Each of these topics cut across and integrate different disciplines and sectors (source: ec.europa.eu)

TOPIC 1: PREVENTING AND FIGHTING EXTREME WILDFIRES WITH THE INTEGRATION AND DEMONSTRATION OF INNOVATIVE MEANS

The new context of extreme wildfires requires accelerating the shift towards a more holistic fire management approach that integrates environmental, climate, health & safety/security, cultural and socio-economic aspects with:

• Research, demonstration and deployment of innovative means and methods tailored to extreme wildfire behaviour, such as better techniques, models, solutions and capabilities for preventing, predicting, monitoring and fighting wildfires, including better technologies and equipment for first responders.
• Proactive governance, large-scale and community-based risk assessments, awareness and preparedness - where citizens, local communities and the forestry sector play a central role.

​The approach should be systemic: encompassing different climate scenarios, biogeographical/socio-economic contexts and means for faster and smarter management of all phases: prevention & preparedness (including forecasting), detection & response (including fire containment, extinction, potential evacuation and recovery) and post-fire restoration3 & adaptation.

Innovative means and methods need to be developed, integrated and demonstrated on the field and tailored to geographical and socio-economic scenarios, with different types of fuels (e.g. forest/bush /peat fire threats), landscapes and biodiversity values and scales etc.

The Research & Innovation Actions funded under this call will speed up the panEuropean adaptation process to extreme wildfires by advancing and applying research and innovation including demonstration pilot sites while making best use of existing data (e.g. remote sensing, in-situ or community-based data), technologies (e.g. Big Data and Artificial Intelligence) and services (as Copernicus) and closely engaging and coordinating all concerned actors and communities for each phase.

TOPIC 2: TOWARDS CLIMATE-NEUTRAL AND SOCIALLY INNOVATIVE CITIES

This action should develop a one-stop shop platform that would provide the necessary technical, regulatory, financial and socio-economic expertise as well as assistance to cities for developing and implementing their climate action plans, and related social innovation action plans. The action should set up a partnership involving research organisations, academia, industry including social entrepreneurs, the financial sector including impact financiers, investors, philanthropists, NGOs, national and local authorities and citizens. The platform will also be responsible for the management of competitive calls addressed to third parties to fulfil the objectives of this action. This platform should facilitate the coordination of the EU ongoing activities in the area of climate neutrality and cities and should be sustainable, scalable and selffinanced beyond the life of the action. Where relevant, the action should take into due account and build on existing platforms, experience already matured by the Covenant of Mayors initiative and methodologies, analysis and processes developed by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission as well as based on the principles and standards of the Join, Boost, Sustain Declaration.

It should address all of the following four activities:

• Activity 1: Climate action plans and Green Deal innovation
• Activity 2: Financial engineering
• Activity 3: Social innovation and citizens’ engagement
• Activity 4: Research and Innovation for climate-neutral transformation of cities.

TOPIC 3: CLIMATE-RESILIENT INNOVATION PACKAGES FOR EU REGIONS

The Horizon Europe Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, including Societal Transformation will test, evaluate and scale-up a range of adaptation solutions with the aim to trigger societal transformations among key community systems that are central to resilience building and sustainable growth. Therefore, the actions funded under this call topic will serve as early facilitators in pre-identifying and upscaling the most promising cross-sectoral solutions. 

Proposals should address only one of the following action areas:

• Area 1: Innovation Packages for transformational adaptation of European regions and communities
• Area 2: Support the design, testing and upscale of Innovation Packages.

Disclaimer: The presentation of draft topics and the feedback provided shall in under no circumstances bind the European Commission in the final formulation of topics for the call. The binding call text will be published following the formal decision by the European Commission on the Funding and tender opportunities portal. (Source: https://ec.europa.eu/)