ERA-MIN3 comprises a progressive, pan-European public-public partnership of 25 public research funding organisations from 19 European countries/regions and 3 third countries, which aims to continue strengthening the mineral raw materials (RM) community through the coordination of research and innovation (R&I) programmes on non-energy, non-agricultural raw materials (metallic, construction, and industrial minerals). ERA-MIN3 will thus contribute to the objectives of the EIP on Raw Material’s Strategic Implementation Plan and the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, in support of the EU Raw Materials Initiative, the UN sustainable development goals and the European Green Deal. Built on the successes of the previous ERA-MIN and ERA-MIN 2, and to ensure the EU’s resource security and sustainable supply of strategic RM to the European society, ERA-MIN3 will achieve its goals of improving synergy, coordination and coherence between regional, national and EU funding in the RM sector by reducing fragmentation of RM funding across Europe and globally, as well as, improving the use of human and financial resources, the competitiveness and the environmental, social, health and safety issues of RM operations through supporting of transnational, excellent and translational R&I activities. This will be achieved through a EU co-funded joint transnational call for R&I proposals and, at least, one additional call with participation of invited partners, on demand-driven R&I on primary and secondary resources, covering the entire value chain, from exploration, extraction and processing technologies to recycling and substitution of CRM, as well as, environmental and societal impact, new business models and/or public perception. ERA-MIN3 will liaison with RM related initiatives to ensure alignment of research topics (e.g. batteries), promote synergies and complementarities thus avoiding duplication of efforts and contributing for the circular economy and the sustainable development.

EnerDigit - A joint programming initiative to establish transnational innovation eco-systems for the designing, implementing and testing of interoperable technical and business services for energy systems, unleashing the potential of digital transformation for the energy transition This ERA-Co-fund Action aims to enhance the transnational collaboration in digital transformation of energy systems and networks. It helps unleashing the potential of digitalisation for the energy transition towards a de-carbonised, secure and resilient European energy system. The initiative coordinates relevant RDD programmes in the involved European and associated countries and regions, implementing at least two joint calls for RDD proposals. It contributes to the implementation of the EU SET-Plan, particularly Actions 3 and 4. Beyond the funding of transnational RDD projects, it accelerates the development of transnational innovation ecosystems by initiating a Transnational Validation Ecosystem with existing and upcoming living labs, allowing start-ups and innovative companies to test their solutions in different frameworks. It also promotes the development of interoperable solutions, enabling wider impact and use of applications, systems and services, by piloting a European Collaboration Platform for Interoperability Testing, providing an open, independent development and test environment for developers, manufacturers and suppliers of components and solutions for smart energy systems. A highly ambitious consortium establishes an Impact Network with Associated Partners, acting as intermediaries towards regional and local stakeholders, start-up supporters and incubators as well as to follow-up financers and investors in order to enhance need driven technology policy. This ERA-Net co-fund action is exploiting on sustainable coordination structures already established by the Joint Programming Platform Smart Energy Systems (JPP SES) and will be integrated there as a new "Focus Initiative".

In collaboration with the European Commission and the European Green Vehicles Initiative Association, European countries and regions will set-up an ERA-NET Cofund to further promote electric mobility in Europe. Electric Mobility Europe builds on the experiences, networks and results of Electromobility+ and is designed to take transnational e-mobility research and policy exchange to the next level. With a two-track approach, the initiative will link research and policy practice in support of electric mobility at the European level. The first of two pillars of Electric Mobility Europe will fund innovation projects focussing on the application and demonstration of e-mobility with the objective of advancing the mainstreaming of the electrification of mobility in Europe. The initiative will bring together about 30 million EUR for supporting applied innovation projects, including up to 10 million EUR of co-funding provided by the European Commission under Horizon 2020. In 2016, the initiative will issue a call for project proposals addressing the key areas of electric mobility: 1. System integration (transport, (sub)urban areas) 2. Integration of urban freight and city logistics in the e-mobility 3. Smart Mobility concepts and ICT applications 4. Public transport 5. Consumer behaviour and societal trends In addition to funding innovation and demonstration projects, the ERA-NET Cofund Electric Mobility Europe will establish a second pillar of activity. The network will provide a platform for cooperation and exchange of information and experiences among participating countries and regions. In this context, know-how will be shared on setting conducive conditions for the development of electric mobility in Europe (e.g. on charging infrastructure). The network will support this by facilitating suitable means of cooperation such as workshops or seminars in order to exchange or coordinate required actions, in attunement with the European Green Vehicle Initiative Association.

Smart Cities and Communities have been identified as key to achieving the energy efficiency targets for 2020 and 2050. The main objective of this ERA-NET is to stimulate successful practice and facilitate replicability within Smart Cities and Communities projects and also across projects in order to achieve a technological shift in the current energy system and provide smart and integrated solutions for technology, government and society. ERA-NET Smart Cities and Communities aims to create solutions in the form of projects, which demonstrate or at least constitute a decisive step towards implementations that (1) help cities deal with a long uncertain time horizon, (2) monitor ongoing experiences and implement change in the project when necessary, and (3) avoid pitfalls already encountered by others and facilitate collective learning of stakeholders embedded within a physical and social context. Additional activities within the planned ERA-NET are: (A) to work towards a joint call with China and (B) to align national R&D funding with Structural Funds. (A): A structured and systematic approach towards a joint call with China on smart city research will be developed making highest use of existing relations, activities and experience of European Funding Agencies with Chinese partners in order to develop a joint call with China. Beneficiaries of this call (mainly research organisations and companies) would be given a good starting position for further research and development projects. (B) The realisation of smart cities measures requires large investment volumes. Thus, the combination and clustering of different financing instruments is necessary. In line with the new "smart specialization" strategy of the EC, the proposed additional activities should encourage and enable Member States, regions and their Managing Authorities to align their national R&D funding schemes with available Structural Funds (in particular ERDF, but also ESF resources).

WHO: The proposal involves 40 National Funding Authorities and/or Agencies under the Umbrella of Eureka and is coordinated by the Eureka Secretariat in Brussels. Founded in 1985, Eureka is a global network, with 48 Member States plus the European Commission. It includes nearly all countries of the European continent as well as international members like Israel, Turkey, Korea, Canada, Singapore, South Africa, Argentina and Chile. The Consortium also benefits from the fact that is has successfully run the Eurostars 1 and 2 programs. WHAT: The proposed European Partnership on Innovative SMEs will comprise two main instruments (Eurostars 3 and Innowwide) as well as measures to connect to existing EU programs, initiatives and other European partnerships. EUROSTARS 3 (E*3) is an instrument that supports the international cooperation of SMEs in the field of non-military collaborative innovation projects. An E*3 project consortium must be composed of at least 2 independent entities from at least two participating countries and must be led by an innovative SME. The E*3 instrument benefits from accompanying measures that strengthen SMEs’ ability to access foreign markets like the INNOWWIDE instrument, which has already been piloted with the support of some Eureka network members in recent years. WHY: The biggest challenges for innovative SMEs are the access to international cooperation and to enter international markets as well the ability to receive funding. E*3 through its coordination of national innovation programs will in addition support the further development of a European Research Area. HOW: The Eureka Secretariat will organize two joint transnational calls per year for E*3 and one call per year for Innowwide. National Innovation Agencies actively support the implementation of E*3 via national funding and support measures as well as services to applicants and promotion of the program.