Gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR) is considered as one of the six most promising advanced nuclear reactor technologies, supported worldwide by the Generation IV International Forum and ESNII in Europe. It excels in versatility, combining very high core outlet temperatures and the possibility to close the fuel cycle, allowing for very efficient and sustainable electricity and industrial heat production. The SafeG proposal presents a Research and Innovation action aiming at connecting developers of the ALLEGRO reactor (V4G4) with European and international experts having experience in GFR and HTR research, who will utilize their unique expertise, knowledge and experience, bringing fresh ideas to the GFR development to the SafeG project will bring the GFR research and development in Europe a major step forward. It is divided into 7 Work Packages, four of them dealing with open research and development problems of GFRs, namely the core safety and proliferation resistance (WP1), advanced materials and technologies (WP2), decay heat removal (WP3), standardization and codes (WP4). Additionally, a major part of the effort (15 % of the total budget) will be dedicated to education and training activities sheltered by WP5. Dissemination and outreach activities are included in WP6 while WP7 ensures smooth management and execution of the project. The main objectives of the SafeG project are: - To strengthen safety of the GFR demonstrator ALLEGRO - To review the GFR reference options in materials and technologies - To adapt GFR safety to changing needs in electricity production worldwide with increased and decentralized portion of nuclear electricity by study of various fuel cycles and their suitability from the safety and proliferation resistance points of view - To bring in students and young professionals, boosting interest in GFR research - To deepen the collaboration with international non-EU research teams, and relevant European and international bodies

The ambition of the PIANOFORTE Partnership is to improve radiological protection of members of the public, patients, workers and environment in all exposure scenarios and provide solutions and recommendations for optimised protection in accordance with the Basic Safety Standards. Research projects focusing on identified research and innovation priorities will be selected through a serie of three competitive open calls. The input to define the research priorities will be based on the priorities defined in the Joint Road Map (JRM) developed during the H2020 CONCERT EJP but also on the results of ongoing H2020 projects and on the expectations expressed by other actions carried out in other European programmes, in particular the SAMIRA action plan. High priority will be dedicated to medical applications considering that 1) medical exposures are, by far, the largest artificial source of exposure of the European population and 2) the fight against cancer is a top priority of the present European Commission. In order to ensure an appropriate continuity in the research goals and methodologies, in line with the contents of the CONCERT JRM, two other priorities have been identified to further understand and reduce uncertainties associated with health risk estimates for exposure at low doses in order to consolidate regulations and improve practices and to further enhance a science-based European methodology for emergency management and long-term recovery. Once the research priorities defined, the open call system will promote excellence in science and widening participation through a process open to the whole radiation protection community. Beyond the research actions, the selected projects will be able to benefit from the system of sharing and mutualisation of infrastructures that will be implemented at the European level. This will be accompanied by education and training schemes for health workforce and young scientists to increase Europe’s research capacity in the field.

CONNECT-NM is a co-funded European Partnership on nuclear materials for all reactor generations that applies modern digital technologies to materials science practices for the acceleration of innovation. It implements plans elaborated in the ORIENT-NM CSA with 5 strategic goals: (1) NM knowledge organisation system; (2) Nuclear materials (NM) acceleration platforms; (3) NM test-beds for accelerated qualification; (4) Intelligent materials health monitoring; (5) Advanced methodologies for prediction of materials behaviour in operation. Accordingly, the work will be organised in 5 research lines: (1) Nuclear materials knowledge & data management; (2) Advanced materials development & manufacturing; (3) Materials & component qualification: testing, standardization & design rules; (4) Non-destructive examination & materials health monitoring; (5) Advanced materials modelling and characterization. Each research line will coordinate call-selected Projects. CONNECT-NM will centralize transversal activities for the benefit of all Projects: e.g. coordination & management; E&T and infrastructure access; communication, dissemination & result exploitation; interaction with stakeholders; data management. Collaboration is foreseen with international organisations and bodies dealing with safety, standardisation, data management, as well as with fusion & non-nuclear energy communities. All activities align with national and European initiatives on nuclear materials, strengthening R&D&I and avoiding fragmentation and duplication, with direct involvement of industry, TSOs and regulators as active partners and end-users.

In the realm of renewable energy, the generation of hydrogen via photo- and electrochemical water splitting has emerged as a focal point for energy storage and emissions reduction. However, achieving the desired efficiency remains a formidable challenge, primarily due to constraints in the performance of the anodic reaction involving the endergonic oxidation of water and the subsequent release of oxygen. Despite recent strides, current catalysts are either prohibitively expensive, or suffer from inadequate stability and durability. To address this pressing issue, an interdisciplinary and intersectoral Consortium comprised of seven academic and two industrial teams endeavors to pioneer a breakthrough solution. Our goal is to develop novel materials with enhanced catalytic activity in electrochemical and photochemical water oxidation reactions, coupled with stability under operational conditions. These materials will be rooted in polychelate, macrocyclic, and clathrochelate complexes of 3d-elements. The project will pursue systematic synthetic strategies to obtain the desired water oxidation catalysts, followed by comprehensive characterization employing various analytical, structural, and physico-chemical methods. By elucidating the factors influencing the catalytic efficiency of water oxidation catalysts, the Consortium aims to facilitate the rational design of novel photo- and electrocatalytic systems for hydrogen and oxygen production from water. Furthermore, pathways for leveraging these new substances as highly effective homogeneous and immobilized molecular catalysts for photo- and electrochemical water splitting will be explored, fostering innovative technological solutions for energy conversion and environmental preservation. Through this staff exchange program, we anticipate promoting and enhancing the complementarity of the participating teams, fostering cross-fertilization, and cultivating a hub of synergy in research, innovation and technology.

This proposal describes the third core project of the Graphene Flagship. It forms the fourth phase of the FET flagship and is characterized by a continued transition towards higher technology readiness levels, without jeopardizing our strong commitment to fundamental research. Compared to the second core project, this phase includes a substantial increase in the market-motivated technological spearhead projects, which account for about 30% of the overall budget. The broader fundamental and applied research themes are pursued by 15 work packages and supported by four work packages on innovation, industrialization, dissemination and management. The consortium that is involved in this project includes over 150 academic and industrial partners in over 20 European countries.