In the EU the bio-based economy drives growth through job creation and innovation by utilizing renewable resources and through alignment with the Circular Economy and bioeconomy. In order to stay competitive, Europe´s industry must become greener, circular and digital through collaboration among companies, Member States, and rural regions in Europe. Within this context, the general objective of DRIVE is to increase the implementation of European local startups, fostering innovative ecosystems for the development of new value-added products, technologies and approaches, via a series of exploitation and trainings actions. Thus, the three pillars of the project, namely: the identification of the needs and project´s users, for instance, at least 2 regional accelerators and incubators will be contacted by the consortium in each of the three roadshows, according to the methodology, to exchange best practices and reinforce SMEs and start-ups participation, the second pillar, the roadshows and the hackathons, and the last one, the mentoring for the development of the technologies, are closely intertwined, as they have been conceived to cooperate in an integrated way, in order to exploit the benefits gained by the work team, meaning boosting the quality of their work and possible results. Therefore, the main outcomes of DRIVE can be summarized in four: to develop a tailored business model at an European level for pitching to investors, to apply for regional initiatives or European financial support instruments, to prepare a pitch presentation and identify investor events and to enroll in further acceleration programs for continued idea deployment and commercialization.

Over the past decades, European standards have delivered great benefits for companies and consumers on the single market. In the light of the social and environmental ambitions of the new growth strategy – the EU Green Deal – and the twin transition, Europe’s competitiveness, technological sovereignty and ability to reduce dependencies will directly depend on how successful European actors are in standardisation at international level. The EU Standardization Strategy from 2022 calls for more flexible and focused approach to standardization processes which can respond to the fast pace of twin transition innovating. The Agile and Flexible Construction Materials Standardization for Boosting the Twin Transition (AFCOS) project aims to set up recommendations, for more agile standardization processes for construction materials based on pre-normative research performed horizontally in a collaborative fashion between key ecosystem players – research, standardization and industrial actors from four member states – Bulgaria, Romania, Italy and Belgium. AFCOS will focus on identified standardization urgencies within the industrial ecosystem of construction and more specifically on standards supporting low carbon cement. Building on a set of activities combining research work with stakeholder engagement, educational activities and ambitious exploitation initiatives, AFCOS will produce roadmaps for pre-standardization, educational and training courses, strategy for education and skills development in the field of standardization of new building materials and exploitation models for the benefit of the European Standardization Organizations (ESOs), national standardization bodies, educational institutions and industry. AFCOS brings together 7 full and 5 associated partners from 9 EU countries encompassing research capacity, standardization expertise and industry representation and ecosystem actors, ensuring EU coverage and exploitability of the project results to a high level.

The BOOST project addresses the significant disparities in innovation capacity among the EU Widening Countries, primarily in Eastern Europe. Although these nations excel in academic research, they struggle to translate their achievements into commercially viable products and services. This gap negatively affects the social, financial, and environmental sustainability of these regions, limits economic growth, and exacerbates issues like brain drain and low career opportunities for researchers and innovators. BOOST aims to strengthen the R&I capabilities of Widening Countries by fostering collaboration between academic and non-academic sectors. It focuses on enhancing career opportunities and entrepreneurship by providing researchers with the skills needed to succeed in both academic and industrial settings. A key element is the creation of the BOOST Learning Environment, which will facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration among organizations across Europe, giving access to a rich database of tools, resources, and learning modules. Central to the project is the implementation of the BOOST ERA Talents Scheme, which provides 12-month mobility opportunities for 60 researchers, improving their practical skills through placements in industry settings. The scheme also includes five tailored learning modules, and each participant will receive a Personal Career Development Plan to support long-term career advancement. The project ensures that at least 30% of mobility participants will be women or individuals from underrepresented groups, addressing the imbalance that persists in R&I fields. BOOST provides broad sectoral expertise through its consortium partners. By focusing on skill development, practical training, and cross-sector collaboration, the project will create a sustainable impact that extends beyond its duration, helping Widening Countries improve their R&I capabilities and compete on the global stage.

ARCOE aims to create a virtual talent innovation ecosystem hub to improve HR practices, career development and research collaboration. First, an in-depth organisational assessment will be conducted, including an analysis in the Widera countries, to assess career development frameworks, HR practices and alignment with the Research Charter. A gap analysis will then be performed to identify areas requiring improvement. The hub will assist researchers in their professional development by acting as a centralised place for networking, training and career development. Training programmes and career services focusing on digital transformation, deep tech industries and the Green Deal will be created through the hub. The project will assist 15 participating organisations in applying for HRS4R, ensuring compliance with strict guidelines for the recruitment of researchers. In addition, emphasis will be placed on networking and collaboration between the academic and non-academic sectors through the Meet&Match system in the ecosystem hub, to enhance alliances and encourage researcher mobility. As for the Virtual Hub, a long-term business plan will be created to ensure its viability even after the project has ended. In addition, ARCOE will implement a comprehensive communication and distribution plan to ensure maximum impact and reach. To maximise the project's influence and promote international cooperation, synergies with other projects and programmes will be explored. In conclusion, ARCOE is dedicated to fostering talent ecosystems that create attractive and sustainable initial research careers. Through this initiative, we aim to improve mobility, collaboration and career opportunities in all areas, to empower the next generation of researchers and strengthen the European research and innovation landscape.