates cross-sectoral policy integration and allows citizens, public and private stakeholders to participate in the process and to own the results. 4I-TRACTION analyses what transformative climate policy could look like for the EU. Based on a stocktake of existing climate policies and their performance, it will spell out a number of policy avenues and an overarching governance framework, to describe how the current mix of EU climate and energy policies needs to evolve in the 2020s to set course for climate neutrality by 2050. The analysis will be structured around four cross-cutting core challenges, the “4 I’s”: 1) fostering breakthrough Innovation, 2) shifting Investment and finance, 3) rolling out the Infrastructure for a climate-neutral and resilient economy, and 4) Integrating solutions across sectors. This structure reflects that a systemic transformation will need to evolve beyond sectoral policy approaches. Incorporating scientific insights and policies from outside the EU as well as examining how the EU’s efforts interact with those of other key countries, the analysis will also include the global context. The analysis will be thoroughly grounded in science, but also aligned with the EU's dynamic political environment. To receive input, provide feedback and validate conclusions, the project will closely engage with a broad set of stakeholders throughout its lifespan.

PROSEU aims to enable the mainstreaming of the prosumer phenomenon into the European Energy Union. Prosumers are active energy users who both consume and produce renewable energy (RE). The growth of prosumerism all over Europe challenges current energy market structures and institutions. PROSEU research will look into new business models, market regulations, infrastructural integration, technology scenarios and energy policies. PROSEU’s interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary team will closely work together with RE Prosumer Initiatives (15 Living Labs), policymakers and other stakeholders from eight countries, following a quasi-experimental approach to learn how prosumer communities, start-ups and businesses are dealing with their own challenges, and to determine what incentive structures will enable the mainstreaming of RE Prosumerism, while safeguarding citizen participation, inclusiveness and transparency. Moving beyond a case by case and fragmented body of research on prosumers, PROSEU will build an integrated knowledge framework for a socio-political, socioeconomic, business and financial, technological, socio-technical and sociocultural understanding of RE prosumerism and coalesce in a comprehensive identification and assessment of incentive structures to enable the process of mainstreaming RE prosumers in the context of the energy transition.

The overall objective of the SusBind project is to produce and test, in an industrially relevant environment (TRL5), bio-based binders as alternative to formaldehyde based binder currently used in the production of wood-based panel board (abbreviated as wood board). A lot has been done on this subject, but so far a bio-based binder able to compete at industrial scale with incumbent chemicals, does not exist. The reason to believe on the success of this project is backed: on the selection of the partners, which involves actors across the whole supply chain, and their extensive technological background developed during the last years. The SusBind project intends to build on these success factors by: i. Selecting more adequate feedstocks from existing European Bio-refineries; ii. Applying new and greener conversion technologies for the production of binders and intermediates, including novel epoxidizing enzymes (peroxygenases) developed in the project IndOx (FP7-KBBE; www.indoxproject.eu ); iii. Producing and validating these new bio-based binders with leading wood board manufacturers for two product types: P2 Particle Board (PB) and Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) and; iv. Involving the world leading brand owner, producer and retailer of mass market furniture. The SusBind resulting binder system will prove better performance in PB and MDF in terms of 50 - 75% reduction of formaldehyde emissions than current fossil- and formaldehyde-based wood boards. The active participation of industry and a consumer brand owner secures post-project scale up into existing plants. On the basis of cost analyses performed, an economically viable and better performing precursor will increase the marketability of bio-based furniture products concerned. The results of SusBind will not only benefit consumer health and help mitigate climate change, but also strengthen the European furniture industry by providing a cost efficient, bio-based alternative to formaldehyde-based binders.