AQUAlity is a multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral European Training Network, that consist in eighteen participants (7 universities, 3 research institutes and 8 companies) and aims to generate and promote highly skilled scientists with the potential to face the present and future challenges concerning the protection of water resources from contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). AQUAlity will enroll fifteen early-stage researchers (ESRs) to conduct cutting-edge research on multidisciplinary aspects of novel hybrid technologies for the removal of CECs from aqueous systems. Moreover, ESRs will be trained to develop their creativity, critical and autonomous thinking, and entrepreneurial skills, thus boosting their scientific skills and innovation capacity in the field of water treatment technologies. This goal will be attained via a structured training-through-research programme, consisting of original individual research projects (performed both at the beneficiary organization and through intersectoral secondments) and education on technical and transferable skills (performed both at local level and with network-wide events). The overall research goal of AQUAlity is to develop highly innovative hybrid green technologies for CECs removal from aqueous systems by unconventional solar advanced oxidation processes (AOP) in combination with high flux ceramic nanofiltration membranes. Hence, ESRs will conduct frontier research in the field of AOP (organic photocatalysis, sensitized photocatalysts, photo-Fenton), materials development, nanofiltration technology, and will develop innovative hybrid photochemical/membranes systems to be tested on different waters to prove their potential for the production of high-quality water. Advanced analytical tools for the determination of CECs, their degradation products and water safeness will be developed. Thanks to the presence of industrial participants, AQUAlity aims for the commercial exploitation of part of the research results.

The overall objective of TRANSFORMIT is to demonstrate and improve the effectiveness of integrative forest management (IFM) to combine productive forestry and biodiversity conservation by integrating existing practical and scientific knowledge, and to stipulate collaboration and mutual learning amongst science, policy and practice. TRANSFORMIT will lay the basis for larger scale implementation of IFM through proactive engagement with well-established networks, such as the Integrate Network, and a corresponding Chinese consortium. Capitalizing these networks, TRANFORMIT will (a) create a Stakeholder Engagement Platform for intensive collaboration, mutual learning and sharing of knowledge among conservation and forestry bodies, forest managers, forest owners, research institutions, certification bodies and other interested stakeholders to exploit synergies and minimise trade-offs in forest management, (b) promote IFM though the establishment of seven Living Labs that serve as role models to spread IFM across European regions, (c) create a set of practical IFM recommendations and evidence-based guidelines for upscaling and addressing multiple, possibly conflicting objectives of forest management, d) update, demonstrate and verify IFM actions to help achieve EU forest policy targets as part of the EU Green Deal, Biodiversity Strategy and the EU Forest Strategy 2030, (e) demonstrate approaches for the diversification of IFM methods and appropriate use with a strong involvement of practitioners, (f) demonstrate the active use of Decision Support Tools (DSTs) and forest modelling as well as innovative technologies to address effects of different forest management approaches on the provision of ecosystem services and effects of climate change on forests, (g) apply context-dependent and site-appropriate, participatory, multi-stakeholder and interdisciplinary methods.

European forests are expected to provide a broad range of ecosystem services (ES). This capacity is however threatened by the uncertainties of climate change, the complex dynamics of evolving global markets and the pressures for increased use of bioenergy. Such challenges cannot be effectively addressed with an uncritical regional or national commitment to traditional forest management models (FMMs), as these are unlikely to ensure the sustained long-term provisioning of desired ES, let alone their optimised delivery. ALTERFOR’s goal is thus to facilitate the implementation of FMMs better suited to meeting the challenges of the 21st century by: (1) Identifying and developing FMMs robust in their capacity to deliver ES and overcome projected socio-ecological risks and uncertainties; (2) Assessing the impact of different FMM combinations in terms of resultant ES baskets on the European and landscape level, and (3) Facilitating the implementation of desired FMMs and improving cross-national knowledge transfer regarding their benefits, costs, management, and utilization. The project will involve a consortium of 19 organisations from nine countries chosen due to their possession of the transdisciplinary expertise necessary to achieve these objectives, and for ensuring an encompassing representation of Europe’s socio-economic conditions and prevailing forest management paradigms. Based on carefully designed case studies, the consortium will make sure realistic models of forest owner behaviour are employed; guarantee the involvement of forest stakeholders throughout the project; anchor the desired FMMs to relevant forest actors; and help disseminate project findings to local, national and European stakeholders. The main long-term impact of ALTERFOR is the implementation of FMMs that secure the capacity of Europe’s forests to continue providing a balanced ES basket that societies will depend upon over the coming century.