1st Draft Work Programme 2025
Cluster 4 – Digital, Industry and Space
DIGITAL PARTS
V30.05.2024

Table of Content
AI-GenAI / Data / Robotics ......................................................................................................
5
Fostering Innovative and Compliant Data Ecosystems (IA) (AI, Data and Robotics
Partnership) ...........................................................................................................................
6
Empowering AI/GenAI along the Cognitive Computing continuum (RIA) (AI/Data/
Robotics Partnership) ...........................................................................................................
9
GenAI4EU central Hub (CSA) (AI/Data/Robotics Partnership) ..........................................
13
Assessment methodologies for General Purpose AI capabilities and risks (RIA) (AI/
Data/Robotics Partnership) ...................................................................................................
15
Soft Robotics for Advanced physical capabilities (IA) (AI/Data/Robotics
Partnership) ...........................................................................................................................
18
GenAI4EU in Robotics and industrial automation (RIA) (AI/Data/Robotics & Madein Europe Partnerships) ........................................................................................................
20
Advancing General Purpose AI through Enhanced Learning Strategies (RIA) (AI/
Data/Robotics Partnership) ...................................................................................................
25
Software Engineering for AI and Generative AI (RIA) (AI/Data/Robotics
Partnership) ...........................................................................................................................
29
Challenge-Driven GenAI4EU Booster (RIA) (AI/Data/Robotics Partnership) ...................
31
Connected Collaborative Computing Networks (3C networks) ...............................................
34
Large-scale pilots for supply end-to-end infrastructures integrating device, network
computing and communication capabilities for Telco Edge Cloud deployments, as abasis for Connected Collaborative Computing Networks (3C networks) (RIA) ..................
35

2

Alignment of stakeholders towards the supply-side large-scale pilot of end-to-end
infrastructures integrating device, network computing and communication
capabilities (CSA).................................................................................................................
40
Roadmap for next generation computing technologies from IoT device level to edge
to cloud to HPC (CSA) .........................................................................................................
43
Open Europe Stack: development of technological commons/open-source 3C
building blocks (RIA) ...........................................................................................................
44
Preparing the Advancement of the state of the art of submarine cable infrastructures(CSA) ....................................................................................................................................
48
Photonics ..................................................................................................................................
50
Active sensor technologies and multimodal sensor integration for multiple
application domains (IA) (Photonics Partnership) ...............................................................
51
Quantum and High-Performance Computing ...........................................................................
55
Continuation of the Quantum Technologies Flagship (CSA) ...............................................
56
Quantum Internet Framework Partnerships Agreement– launching the second
Specific Grant Agreement (SGA) .........................................................................................
58
Quantum Computing – complementing the quantum computing FPAs with thedevelopment of a technology agnostic software stack (RIA) ...............................................
60
International cooperation: joint research and development with international
partners (RIA) .......................................................................................................................
62
Post-exascale HPC (CSA) ....................................................................................................
64
2-Dimensional Material/Graphene ...........................................................................................
65
Innovative Advanced Materials (IAMs) for photonics, enabling low-power andultra-broadband performance for telecommunication (IA/RIA) (New European
3

Partnership on innovative materials) ....................................................................................
66
Innovative Advanced Materials (IAMs) for conformable, flexible or stretchable
electronics (RIA) (New European Partnership on innovative materials) .............................
68
Virtual Worlds ...........................................................................................................................
70
Core technologies for virtual worlds (RIA) (Virtual Worlds and Photonics
Partnerships) .........................................................................................................................
71
Generative AI for Virtual Worlds: Advanced technologies for better performanceand hyper personalised and immersive experience (IA) (AI/Data/Robotics & Virtual
Worlds Partnerships) .............................................................................................................
74
Drive the evolution of the internet towards open and interoperable Web 4.0 and
Virtual Worlds : building blocks in priority areas (RIA) (Virtual Worlds Partnership) ........
76
Specific support for the Virtual Worlds Partnership and the Web 4.0 initiative (CSA)(Virtual Worlds Partnership) .................................................................................................
80
International Cooperation .........................................................................................................
84
International cooperation in semiconductors (CSA) ............................................................
85
GenAI for Africa ...................................................................................................................
87
AI for Public Good 1: Innovative cancer imaging services AI-based for breast andprostate diagnosis .................................................................................................................
89
AI for Public Good 2: Innovative services AI-based for emergency response andcrisis management ................................................................................................................
90
AI for Public Good 3: Innovative services AI-based for urban reconstruction ....................
91
AI for Public Good 4: Innovative services AI-based for electric grid optimisation .............
92
4

AI-GenAI / Data / Robotics

5

Fostering Innovative and Compliant Data Ecosystems (IA) (AI, Data and Robotics
Partnership)

Specific conditions
ExpectedEU
contribution
per project

The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of between EUR 7 and 9
million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.
Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal
requesting different amounts.

Indicative
budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 45 million.

Type of
ActionInnovation Actions

Technology
Readiness
Level

Activities are expected to start at TRL 5-7 and achieve TRL 7-8 by the end of
the project – see General Annex B.

Article 22.5 NO

Expected outcome:••Easing the compliance process of businesses and professionals with the relevant EU
legislation, in particular reporting obligations, and alleviating administrative burdens
for businesses, and professionals
Development and integration of advanced technology for data collection, data sharing
and data analytics for simplifying and automating compliance.

•

Generating, managing, and leveraging synthetic data to improve fitness for purpose.
These initiatives aim to address limitations of real-world data, enhance data quality,
diversity, and representativeness, while mitigating bias•

Ensuring necessary user training and support for rolling out and scaling up“compliance by design” and the FAIR[1] principles in the constantly evolving
regulatory landscape

Scope:As the European Union (EU) legislation continues to expand, both in the digital (GDPR,
Open Data Directive (ODD), Data Governance Act, AI Act, Data Act) and non-digital realm(green deal, due diligence, healthcare), organizations face increasing challenges inmaintaining compliance. Also, the complexity and volume of reporting obligations are
growing, posing difficulties for both regulatory bodies to enforce laws and for entities trying
6

to comply. These challenges underscore the need for innovative solutions to streamline
compliance processes and enhance competitiveness within the EU.
Another current challenge are limitations of real-world data such as issues with availability,
confidentiality, and bias. Synthetic data is becoming increasingly vital in addressing these
problems. By generating and utilizing synthetic data, actions within this framework aim toenhance data quality, diversity, and representativeness, making it a crucial tool for AIpowered innovation and regulatory compliance.
Where relevant, the actions should address interoperability and standardization, and/or
liaise with other actions working on interoperability or standardisation, in view of facilitating
effective data sharing across platforms and sectors, while ensuring an adequate level of
security and protection.
Actions should provide necessary comprehensive user training and support, ensuring
adaptability and scalability to accommodate evolving regulations and diverse organizational
needs and to raise awareness and improve understanding of relevant compliance issues.
The proposal must clearly state (in the abstract and in the introduction) which of the following
three areas it addresses. A proposal can address more than one area, but it should indicate oneof them as the main focus of the proposal, and it will be evaluated accordingly under that
area.

