4AirCRAFT’s ultimate goal is to develop a next generation of stable and selective catalysts for the direct CO2 conversion into liquid fuels for the aviation industry, enabling the synthesis of sustainable jet fuel. 4AirCRAFT will overcome the current challenges by combining three main reactions into one reactor to increase the CO2 conversion rate and reduce energy consumption. 4AirCRAFT technology will produce sustainable jet fuel at low temperature (below 80 ºC), contributing to a circular economy and leading to a decrease in GHG and reduced dependence on fossil fuel-based resources. In order to achieve this goal, we will move beyond the SoA by precisely integrating and taking advantage of biocatalysts, inorganic nanocatalysts, electrocatalysts, and their controlled spatial distribution within application tuned catalyst carrier structures. These catalyst carrier structures will be based on metal-organic frameworks and engineered inorganic scaffolds with hierarchical porosity distribution. This will unravel the activity of catalytic active phases and materials based on earth-abundant elements allowing us to achieve high CO2 conversion percentages and selectivity towards jet fuels (C8−16). By achieving this we will be able to circumvent the need for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, that is unselective for the synthesis of fuels, therefore eliminating further steps for hydrocracking or hydrorefining of Fischer–Tropsch waxes. In terms of inorganic catalysts, size and shape of metal NPs, metal clusters, and single atoms at the surface of catalyst carrier structures will be developed, and precise structure-performance-selectivity relationships will be established. In terms of biocatalyst, special emphasis will be given to assure the long-term stability of deployed enzymes through programmed anchoring and shielding from detrimental reaction conditions. Together application tuned catalyst carrier structures will be employed to steer selectivity towards C8−16 molecules.

The current migration crisis is forcing Europeans to face past and future issues; and the decisions they are taking will have long standing impact on the EU. Our network hypothesizes that answers to the crisis are shaping Europe’s borders, migration and related security policies in exemplary manners and should be studied in comparative perspective and context. To conduct this innovative and forward looking research, our four partners in Canada, France, Japan and Turkey will leverage their tremendous expertise to compare EU’s evolving border, migration and security policies. Activities are aimed at engaging graduate students, young researchers and professors at each partner institution along with the policy makers in each community. The network will collectively develop a database of border, migration and related security policies, so that comparison of EU with the rest of the world is systematic and possible. Today, despite the growing body of work across institutions on border and migration studies, there are very few attempts to network these efforts, particularly when it comes to innovation in data sharing, management, and dissemination. We will develop an Open Online course to teach how the EU border, migration and related security policies evolved during the migration crisis. This online course will build on a past initiative which saw over 100 students per year, from over 25 countries engage in an open multi-disciplinary course. We will organize four workshops to meet with policy makers in each country and organize one international conference. Driving our agenda will be an iterative process with policy-makers so as to ensure that our research both reaches and is influenced by the current policy climate in our respective countries.

The Arctic marine environment is under rapid change, both in its physical and biotic conditions. The gradual loss of sea ice, increase in temperature, invasive species and compounding effects of additional ecosystem stressors are identified as likely causes of the observed turnover of Arctic species. Other issues of concern are the climatic tipping elements that are known to have affected the region in the geologic past, and that could well affect the region in the future, precipitating a regime shift of unprecedented magnitude. Predicting these changes in the Arctic ecosystem is hindered by several knowledge gaps, particularly in terms of mechanistic understanding of the coupling between drivers and responses. At stake are two important marine ecosystem services that human societies rely on; carbon sequestration with its feedback to global climate, and fisheries production that is the economic lifeblood of many of the local societies of the Arctic. ECOTIP will map out past and present Arctic biodiversity and its response to external drivers, and the effects of expanding commercial activities in the Arctic under expected climate change. It will investigate the resistance, resilience and persistence of key ecosystem components to multiple anthropogenic stressors, and estimate their potential tipping dynamics. It will use a trait-based approach in process studies, empirical analysis and numerical models as a novel means of quantifying functional diversity to predict how different anthropogenic forcing scenarios (including climate, invasive species, pollution, exploitation) change biodiversity, productivity and ecosystem services. ECOTIP will engage with indigenous societies and European citizens to provide recommendations for optimizing the monitoring of Arctic biodiversity and ecosystem services, identify adaptation strategies, promote international collaboration and support Europe's endeavors to implement the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals.

CAPARDUS is a Coordination and Support Action with focus on capacity-building to develop guidelines, standards and best practices related to exploitation of new technologies and utilization of data to support sustainable development in the Arctic. The capacity-building involve scientists, students, technology providers, economic actors, local communities, regulators and their organisations, who will participate in a series of workshops and research schools. These events will be used as part of case studies in local communities in different regions, showing how the social-environmental systems are changing Arctic communities and what are the drivers for these changes. The climate change and its consequences in the Arctic leads to improved access to the Arctic and its resources, offering new opportunities for communities and for economic development related to exploration of natural resources, tourism, transport, and other industries. This presents extraordinary requirements for planning and decision-making based on scientific and economic data, assessments and predictions. A prerequisite for good planning is access to data and information of relevance to the operators in the Arctic. The project will develop a Comprehensive Framework Model for Arctic Standard and Best Practices as a collaborative effort between scientists, local communities and other stakeholder groups, including economic actors who are interested in business development in the Arctic. Towards the end of the project CAPARDUS will provide a roadmap for implementation of the comprehensive framework for sustainable economic development in the Arctic, to the benefit of both local communities and other operators. CAPARDUS will thereby contribute to EU’s Arctic policy, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement.