Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disease that is currently affecting 2.3 million people worldwide. Incidence rates of MS are significantly higher in Europe and in other regions located within the northern hemisphere. In Europe, the number of patients currently afflicted with MS is estimated to be at 700,000, with incidence rates ranging from 2.3-12.2/100,000 per year. GlobalData assessed the market value for MS treatments in 10 major markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, US, Canada, Japan, China and India) in 2014 to be at €16.2 billion and predicts it to rise to approximately €18.82 billion by 2024. This increase is attributed to the projected sales of newly-approved drugs. The main shortcoming of current MS treatments ultimately lies in their lack of efficacy, specifically in that they are unable to prevent progressive neurodegeneration in MS patients. MS poses a significant economic burden on society as the disease affects primarily young people who are in their most economically-productive years. Aside from limited efficacies, current treatment options are also associated with severe side-effects (increased risks of infection, cancer), high costs and inconvenient administration routes (e.g. intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous). The aim of DIDO-MS is to assess the commercial viability of a newly identified small molecule as a drug in the treatment of MS.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer in male in Westernized countries and is a clinically heterogeneous disease with substantial variability in progression. Emerging studies support a crucial role of metabolic plasticity of prostatic tumor cells with fatty acids and sterols being demonstrated to represent hallmarks of aggressiveness in PCa. In this context, targeting prostate cancer cell metabolism and more specifically lipid metabolism show great promise for developing alternative adjunct therapies to be used in combination with chemotherapy and androgen deprivation therapy. Moreover, alterations in the epigenome, due to modulation of histone and DNA modification enzymes that results from metabolic reprogramming driven by oncogenes and expression of metabolism-associated genes have been associated not only with neoplastic transformation, but also with cancer aggressive biology. The overall objective of our research and training network PROSTAMET, is to enhance the knowledge and understanding of metabolic changes that occur at the primary as well as the metastatic sites of prostate cancer in order to identify new markers of aggressiveness and/or new therapeutic targets related to lipid metabolism. Study of the lipid metabolism of tumor cells and the impact of cellular components of the microenvironment together with the design and assay of new pharmacological compounds will be used as a platform to develop an interdisciplinary training program on tumor aggressiveness, cell metabolism, structural biology, and the development of novel metabolism modulators. The overall goal of our project is to assemble a consortium of world-renown experts in prostate cancer, lipid metabolism and development/screening of novel anti-tumor drugs in order to train the new generation of young researchers involved in the field of cancer. Our consortium will combine research-based training in the field of metabolism, epigenetics and prostate cancer research and development together with training in relevant transferable skills such as IP management, communication, personal and career development and entrepreneurship into an Initial Training Network (ITN) proposal. To achieve this goal, we have assembled a core consortium of relevant experts with international repute. The MRSEI grant will allow us enlarging and consolidating this core consortium with additional complementary partners from the public and private sectors. Combining the skills in cancer research and analytics with industrial quality management and transferable skills will increase the chances of our early stage researchers of productive and successful careers in their chosen sectors.

While the factors leading to early school leaving vary from country to country (Recommendation on policies to reduce early school leaving, EC, 2011), the causes of ineffective policies can be boiled down to three typical deficiencies: 1. lack of a comprehensive strategy; 2. lack of evidence-based policy-making ; and 3. insufficient prevention and early intervention. Learning music enhances a cognitive, emotional, physical and social development of youngsters and is a main source of creativity. Musical education and more generally artistic education as soon as possible is most necessary for children to become adults open on the world, with the relevant knowledge and critical thinking for sharing values with the future generations (Suzana Kubik, France Musique, 2016). In an approach based on praxis, according to David J. Elliot, rhetorician in education and musician, education to music is more pragmatic than esthetic. Antti Juvonen states that « in the heart of pedagogy is the musical experience. Pupils are asked to play the instruments and to sing in order to better understand the music not as an abstraction, but through practice and sensations it reveals. Acting for feeling and understanding before learning a theoretical knowledge, this is the methodological principle». At school, education to music is part of compulsory education. Musical education tackles three main objectives: listening to music; playing and/or composing the music; building a musical and artistic education. Three main pedagogical actions are implemented: listening, playing and composing. In complement of the formal education, many extra-curricular activities are offered such as choirs in the framework of schools or outside schools with annual concerts to play the work done all the yearlong. Moreover, education to music combines much knowledge: history, literature, or sciences. Therefore it plays a specific role in transversal pedagogical strategies and multidisciplinary learning (such as history of arts). Many opportunities are offered to youngsters outside school to play the music: in association, in conservatories... Education to opera allows an opening of youngsters to artistic culture (most favored by Key competence 8) with a cultural practice which used to be a popular one. This pedagogical approach is a main asset for creativity (key competence 7) and therefore for a harmonious personal development. The opera involves disciplines such as music, drawing, sports, dance. Education to Opera may reveal hidden talents, it enhances a collective and team spirit, it improves culture and knowledge, it allows to acquire various competences, to master one’s body, concentration and breathing, it stimulates memory, it combines written and oral expression in mother tongue or a foreign language (key competence 1 & 2) , it develops the personality of the teenagers, it is a main asset for empowerment. The EducOpera means to struggle against Earlys School Leavin (ESL) through the acquisition of skills & competences by the means of Education to Opera. To achieve this aim, it intents to design 3 main intellectual outputs: 1- A tool & method (IO1) to identify and assess the competences acquired by teenagers thanks to an education to music in general and Opera in particular which might be relevant skills & competences required at school 2- A training for professionals (IO2) - educators being trained to this pedagogical & innovative approach to enrich their professional practice and being able to use the IO1 in their assessment 3- A guidance for professionals in order for them to be able to explain the EducOpera approach to other teachers/educators (at school and outside school) teaching musical education (IO3) making the link with the struggle against Early School Leaving (ESL) ; learning to learn making the link between formal, non-formal and informal learning On the basis of national experiences and pedagogies already implemented , the EducOpera project is meant to offer a general pedagogical strategy to enhance education to Opera as an innovative way to struggle against Early School Leaving (ESL) in Europe.