•

Area 1: Actions to develop advanced compliance technology integrating AI,
cybersecurity, language technologies, and privacy preservation. This framework could
include the creation of NLP-driven semantic analysis tools for deciphering complex
legal texts and translating them into clear compliance tasks, or machine learningalgorithms trained on historical data to predict and mitigate potential complianceviolations. With the capability to detect changes in EU legislation, these advanced AI
systems and analytics tools will provide deep insights into compliance performance,risk management, and help forecast upcoming regulatory trends to strategically
prepare for future requirements.

•

Area 2: Actions to ensure auto-compliance of data transactions and data spaces withapplicable regulation (e.g. data and sectoral legislation). Actions in this area should
anticipate compliance tasks within the context of Common European Data Spaces andcoordinate with them as necessary. Actions in this area are required to analyse andtake into account the specific architecture, exchange mechanisms, tools, data types anduser needs of the actual data spaces, liaising with and building on other actions
working in this area, in particular the Data Spaces Support Centre.

7•Area 3: Actions to generate, manage and leverage synthetic data in order to improvedata quality, availability, representativity, fitness for purpose and compliance. The
actions should in particular address the inherent shortcomings of real world data thatwould necessitate synthetic data (e.g. data availability, confidentiality, privacy
protection, enhancing quality, diversity, representativeness, bias). Additionally, actions
may target generating synthetic data for sparse or unusual domains, integrating
synthetic and real data effectively, or advancing technological capabilities ingenerative models and simulation-based approaches to drive synthetic data generation
forward and/or addressing or modelling rare events and complex systems. All actions
under this Area are required to address the evaluation, validation and benchmarking ofsynthetic data to ensure fitness for purpose and safe use of synthetic data.

Proposals will be selected so that each area is addressed at least by one selected proposal.
Links with topics in other WPs:•

All Digital Europe programme topics implementing Common European Data Spaces,
especially the Data Spaces Support Centre (DSSC).

•

HORIZON-CL4-2023-DATA-01-01 AI-driven data operations and compliancetechnologies (IA).

•

HORIZON-CL4-2021-DATA-01-01 Technologies and solutions for compliance,
privacy preservation, green and responsible data operations (RIA).

8

Empowering AI/GenAI along the Cognitive Computing continuum (RIA) (AI/Data/
Robotics Partnership)

Specific conditions
ExpectedEU
contribution
per project

The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of between EUR 6 and 8
million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.
Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal
requesting different amounts.

Indicative
budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 30 million

Type of
ActionResearch and Innovation Action

Technology
Readiness
Level

Activities are expected to start at TRL 3 and achieve TRL 6-7 by the end of
the project – see General Annex B.

Article 22.5 NO
Lump-sums

YES

Expected outcome:
Projects are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:•

Novel AI-enabled Cloud and Edge management solutions tailored for theprocessing needs of AI workloads across the cognitive cloud-edge-IoT continuum.

•

Strategic industrial cooperation across the Cloud-Edge-IoT cognitive computing
continuum to support future hyper-distributed AI applications.

•

Seamless and trustworthy integration across diverse computing and data environments
spanning from core cloud (including HPC) to edge to IoT.

•

Enhanced openness and open strategic autonomy in the evolving data and AIeconomies across the computing continuum validated through key business/societal
sectors.

9

•Better international collaboration with trusted partner regions, guaranteeing aminimum level of interoperability and portability thereby facilitating European accessto foreign markets.

Scope:The Cloud to Edge Continuum needs to provide seamless and trustworthy integration ofdiverse computing and data environments spanning from core cloud to edge to IoT andsupport the enormous data, processing needs, and new resource types brought by next
generation AI technologies.
Different types of AI processes pose different requirements that compute infrastructures needto meet to execute them. The state-of-the-art in generative AI and large language models isheavily reliant on high-performance processing and very large AI models. Cutting-edge
hardware accelerators that power these processing systems are scarce on the market and only
available in highly specialised, high-performance infrastructures in certain cloud and HPC
environments at considerable costs. At the same time, the requirement to gather, process, andtransmit massive amounts of data to the central data processing environment remains a barrier
for many AI applications. All these factors urge the emergence of efficient tools andmechanisms to empower the distribution of AI training and inference processes
throughout the computing continuum.
Empowering the next generation AI technologies with on-demand, agile and situation-aware
infrastructure that brings data- and computing power to where and when it is needed will let
end-users exploit Artificial Intelligence across the computing continuum withoutcompromising on security and trust and optimising their energy use. These challenges spanvarious aspects of the continuum, including data orchestration, AI integration,
decentralised intelligent management, decentralized and global optimization, energy andresource heterogeneity support, data management, security/privacy, and synergies with
5G/6G. Addressing these challenges is crucial for realizing the vision of a cognitive cloud-toedge continuum as a key enabler for any emerging trends such as AI/GenAI.
The Cognitive Computing Continuum could eventually be extended to include othercomputational resources, such as HPC, and provide abstraction layers to maximize thebenefits of available hardware.
Addressing all the above complexities calls for innovative research to overcome thesechallenges. The aim is to develop generic and AI-enabled cloud-edge technologies
encompassing the whole computing continuum to empower the development of AI/
GenAI technologies and applications. The proposals should demonstrate the genericapplicability of the proposed technological solutions across various application domains.
The following (one or more) research areas need to be addressed:
10•Development of novel mechanisms for the efficient development, deployment,
and operation of AI workflows across heterogeneous and distributed infrastructures
along the Edge to Cloud to HPC continuum that optimise training times, model
accuracy and data management while factoring in performance metrics such as
memory usage, energy efficiency, application processing and data transfer latency, andnetwork overheads. These should factor in virtualisation and orchestration techniquesthat seamlessly integrate heterogeneous processor architectures.

•

Decentralised and federated computing continuum tools and mechanisms toenable distributed AI architectures. These include scheduling, orchestration, andplacement mechanisms that leverage the wide range of Edge computing environments
available in the compute continuum, including on-device edge. The focus is onenhancing AI process execution through techniques such as model, data, hybrid
parallelism and data compression, gossip, and federated training, or conditional
computing.

•

Cloud and edge processing tools and techniques to reduce AI processing powerusage and emissions across the cognitive computing continuum, relying on
hardware efficiency and energy optimisation techniques, such as hardware andsoftware approximation.

This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on AI, data and robotics.
Links with topics in other WPs:
Projects are expected to develop synergies and relate to activities and outcomes of the Digital
Europe Programme (DEP) and any existing or emerging Important Projects of Common
European Interest (IPCEI) initiative.
All proposals are expected to share communicable results with the European R&D
community, through the AI-on-demand platform, and if necessary other relevant digital
resource platforms in order to enhance the European AI, Data and Robotics ecosystemthrough the sharing of results and best practice.
International cooperation
International cooperation is encouraged, especially with Japan and S. Korea.
Gender Dimension
In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research andinnovation content is not a mandatory requirement.

11

12

GenAI4EU central Hub (CSA) (AI/Data/Robotics Partnership)

Specific conditions
E x p e c t e d E U The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of around EUR 3
contribution per million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.
project
Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a
proposal requesting different amounts.
Indicative budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 3 million.

Type of Action

Coordination and Support Action

Article 22.5

NO

Expected outcome:•Creation of the GenAI4EU HUB: developing a strong and visible GenAI4EU
community, supporting the uptake of European GenAI solutions across strategic
application sectors and the HE Clusters, through collaboration and knowledge
exchange.

•

This CSA will also support the European Commission’s AI Office in its function topromote an innovative ecosystem of trustworthy AI, to reap the societal and economic
benefits.

Scope:
This horizontal Coordination and Support Action for GenAI4EU will develop a strong andvisible European GenAI ecosystem of developers and users, aiming to strengthen thecoordination, impact and visibility of the GenAI4EU initiative1 across diverse sectors. This
CSA should be prepared, managed and coordinated by the key stakeholders in this field.
Serving as a hub for collaboration, this project seeks to streamline efforts in developing highimpact GenAI-based applications while fostering among various stakeholders.
It will support all the Horizon Europe Pillar 2 clusters, in addressing their policy needs
through the implementation of the GenAI4EU initiative.

1

Communication_on_boosting_startups_and_innovation_in_trustworthy_AI_3V9PtH703Rb5OjDHYc64ptlpZs_1
01621 (5).pdf

13

It will foster the uptake in all strategic application sectors, namely the ones addressed in the
GenAI4EU initiative, including the 14 industrial ecosystems, in stimulating collaborations
between the European developers and users.
It should be driven by the most advanced stakeholders in the field, in particular those active indeveloping local GenAI communities, tech transfer, attracting investment, and making theEuropean GenAI stakeholders visible.
The selected proposal will establish connections between different initiatives such as the AI
Factories, GenAI4EU Skills, and relevant activities implemented under the EU’s Digital
Europe Programme, as well as national activities. The selected proposal is also expected tobuild on or seek collaboration with existing projects and develop synergies with other relevant
European, national or regional initiatives, funding programmes and platforms.
In addition, the selected proposal will conduct a comprehensive landscape analysis ofgenerative AI initiatives. This includes an inventory of use cases, capabilities, evaluation tools
and methods to assess generative AI models. By identifying prioritized sectors and sharing
best practices, the project aims to bridge existing gaps and foster innovation uptake.
Furthermore, the selected proposal will assess potential areas that require further research,
including coordination with national initiatives, to ensure comprehensive coverage andcollaboration. It will actively engage in networking and community animation to foster
knowledge exchange and collaboration among stakeholders.
This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on AI, data and robotics(ADRA) and all proposals are expected to allocate tasks to cohesion activities with ADRA
and the funded actions related to this partnership under the call CSA HORIZON-CL4-2021HUMAN-01-02. This initiative will capitalise on these existing initiatives, complement themand ensure integration within the existing ecosystem developed by ADRA.

14

Assessment methodologies for General Purpose AI capabilities and risks (RIA) (AI/Data/
Robotics Partnership)
Specific conditions
Expected EU The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of between EUR 3 and 4
contribution million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.
per project
Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal
requesting different amounts.
Indicative
budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 7 million.

Type of
ActionResearch and Innovation Action

Technology
Readiness
Level

Activities are expected to start at TRL 2-3 and achieve TRL 4-5 by the endof the project – see General Annex B.

Article 22.5

NO

Expected outcome:•New assessment and validations methodologies developed allowing to evaluate
General Purpose AI (GPAI) models, including multimodal systems, and systems’capabilities and risks.

•

Use of the research outcomes by GPAI providers, policymakers, and other relevant
stakeholders to create benchmarks for evaluating GPAI models and systems’capabilities and risks.

•

Support to the AI Office in its function to conduct evaluations of general-purpose AI
models with a view to enforce the rules for general-purpose AI models.

Scope:

15

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has led to the development of
increasingly sophisticated general-purpose AI (GPAI) models and systems. These models,such as large language models and multimodal AI systems, demonstrate remarkablecapabilities across a wide range of tasks. However, assessing the capabilities of these models
remains a significant challenge. Traditional evaluation methods often fail to capture the full
spectrum of abilities exhibited by GPAI models and systems. Therefore, there is a pressing
need for the development of new assessment frameworks, methodologies and tools that cancomprehensively evaluate these models in terms of their trustworthy and ethical behaviourand operation, ensuring their reliability, fairness, and alignment with human values.
This topic aims to develop robust assessment tools, techniques, and benchmarks specificallydesigned to rigorously evaluate GPAI models and systems, including multimodal systems.
Proposals should cover one or more of the following research areas:•••

Innovative methods for proactively identifying and forecasting emergent capabilities
in GPAI models and systems. This encompasses the identification of capabilities withboth beneficial and potentially detrimental uses.
Assessment of GPAI capabilities with a significant economic impact or potential for
misuse. This includes assessing capabilities that drive beneficial innovation andsocietal good, as well as evaluating potential risks in areas such as chemical,
biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) hazards or cybersecurity threats.
Developing assessment techniques that illuminate the underlying mechanisms ofemergent capabilities in AI systems, emphasising interpretability and explainability.

Projects should generate example benchmark tests to examine trained AI models,
systematically uncovering latent capabilities. These benchmarks will be made available to
GPAI providers, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders to implement robust
evaluation tools.
This call strongly encourages the formation of interdisciplinary teams combining thenecessary technical expertise. Such a collaborative approach will ensure that assessments
accurately capture real-world capabilities and risks, and that the developed frameworks,
methodologies and tools are responsive to the concerns of all relevant stakeholders.
Proposals must adhere to Horizon Europe's guidelines regarding Open Science practices.
Open access to research outputs should be provided unless there is a legitimate reason orconstraint; in such cases, the proposal should detail how GPAI providers, policymakers, andother stakeholders will access the research outcomes.
All proposals are expected to incorporate mechanisms for assessing and demonstrating
progress, including qualitative and quantitative KPIs, benchmarking, and progress
16

monitoring. This should include participation in international evaluation contests and thepresentation of illustrative application use-cases that demonstrate concrete potential added
value. Communicable results should be shared with the European R&D community throughthe AI-on-demand platform, and if necessary, other relevant digital resource platforms tobolster the European AI, Data, and Robotics ecosystem by disseminating results and bestpractices.
This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on AI, data and robotics(ADRA), and all proposals are expected to allocate tasks for cohesion activities with ADRA.
Proposals should also build on or seek collaboration with existing projects and develop
synergies with other relevant International, European, national or regional initiatives.

17Soft Robotics for Advanced physical capabilities (IA) (AI/Data/Robotics Partnership)

Specific conditions
Expected EU contribution per project

The Commission estimates that an EU
contribution of between 10 million and 20
million would allow these outcomes to beaddressed appropriately. Nonetheless, thisdoes not preclude submission and selectionof a proposal requesting different amounts.

Indicative budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is
EUR 20 million.

Type of Action

Research and Innovation Action

Technology Readiness Level

Activities are expected to start at TRL [T2-3]
and achieve TRL [T4-5] by the end of the
project – see General Annex B.

Legal and financial set-up of the Grant
Agreements

The rules are described in General Annex G.

Article 22.5

NOLump-sums

NO

Expected outcome:
Increased exploitation of novel materials, design methods, and control techniques for soft
robotics, enabling the creation of inherently safe and versatile robotic systems withapplications in various industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation.
Scope:
Soft robotics is an important avenue to advance robotics physical capabilities. Such approach
offers intrinsic safety in the physical world while surpassing the limitations of rigid robotic
systems. Advancing robotic performance relies on novel design methods and physicalarchitectures as well as the use of novel materials. In parallel, advances in robotic controllers
are necessary to guide soft robotic structures in order to reach the required level of
performance and precision.
The proposals should include demonstrators that clearly show the advantage of soft robotics
in the context of some chosen application scenarios. The objective is to develop and18

disseminate general purpose tools and systems, therefore the results should not be limited tothe demonstration scenarios selected in the proposals to demonstrate the technologicalprogress.
All proposals are expected to incorporate mechanisms for assessing and demonstrating
progress, including qualitative and quantitative KPIs, benchmarking, and progress
monitoring. This should include participation in international evaluation contests and thepresentation of illustrative application use-cases that demonstrate concrete potential added
value. Communicable results should be shared with the European R&D community throughthe AI-on-demand platform, and if necessary, other relevant digital resource platforms tobolster the European AI, Data, and Robotics ecosystem by disseminating results and bestpractices.
This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on AI, data and robotics(ADRA), and all proposals are expected to allocate tasks for cohesion activities with ADRA.

19

GenAI4EU in Robotics and industrial automation (RIA) (AI/Data/Robotics & Made inEurope Partnerships)

Expected EU contribution per project

The Commission estimates that an EU
contribution between 20 and 45 million
would allow these outcomes to beaddressed appropriately. Nonetheless, thisdoes not preclude submission and selectionof a proposal requesting different amounts.

Indicative budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is
EUR 85 million.

Type of Action

Research and Innovation Action

Technology Readiness Level

Activities are expected to start at TRL[T2-3] and achieve TRL [T4-6] by the endof the project – see General Annex B.

Legal and financial set-up of the Grant
Agreements

The rules are described in General Annex
G.

Article 22.5

TBD

Lump-sums

NO

Proposals are expected to address at least one of the expected outcomes, either type A) or
B). The type must be clearly identified within the proposal.
The budget will be split in a balanced way between Type A and Type B defined below.
Proposals should clearly identify the area they are addressing.

Expected outcome:Type A) GenAI4Robotics for industrial automation:-

Development of advanced foundation models for robotics, fostering increased
autonomy and generalization capabilities, thus enabling robots to dynamically learn
and comprehend their physical surroundings in real-time, ensuring adaptability andreliability across diverse and complex scenarios.

-

Validation of the model through fine-tuning and downstream application to address
industrial automation use-cases.

20Type B) Trustworthy and robust Generative AI for improved manufacturing:-

Increased productivity by high quality, flexible and resource-efficient industrial
automation, both on the shop floor and in engineering/business processes;-

Significantly improved facilitation of product and process certification andcompliance assessment, as well as reliability, efficiency and sustainability of
manufacturing processes, supporting easier high-mix production and manufacturing ofproducts based on sustainable and advanced technologies; and-Significantly facilitated installation, commissioning and decommissioning ofproduction facilities, through tools that enable faster industrialisation of factory
automation well beyond the pilot phase, while reducing the need for manual on-site
interventions.

Scope
Type A) While it is widely acknowledged that current use of Generative AI has the potential
to impact certain tasks in robotics such as improving user interaction or providing
explanations about why a robot system made a particular decision, these are, in general, notwithin the critical operating flow of a robot. To reach next level of autonomy, Generative AI
must also enable planning, decision making and control fitting the physical constraints
imposed both by the environment and by the physical construction of the robot.
This represents a significant advancement in robotics, requiring the development of AI
models that can adeptly navigate the complexities of the physical world while ensuring safety.
Generative AI is expecting to bring such a step-change in robots adaptability, versatility androbustness, enabling them to efficiently achieve real world tasks with higher level ofautonomy.
In the context of advancing robotics capabilities, the use of Generative AI stands as atransformative force, amplifying robots’ learning, interaction, and operational abilities. By
enabling robots to learn from experiences, simulate diverse environments for training, andenhance human-robot interaction, it drives adaptability and efficiency. Additionally,
Generative AI facilitates the augmentation of robot planning capabilities, empowering them topredict outcomes of various actions, thereby elevating their autonomy and decision-making
prowess.
Training current generative AI models, in particular Large Language models, requires highvolumes of data to achieve effective levels of performance. The vast amount of data requiredpresent a significant challenge when it comes to robotics. Further research is necessary to findthe appropriate balance between the quality, adequacy, and volume of data with regards to the21performance of the AI model. The training data should come from the real world or fromphysical aware simulations of the real world.
Proposals should detail strategies to leverage cutting-edge Generative AI techniques toenhance the adaptability and reliability of these models across complex and dynamic
scenarios. The goal is to train and fine-tune generative AI models that meet the necessary
standards for ensuring the safe operation of robotics hardware. These models should empowerrobots to autonomously plan and execute actions while maintaining high levels of
performance and generalization capabilities.
Research activities should explore the training methodologies for these foundation models,emphasizing their ability to process multimodal data and derive actionable insights to informrobotic decision-making processes.
The proposals are also expected to include the validation of the trained models throughapplications. Proposals should detail methodologies for conducting rigorous testingprocedures, incorporating both simulation-based evaluations and physical experiments. These
tests aim to evaluate the performance and scalability of developed foundation models.
The research will be driven by impactful scenarios defined by major manufacturing industry
players, that should be well integrated in the consortium.They should be deeply involved in
the proposed work in order to provide the use-case, the corresponding data and they wil play
an important role to accompany the validation process. They will define a number ofrepresentative real-world use-cases with gradually increased level of complexity to drive thetechnology development. They will provide existing relevant data and collect further datanecessary to train and fine-tune the models, but also to validate the solutions. Given thesensitivity of sharing industrial data, manufacturers present in the consortium have to define
upfront mechanisms to collectively provide a sufficiently large dataset for training the models,ensuring sufficient quality and quantity of data needed to train the models. If necessary, they
will have to put in place mechanisms to acquire data from sources outside the consortium.
The emphasis lies in creating and disseminating general-purpose models and tools rather thanbeing limited to narrowly focused solutions. Projects should also build on or seek
collaboration with existing projects and develop synergies with other relevant European (e.g.
projects funded under HORIZON-CL4-2024-HUMAN-03-01: Advancing Large AI Models:
Integration of New Data Modalities and Expansion of Capabilities), national or regional
initiatives, funding programmes and platforms.

