Introduction of the Horizon 2020 programme

GATEKEEPER is a European Multi Centric Large-Scale Pilot on Smart Living Environments. The main objective is enabling the creation of a platform that connects healthcare providers, businesses, entrepreneurs, and elderly citizens and the communities they live in, in order to originate an open, trust-based arena for matching ideas, technologies, user needs and processes, aimed at ensuring healthier independent lives for the ageing populations. The scope of GATEKEEPER is the application of advanced Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) to tackle the challenge of improving the quality of life of citizens while demonstrating its significant efficiency gains in health and care delivery across Europe. The main objective of the Project is to create a GATEKEEPER, that connects healthcare providers, businesses, entrepreneurs, elderly citizens and the communities they live in, in order to originate an open, trust-based arena for matching ideas, technologies, user needs and processes, aimed at ensuring healthier independent lives for the ageing populations.

The underdeveloped South-Danube region has massive potentials with the attractive Mediterranean climate, spas, health clinics and wine regions. A group of regional innovation leaders set the long-term aim to transform the region into the healthiest region in Hungary and beyond, while creating new jobs. With high-level prevention/rehabilitation services and healthcare treatment facilities we will attract locals, health-conscious tourists from abroad and elderly to relocate or visit. To achieve the long-term goal via making healthcare facilities more effective and market focused we successfully piloted a two-tier programme to uncover clinical needs and generate innovative solutions. Our Champion Network, consisting of junior clinicians provides the multidisciplinary non-clinician Discovery Team with access to hospitals to uncover problems from an external point of view. The defined problems are put forward to students in Hackathons and Innovations courses to develop innovative solutions. In this proposal we aim to 1) expand our piloted initiative to more clinics; 2) launch a network for elderly to provide information and education for healthy ageing; 3) formalize our multi-stakeholder network of decision makers to shape the final Silver Economy regional development plan. The consortium consists of the University of Pecs, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Pécs-Baranya, and the Health Industry Innovation Center of Pecs Ltd. We will establish a multi-stakeholder network with members from academia, businesses, government and society, organize science communication events for the society and expand the clinical-needs discovering network. Then the consortium will develop a regional strategy plan, finalize the establishment of the elderly network.

Open access Educational Materials on Naturally Occurring Molecules – sources, biological activity and use Natural compounds have always attracted interest due to their potential effects on human being. Their use is widespread and is rather rising due to false belief that they are always better and safer than conventional drugs. This belief is often the background for companies producing preparations containing such compounds. Hence, the major aim of this project is to prepare comprehensible, free and easily accessible materials reporting both positive and negative aspects of natural compounds used for several commonly used indications (infections, menopause and gynaecological problems, benign prostatic hyperplasia, cough, cardiovascular diseases, CNS, skin and GIT disorders), as well as of vitamins and sympathomimetics, according to the most recent scientific evidence. Special materials will be also prepared for their interactions with conventional drugs.

The novelty and strength of this material will be based on several aspects:
1. They will be freely available,
2. There will be three versions, one for professionals in the form of open access publications, one for students of biomedical disciplines and one for laypersons, both latter as attractive e-learning material in Moodle platform. In particular, in the current situation in the World, the need for a quality and easily accessible e-learning materials is apparent.
3. Materials for students and laypeople will be prepared in English and 8 native languages of participating universities (Czech, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese, Slovak and Slovene),
4. Materials will be prepared by common work of experts from different fields (pharmacologists, pharmacognostics, toxicologists, microbiologists, analytical chemists and E-learning

The EDUC-SHARE project aims to deepen ongoing transformation and institutional changes of both the EDUC university

The aim of this project is to develop a network of Higher Education and Civil Society (NGOs) Partners to engage citizens in debates and discussion groups around the future direction of the European project.  These groups will explore the common socio-political and economic views and experiences of European citizens, across a range of age groups and within the context of social and digital inclusion, using adult education, community development and experiential learning theory and practice. It will utilize academic and advocacy staff in various settings, both institutional and community,providing a structured educational encounter which will act as a base for exploring the shared European experience in terms of history, culture, values and ideals. The 6 partners from 5 countries involved will seek to engage 75-100 participants on each programs over a period of eighteen months in a number of events, courses (both accredited and non-accredited) and volunteering activities to a final total of approx. 450-550 people.  The project will seek to engage citizens through innovative and creative technologies including live recordings, podcasts, story mapping and on-line discussion platforms. FFE partner group will also seek to build on the learning from this project to create a sustainable digital network and open access journal focused on citizen engagement with European social policy and ESC rights.