The overall objective of AgriBioPack is to develop bio-based active packaging solutions (films, mats, and coatings) that can modulate the microbiome in Mediterranean products, hence contributing to improving their marketability by extending their shelf life and reducing food waste. More specifically, the bio-based packaging solutions will be derived from agrifood residues, both for the structural and functional components. This ambitious objective will be pursued by AgriBioPack by (1) ranking in a sharable database the most promising Med agrifood residues (for supply chain, composition and functionality of the main components), (2) extracting valuable molecules and/or (3) microbiome from the residues through green technologies or fermentation processes, (4) optimizing the formulation of bio-based and biodegradable packaging (starting from PLA and pea proteins as basis), using the recovered extracts with reinforcing or antimicrobial properties, (5) evaluating the performance and safety of the developed packaging solutions in extending the shelf life of Med food products (meat, fish, fruit), (6) developing ICT solutions to reduce food waste through in-pack sensors and apps, and (7) assessing the environmental impact and the economic feasibility of the newly developed products. The project, which falls on the spectrum from ‘idea to application’, will be carried out by an interdisciplinary team of universities for the research and innovation activities, with the direct participation of a company for the ICT solutions, and external support of food and packaging manufacturers, for a multi-actor approach towards the development of novel packaging solutions and new products of interest for the Mediterranean local communities, involved also through specific market analysis and business plans adapted to their needs. AgriBioPack will develop bio-based packaging solutions for Mediterranean foods, such as poultry meat, fish fillets and burgers, intermediate-moisture fruits, and fruit bars. By using sustainable materials from agrifood residues through mild processing technologies, it is expected to reduce the environmental impact of food packaging while maintaining high standards of food safety and quality. The project will promote the development of new environmentally-friendly techniques to reduce food waste. Several agrifood residues are investigated as starting materials to fully exploit the functionality of the different components. After the preliminary screening, the efficacy of the optimized bio-based materials for packaging will be demonstrated, with the expected output to improve food safety (SRIA, priority 3.2) and reduce food waste that meets market requirements. The project awareness and dissemination activities are designed to showcase a new positive paradigm of innovation, in which traditional local and diversified products are valorized (priority 3.1), the activities of local food companies are promoted, and the health benefits of traditional ingredients are amplified. Consumers' awareness will have an impact on food, health, societal and cultural education and will renew the growth/competitiveness of the industries of healthy food products (priority 3.3). The project will influence policymakers, as need analysis, cutting-edge technologies, quality control approaches, and scientific findings of impact on public health will all be shared with regulatory agencies and public authorities. Overall, the proposed approach can be considered as fully aligned with the Agro-Food Value Chain 2022 and the topic 2.3.

The SWS-HEATING project will develop an innovative seasonal thermal energy storage (STES) unit with a novel storage material and creative configuration, i.e. a sorbent material embedded in a compact multi-modular sorption STES unit. This will allow to store and shift the harvested solar energy available abundantly during the summer to the less sunny and colder winter period thus covering a large fraction of heating and domestic hot water demand in buildings. The targeted benefit of this next generation solar heating technology is to reach and overcome a solar fraction of 60% in central/north Europe, reaching 80% in the sunnier south of Europe, with a compact and high-performing STES system at low cost, realising solar-active houses throughout EU. The SWS-heating system is based on a multi-modular sorption seasonal thermal energy storage (STES) unit, using novel sorbent materials of Selective Water Sorbents (SWS) family characterised by superior heat storage density compared to the state of the art, making it possible to drastically decrease the storage volume with negligible thermal losses. These materials are employed in a sorption module with dedicated heat exchangers. Solar heat is provided to the storage modules by high-efficiency evacuated tube solar thermal collectors. Intensive research activities will deal with an advanced vacuum combi-storage tank, with the aim to further minimise thermal losses. A smart and adaptive control will be developed for efficiently managing heat supply and demand sides, including advanced features aiming at user-friendliness. A building prototype will be commissioned including the SWS-heating system, which will be tested and validated in Germany and Sweden and proof all challenging objectives. The project also includes dissemination and communication activities to ensure outreach of its results. Moreover, exploitation activities include long-term deployment path development through a technology roadmap.