Type B)The objective is to enhance productivity and provide a competitive advantage to EU industry
in the transition towards more sustainable, zero-carbon production, addressing the22uncertainties and tensions on supply chains and the lack of highly-skilled workers. A newgeneration of digital technologies will integrate generative Artificial Intelligence, robotics,
and advanced human interfaces in industry-grade applications with a high degree of
autonomy. This will enable the development, production, and operation of complex andadvanced high-tech products at lower cost while improving sustainability and flexibility,
ultimately becoming a powerful tool for accelerating innovation in both processes andproducts.
The manufacturing sector should strongly benefit from increased levels of automation madepossible by breakthroughs provided by AI, in particular by the family of technologies know as
Generative AI, including (e.g.) AI foundation models, large language models, transformers,
multimodal generative AI. A priority of this topic is the development of Generative AI
solutions dedicated to the manufacturing sector and making use of manufacturing data
available in production lines.
Proposals should address at least one of the following use-cases:
1)
Robustness and trustworthiness of digital technologies and data management at
industry-grade quality, to raise the automation levels on production sites and across industry
and supply chains;
2)
Enhance product and process qualification/certification and compliance assessment
through higher levels of automation, digitalisation and data management, taking into accountrelated requirements;
1) Automation of manufacturing processes to achieve higher reliability, efficiency andsustainability;

4)
Automated tools for fast and large-scale deployment and reconfiguration of production
assets and for rapid innovation cycles.
Proposals should accomplish these objectives exploiting the most suitable approach(es)among the ones described below:•

The integration of generative Artificial Intelligence applications exhibiting trainedmodel(s) specifically designed for manufacturing, providing measurable advantages in
one of more of these key areas: manufacturing cost, increased productivity, quality,
flexibility, resilience, sustainability, circularity, time to market and usability.
Applications can target factory-floor operations and/or management of data,
knowledge and documentation associated to products and production (for use-case 1or 2);

23

•Development and integration of digital production systems capable of significantly
increasing productivity and managing high-mix production with close to zero timeneeded for re-purposing and capability to manage different mixes of materials andcomponents (for use-case 3);•

Development of deployment tools to automate the management of production lines,
namely through automatic configuration, integration with legacy systems, placementof data translators and connectors, and deployment of machines and sensors on the
shop floor (for use-case 4).

Proposals should indicate which approach they are targeting. Proposals may combine several
approaches above, indicating which is the main approach, provided there is added value insuch a combined approach; arbitrary combinations without integration are excluded.
The use of generative Artificial Intelligence techniques is encouraged for all the approaches,
even when it is not the primary target of the proposal. The applicants will specificallydescribe how they will secure the acquisition of quality manufacturing data from real-world
industrial use cases of industry partners or companies outside the consortium in the context ofthe data volume necessary to train and finetune the models used in the proposal.
Proposals submitted under this topic should include a business case and exploitation strategy,
as outlined in the introduction to this Destination.
Research must build on existing standards or contribute to standardisation.
Where relevant, interoperability for data sharing should be addressed, focusing on open
specifications and standards, enabling effective cross-domain data communities, and new
data-driven markets.
For both Type A and Type B of proposals the primary source of computing resources for
pretraining should be sought from external high-performance computing facilities such as
EuroHPC or National centres. The proposal should describe convincingly the strategy toaccess these computing resources.

24

Advancing General Purpose AI through Enhanced Learning Strategies (RIA) (AI/Data/
Robotics Partnership)
Specific conditions
Expected EU contribution per The Commission estimates that an EU contribution ofprojectaround EUR 15 million would allow these outcomes tobe addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does notpreclude submission and selection of a proposal
requesting different amounts.
Indicative budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 30
million.

Type of Action

Research and Innovation Action

Technology Readiness Level

Activities are expected to start at TRL 2-3 and achieve atleast TRL 45 by the end of the project – see General
Annex B.

Article 22.5

NO

Expected outcome:•Development of General Purpose AI (GPAI) models and architectures demonstrating
enhanced capabilities, such as formal reasoning, mathematical problem-solving, longterm planning, and seamless adaptation to dynamic environments.

•

Innovative learning approaches combining self-supervised learning with hybrid
learning, active learning, reinforcement learning, relational learning or continual
learning and evolutionary learning.

•

Theoretical insights to advance the understanding of synergies between selfsupervised and complementary learning paradigms in GPAI model development.

Scope:
Current large-scale AI models have demonstrated remarkable capabilities that havetransformed numerous fields. They excel at tasks like natural language processing, image
generation, and playing complex games. However, despite these successes, current models
often struggle in several key areas. They lack the adaptability to seamlessly adjust to changing
conditions in real-world environments. Additionally, their reasoning abilities remain limited,
when facing complex tasks that require logical deduction, mathematical problem-solving, or25

multi-step planning. These limitations underscore the need for advancements in General
Purpose AI (GPAI) that go beyond pattern recognition and towards robust, adaptive systems
capable of a wider range of intelligent behaviours.
To push the boundaries of current AI technology, this topic seeks the development ofgroundbreaking GPAI models that combine self-supervised learning with complementary
learning strategies. These strategies include hybrid learning, which integrates symbolic
reasoning and knowledge representation; active learning, which allows models to actively
seek information to improve their performance; reinforcement learning, which enables models
to learn through interaction with their environment; relational learning, which focuses onlearning from relational data structures; continual learning, which allows models tocontinuously adapt and acquire new knowledge; and evolutionary learning, which draws
inspiration from biological evolution to optimize model architectures and parameters. Byleveraging these complementary approaches, the aim is to create GPAI models that exhibit
enhanced capabilities, overcome existing limitations, and pave the way for a new generationof intelligent systems capable of tackling complex, real-world challenges.
This call prioritizes proposals that explore innovative approaches to developing GPAI models,
focusing on at least one of the following key research areas:•

Hybrid Learning Architectures for Advanced Reasoning: Development of architectures
integrating self-supervised learning with symbolic reasoning, knowledge
representation, and neuro-symbolic methods to foster robust reasoning, complex
planning, and problem-solving abilities within GPAI.