ffeproject.eu

River networks are among Earth’s most threatened hot-spots of biodiversity and provide key ecosystem services (eg. supply drinking water and food, climate regulation) essential to sustaining human well-being. Climate change and increased human water use are causing more rivers and streams to dry, with devastating impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Currently, over half the global river network consist of drying channels and these are expanding dramatically. However, drying river networks (DRNs) have received little attention from scientists and policy makers, and the public is unaware of their importance. Consequently, there is no effective integrated biodiversity conservation or ecoystem management strategy of DRNs facing climate change.
A multidisciplinary team of 25 experts from 11 countries in Europe, South America, China and the USA will build on EU efforts to investigate how climate change, through changes in flow regimes and water use, has cascading impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem functions and ecosystem services of DRNs. DRYvER (DRYing riVER networks) will gather and upscale empirical and modelling data from nine focal DRNs (case studies) in the EU and CELAC to develop a meta-system framework applicable to Europe and worldwide. It will also generate crucial knowledge based strategies, tools and guidelines for cost-effictive adaptive management of DRNs. Working closely with stakeholders and end-users, DRYvER will co-develop strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change effects in DRNs, integrating hydrological, ecological (including nature-based solutions), socio-economic and policy perspectives. The end results of DRYvER will contribute to reaching the objectives of the Paris Agreement and place Europe at the forefront of research on climate changes.
 

The overall aim of the SPRING project is to present an integrated water resource management for reliable water supply for all needs that involve; developing innovative simple to operate bio oxidation systems for treatment of polluted water bodies (stagnant and flowing), cost effective real time monitoring tools and finally by implementing good practices in water planning for treatment, supply and usage. SPRING aims at improving and developing technologies for the elimination of pollutants from water using a bioremediation approach.

Smart specialisation is an essential principle of European regional policies, aimed at increasing efficiency in research and innovation investments. This region-based approach aims to boost growth and jobs by enabling each region to identify and develop its own competitive advantages. Over 120 smart specialisation strategies have been developed. The EU-funded POLISS project will address the gaps between the conceptualisation, design and implementation of smart specialisation strategies. Bringing together 8 leading European academic institutions and 14 partners from local governments, development agencies, international organisations, research institutes and private companies, the project will take a multidisciplinary approach. It will provide new systematic evidence and methodological tools to scholars, policymakers and local practitioners for designing smart specialisation actions.

The Joint Action on Rare Cancers (JARC) is aimed to integrate and maximize efforts of the European Union (EU) Commission, EU Member States and all stakeholders to advance quality of care and research on rare cancers.
The public health challenge posed by rare cancers combines both the typical problems of rare diseases (such as the limited professional expertise available in the community, or the difficulties in clinical research) and those of cancer, with the need of a timely and appropriate diagnosis and optimal treatment from the very beginning of the patient’s journey. An accurate clinical, pathologic and biological assessment of the disease of the individual patient is key to survival and cure, as well as an expert clinical decision provided by a multidisciplinary team. To this end, proper referral of patients and effective clinical networking are crucial in rare cancers. This is the main reason why JARC decided to shape its efforts, in essence, around the new European Reference Networks (ERNs). European Reference Networks, three of which are specifically devoted to rare cancers, have been conceived by the EU Commission as a means to provide “highly specialised healthcare for rare or low-prevalence complex diseases”. The formal activation of ERNs is a cornerstone in the EU cooperation on rare cancers, and this Joint Action should be instrumental to make them grow up the best way possible. In fact, JARC aims at optimizing the process of creation of the ERNs, by providing them with operational solutions and professional guidance in the areas of quality of care, epidemiology, research and innovation, education and state of the art definition on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of rare cancers.

ODYSSEUS aims at Coal-to-Liquids Supply Chain (CLSC) integration and enhanced assessment of operational, economic and environmental risks during or after mine operation in unfavourable geological settings for potential high coal production areas in European medium- to low-grade coal deposits. For that purpose, technological CLSC integration and optimisation are the main project tasks, supported by experimental activities on upgrading coal-derived liquids and by-product beneficiation, integration of conventional and innovative mine development as well as enhanced techno-economic and environmental risk management. Best-practices guidelines and workshops will support decision makers and stakeholders in increasing EU-wide resources utilization and employment, while reducing import dependency.