•

Continual and Evolutionary Learning for Dynamic Environments: Research onparadigms enabling GPAI models to seamlessly adapt, learn from changing
conditions, and retain knowledge essential for operation in dynamic, real-world
environments.

•

Reinforcement Learning Integration: Research on the fusion of self-supervised
learning and reinforcement learning to overcome challenges like non-stationary data,
algorithm sensitivity, and computational cost.

•

Explainable AI and Trustworthy Decision-Making: Integration of robust XAI
methodologies, exploring causal inference and counterfactual reasoning techniques toenhance transparency, accountability, and responsible use of GPAI models inalignment with European values and principles.

•

Other Novel Paradigms: Research on the combination of self-supervised learning withother learning paradigms, such as active learning, relational learning, and embodied
learning, to equip GPAI models with new advanced capabilities.

26

Proposed projects should aim for a balanced approach between theoretical advancements andpractical applications, with a strong emphasis on the development of GPAI models that alignwith European values and principles.
The potential impact of this research extends beyond scientific advancements, as it has thepotential to transform key European industries and sectors, including advanced robotics,
personalized healthcare, precision agriculture, and sustainable energy solutions. Successfulprojects will contribute to the development of GPAI models that enhance productivity,
improve decision-making, and foster innovation across a wide range of domains.
This call strongly encourages the formation of interdisciplinary teams combining thenecessary technical expertise. Such a collaborative approach will ensure that assessments
accurately capture real-world capabilities and risks, and that the developed tools are
responsive to the concerns of all relevant stakeholders.
Proposals must adhere to Horizon Europe's guidelines regarding Open Science practices.
Open access to research outputs should be provided unless there is a legitimate reason orconstraint.
All proposals are expected to incorporate mechanisms for assessing and demonstrating
progress, including qualitative and quantitative KPIs, benchmarking, and progress
monitoring. This should include participation in international evaluation contests and thepresentation of illustrative application use-cases that demonstrate concrete potential added
value. Communicable results should be shared with the European R&D community throughthe AI-on-demand platform, and if necessary, other relevant digital resource platforms tobolster the European AI, Data, and Robotics ecosystem by disseminating results and bestpractices.
This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on AI, data and robotics(ADRA), and all proposals are expected to allocate tasks for cohesion activities with ADRA.
Proposals should also build on or seek collaboration with existing projects and develop
synergies with other relevant European, national or regional initiatives, funding programmes
and platforms.

27

28

Software Engineering for AI and Generative AI (RIA) (AI/Data/Robotics Partnership)
Specific conditions
ExpectedEU
contribution
per project

The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of between EUR 4 and 6
million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.
Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal
requesting different amounts.

Indicative
budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 15 million.

Type of
ActionResearch and Innovation Action (ADRA partnership)

Technology
Readiness
Level

Activities are expected to start at TRL 4 and achieve TRL 7 by the end of the
project – see General Annex B.

Article 22.5

NOLump-sums

YES

Expected outcome:•

Improved methods and tools to optimally develop and deliver AI algorithms andGenerative AI.

Scope:The latest developments in AI are demanding computation infrastructures designed tomaximize the number of FLOPS. Europe has a window of opportunity to leverage open
source and ensure that the European industry is at the cutting edge of these new processing
infrastructures. The current methods and tools to develop and efficiently deliver AI pipelines
and complex generative AI applications present several shortcomings.
Current identified challenges include the continuous management of data pipelines, novel
testing methods (e.g. differential testing or improved performance testing), optimized
deployment strategies (in terms of using energy efficient resources or the best performant),
management of dependencies with a diverse set of types of hardware, as well as themaintenance of the effectiveness of AI applications, notably GenAI ones. Also, large language
models and foundational models require the development and operation of complex systemarchitectures that need to handle data processing at large scale, continuous training of models
and inference. This presents novel challenges for developers that will need to be addressedwith the development of new methods, mechanisms and tools covering the above, but notlimited to.
29

The main objectives for the advancements of Software Engineering in this field are:•

Increasing the productivity of GenAI application developers, and operators, especiallyof foundational models and large language models-•

Simplifying and automating the development and operation of such applications.

•

Facilitating AI progress and advancement beyond the state-of-the-art in the EU at afaster rate vis-à-vis the rest of the world.

Links with topics in other WPs:
Projects are expected to develop synergies and relate to activities and outcomes of the Digital
Europe Programme (DEP) and any existing or emerging Important Projects of Common
European Interest (IPCEI) initiative.

30

Challenge-Driven GenAI4EU Booster (RIA) (AI/Data/Robotics Partnership)
Specific conditions
Expected EU contribution per project The Commission estimates that an EU
contribution of around EUR 15 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed
appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a
proposal requesting different amounts.
Indicative budget
The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 30 million
Type of Action Research and Innovation Action
Technology Readiness Level
Activities are expected to start at TRL 3 and achieve
TRL 6 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.
Legal and financial set-up of the Grant Agreements The rules are described in
General Annex G.
To ensure coverage of the topic expected outcomes, one proposal per strategic sector
is expected to be selected, namely one in aerospace and one in pharma/drug
development.
Article 22.5
NOLump-sums
NO
Financial Support to Third Parties
A minimum of 33% of the EU funding
requested by the proposal should be allocated for the purpose of financial support tothird parties.
Beneficiaries are expected to allocate at least 33% of the proposal's total budget as
financial support in the form of grant for the highest-ranked participants following thefirst phase of the challenge
Expected Outcomes• Significant technology progress and innovation through challenge-driven approach in thefields of aerospace and pharma/drug development.
• Increased competitivity and visibility of the Generative AI community in Europe, indemonstrating their capability to achieve challenging tasks within the aerospace andpharma/drug development sectors.
• Increased adoption of Generative AI in aerospace and pharma/drug development throughtangible progress and achievement demonstrated via the process.
Scope
Generative AI promises to transform most industry sectors and public administration. This
challenge-driven initiative aims to boost both Europe’s developer community and theadoption of powerful Generative AI solutions in the strategic sectors of aerospace andpharma/drugs, key for their competitiveness.

31

The user industry leading the consortium should have a genuine interest in the projects
results and therefore support the participants in the challenge to exploit the results, theyshould sponsor the winners at the various stages with different types of support (financial andothers, such as partnerships) and provide the necessary support resources during the project(technical, business support, but most importantly provide the data necessary to fine-tune
models and build powerful applications). The results will be pre-competitive but
commitments on future exploitation are expected in the proposal.
Proposals will be driven by impactful use-cases where generative AI can make the difference:a number of industries will join forces to define challenging problems to solve, that will thendrive the rest of the project. This will be followed by a staged approach with an increasinglevel of complexity, whereby third party participants, either companies or consortia oforganisations, will compete to address the challenge.
For each proposal:-

At the end of the first stage, the 20 highest ranked participants to receive 250k€
funding to prepare for the next stage.

-

At the end of the second phase, the four highest ranked participants will be invited tojoin the consortium and will receive 2M€ to prepare for the grand finale, where thebest performing team will have the opportunity to conclude partnerships or contracts
with the user industry/public administration leading the consortium.

The core consortium, including several major industry players will define a clear
methodology to implement the various steps of the approach, define the calls specification,
timelines, targets, KPIs, a solid evaluation methodology including evaluation criteria. They
will also be in charge of implementing the evaluation methodology, and providing thenecessary infrastructure/technical support for the participants. They will also be in charge ofensuring sponsorship and high visibility of the action.
Around 2M€ will be allocated for the core consortium to carry out these activities.
Visibility would be important; therefore dissemination and communication campaigns will be
key. The project should also seek sponsorship, which would be key for the visibility andprestige of the challenge, and to attract the best European developers to compete.
Proposals should clearly define use-case and KPIs as well as the methodology to accompany
the participants to the various steps during the project, and the assessment methodology
during the various selection phases.

32

33

Connected Collaborative Computing
Networks (3C networks)34

Large-scale pilots for supply end-to-end infrastructures integrating device, network
computing and communication capabilities for Telco Edge Cloud deployments, as a basis
for Connected Collaborative Computing Networks (3C networks) (RIA)

Specific conditions
Expected EU The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of up to EUR 80 million
contribution for a project would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.
per project
Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal
requesting different amounts.
Indicative
budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 80 million.

Type of
ActionResearch Innovation Actions

Technology
Readiness
Level

Activities are expected to start at TRL 3-4 and achieve TRL 6-7 by the endof the project – see General Annex B.

Legal andThe rules are described in General Annex G.
financial set- Financial Support to Third Parties is allowed.
up of the
Grant
Agreements
Article 22.5

YES

Lump-sums

NO

Financial
Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties up to 40 % of the
Support toproposal total budget. The support to third parties can only be provided inThird Parties the form of grants. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is
EUR 500 000 to support one or more of the following:•

Extension of the pilots’ infrastructure or technological capacities;•

Addition of new technology or infrastructure providers;•

Extension of the vertical domains covered in order to cover new ormore advanced application domains. Participation of additional usergroups.

Expected outcome:35

•Strengthen European industrial ecosystems for the 3C Network, while enabling thepath towards sustainability and competitiveness of key vertical sectors in the EU, to besupported in the work programme 2026-2027 of Horizon Europe by future large-scale
pilot focusing on 3Cs demand in vertical industrial sectors such as “industrial virtualworlds” (automotive, aerospace, processing, manufacturing, agriculture), services(mobility, energy, smart communities) or others.

•

Prototyping at scale end-to-end telco edge cloud integrated infrastructures andplatforms, bringing together players from different segments of the connectivity value
chain and beyond, such as operators, system integrators, network/cloud/edge
suppliers, AI experts, IoT platform providers et al.

•

Validating open orchestration platforms across the telco edge cloud continuum, tosupport unlocking the transformative value of AI for European businesses and driving
business growth in multiple industries strategic for Europe.

•

Integrating AI solutions for optimising the orchestration of the different resources tobe managed by the pilot actions, such as bandwidth, spectrum, computing, hardware,other user requirements.

•

Testing, validation and demonstration of prototypes of the simultaneous use of
integrated devices, edge and cloud computing and communication resources inoperational environments, ensuring high level of security and privacy, energy
efficiency, transparency and control of the ecological footprint.

•

Strategic industrial cooperation among network and data processing stakeholders
which enable new revenue streams in support of viable communication infrastructuresby building open platforms, underpinning an emerging industrial open telco edge
cloud ecosystem to be established in Europe.

•

A European vision of next generation digital infrastructures through the convergenceof connectivity with interoperable edge and cloud computing services.

•

Testing and validating novel approaches for cybersecurity by design and sustainability
in advanced communication infrastructure.

Scope:The recent Commission White Paper “How to master Europe’s digital infrastructure needs?”
highlights the convergence of electronic communications networks and cloud services, andcall for the strengthening of the EU “Telco Edge Cloud” infrastructure, by creating the 3C
Network (Connected Collaborative Computing).
The convergence of connectivity, including mobile networks (5G and beyond), combined withcomputing environments at the edge and cloud is a unique opportunity for the European
36

telecom industry to drive a European vision of next generation digital infrastructures and meet
future processing demands of IoT and AI. Investing into future computing and connectivity
paradigms will strengthen the industrial European supply side and deliver an enablement forthe path towards sustainability of key sectors in the demand side.
Increased density of edge and cloud facilities is needed to sustain adoption of innovative andsovereign telco edge cloud technologies across Europe. Backed by ubiquitous connectivity todeliver the right performance in terms of bandwidth and latency, Europe’s infrastructure will
require advanced network management and orchestration technology as well as neutralinterconnection services to guarantee efficient infrastructure utilisation and enable innovative
use cases at scale.
The 3C Network large-scale pilot (focusing on the supply side) aims at setting up end-to-end
integrated infrastructures and platforms, bringing together players from different segments ofthe connectivity and compute value chain and beyond. The main target is to validate theintegration of device, network, cloud and edge computing, and communication capabilities fortelco edge cloud deployments to realize a ubiquitous mesh of computing and communication
resources. This will complement the Telco Edge Cloud reference deployments of Digital
Europe and will feed into future deployment initiatives.
Digital autonomy in edge and cloud implies that computation infrastructure should be able tobe sourced from European technology. The subsequent step following the EU investments inprocessors for HPC (under the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking) is to extend its success to the restof the computing continuum. Therefore, the project will also seek to coordinate with other
EU (HE) research activities with a view to integrating new processor architectures into cloudedge infrastructures as they become available.
With radical changes triggered by GenAI, as well as AI applications penetrating more andmore industrial domains, demands for low latency are looming. The pilot should have totackle the next frontier of a network evolution complementing the cloud with progress
towards the edge, as well as needing reliability from the mobile networks.
Moreover, the technical solutions in the pilot should envision the use of AI to handle theoptimal allocation and optimisation of the operation of the digital infrastructures resultant of
the combination of distributed compute and network resources of the edge cloud computecontinuum in a predictive and efficient manner and at scale. These should take into
consideration the appropriate QoS trade-offs in relation to bandwidth, spectrum, computing,hardware and other functional and non-functional requirements, cater for the need for AI/ML
to improve optimisation of assets and process and closed-loop automation, and target
development and life-cycle management of AI models and resource management tools for the
optimal management of combined and converged network, cloud and edge infrastructures.

37

The large-scale pilot would ideally reuse and extend relevant open-source frameworks andcapitalise on existing testing and trial platforms from European or national initiatives, among
which the IPCEI-CIS, SNS Stream D projects, the Cloud-Edge-IoT HE projects, and theDigital Europe Programme’s Reference edge-cloud deployments, as well as research results
on infrastructure and platforms. It will integrate security and privacy by design into accountand seek to incorporate mechanisms such as edge discovery and deployment as-a-service
delivery, end-to-end network and compute performance, energy efficiency and mobility
management, including the Non-Terrestrial Network component for ubiquity.
The pilot should devise appropriate cooperation mechanisms with the Open Europe Stackaction, to help defining the requirements for the development of the building blocks andensure their integration in the pilots, including envisaging mechanisms for testing andintegration of the solutions developed by the Stack.

Key aspects to be validated and demonstrated by the 3C Network end-to-end infrastructures
include: multi-provider (network, edge, cloud, devices) orchestration, federation management
over network and computing resources, standard ways of exposing services, interoperability,
energy efficiency and sustainability, cloud-native to continuum-native software and improved
network software lifecycle, IoT, Edge server density and placement issues, edge-as-service
orchestration, optimisation of lightweight and cloud-native forms for Network Functions
Virtualisation (NFV) and mobility management.
The pilot should help maturing the technologies resulting from medium TRLs projects, while
enabling prototyping of converged telco cloud edge platforms in operational and multisuppliers, multi-domain and multi-tenant environments.
The pilot should support the emergence of telco edge cloud as-a-service approaches that
effectively apply multi-tenancy and resource sharing concepts from cloud computing into
access networks, enabling effective network and compute resource sharing. In addition, theproject infrastructures should cater for the pragmatic complexities associated with thephysical placement of the various types of telco edge cloud platforms (near, far, regional,)
across the territory considering the necessary trade-offs between performance, capacity, andcosts.
Furthermore, the pilot should tackle the need for multi-cloud and edge service orchestration
at scale, which enables workload portability across providers and technologies as well as
effective service placement and lightweight and cloud-native forms for NFV and optimisation
by means of acceleration, multi-cloud orchestration, multi-level federation and mobility
management.

38

When appropriate, the pilot may cover research on infrastructure and platforms mid-TRLs
telco edge cloud technologies, including development of telco-cloud network resourcesorchestration, demos, proof of concepts and early deployment of technologies.
The main achievements of the pilot should be showcased by means of small-scaledemonstrations, in particular by showing a further potential use in large-scale demonstratorsthat could be part of future work programmes.
The pilot should provide an open, multi-supplier, multi-vendor, and interoperable Telco
Edge Cloud reference architecture and ecosystem that encourages cooperation andcooperative development among all key stakeholders. Furthermore, the pilot must define open
access policies and mechanisms that aim to maximise the impact of the provided
infrastructure which take into consideration the long-term sustainability and addressing
different uses by industrial and research communities. When necessary, these should explore
collaboration with complementary actions addressing the demand side.
The pilot should ensure a high degree of participation of stakeholders from the relevant
technological sectors, including SMEs, scaleups and start-ups, as well as properly consider
the demand side from vertical sectors. In this regard, proposals should clearly define the roles
and responsibilities of the participating stakeholders in developing, updating, maintaining
and/ or using the technologies and services of the 3Cs network. The pilot’s Consortium should
also define a policy on the ownership and access of 3Cs network resources and facilities,
during the Horizon Europe project and beyond.
The pilot should establish a high degree of relations and collaborate with complementary EU
funded research activities, such as the SNS JU projects, the “Empowering AI across thecontinuum” and the “Sovereign edge/cloud infrastructure” R&I areas. They should integrate
and re-use, as much as possible, results from Open Europe Stack action, IPCEI-CIS, SNS,
Cloud and IoT past or ongoing EU funded research, as well as ensuring close interaction withthe relevant constituencies driving that research, including the Open Europe Stack
constituencies.
Moreover, the large-scale pilot should seek a clear commitment from the major European
telecom, cloud and edge providers to industrialise further the results of the pilot among the
major stakeholders, in particular by considering the necessary business adaptations and future
perspectives, etc. In this context, an advisory group of end users should be set up to discussand advise about user requirements to be considered in relation to the pilots. This group willcollect requirements from a large range of users and test them through small demonstrations.
Links with topics in other WPs: SNS JU WP2024, DEP WP2023-2024, IPCEI-CIS

39

Alignment of stakeholders towards the supply-side large-scale pilot of end-to-end
infrastructures integrating device, network computing and communication capabilities(CSA)

S p e c i f i c
conditions
Expected EU
The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of between EUR 1.8
contribution per and 2,5 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed
project
appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission andselection of a proposal requesting different amounts.
Indicative
budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 2,5 million.

Type of Action

Coordination and Support Actions

Technology
n.a.
Readiness Level
Article 22.5

NO

Expected outcome:The supply-side large-scale pilot (LSP) of end-to-end infrastructures integrating device,
network computing and communication capabilities will develop horizontal facilities for the
benefit of constituencies represented in the supply LSP and also beyond, including those
focusing on the demand side of the referred infrastructures. This CSA will bring together all
those stakeholders. In any case, the CSA action should be prepared, managed and coordinatedby key stakeholders in the field.
The expected outcomes are the following:•

Coordination of the different stakeholder communities in the scope of the supply LSP
work (software, hardware, computing, telcos, AI, cloud...), bringing stakeholders
together to work on a common plan and technology roadmap on supply and demand of
end-to-end infrastructures integrating device, network computing and communication
capabilities, monitoring implementation and identifying gaps.

•

Enable the supply-side LSP to consider the demand-side perspective, , including
requirements from the different applications/user communities.

40

•

Help stakeholders build small, and later larger-scale, demos based on thedevelopments of the supply-side LSP, as well as developments from future Horizon
research actions as possible and appropriate.

•

Assist stakeholders from the different segments of the value chain (telecoms, software
providers, middleware stack providers, etc.) to converge towards a shared approach,while modular and flexible, for telco-edge-cloud infrastructure and services•

Put in place mechanisms for exchange, collaboration and shared governance tofacilitate smooth cooperation between supply and demand-side activities, including
the Open Europe Stack, towards a common platform approach across industrial actors,
including a repository with critical mass of largely open-source building blocks, aswell as maintenance and support services.

Scope:The expected scope of the CSA for this governance mechanism to function would be thefollowing:•

Consolidate priorities and maximise benefits across different demand perspectives andtimelines for key infrastructure services to be implemented.

•

Ensure alignment of demand and supply side strategies and roadmaps, in line with(and contributing to) the White Paper on communication infrastructures and otherrelevant EU policy.

•

Ensure coordination and integration of the work of the actions on the supply side pilot
and the Open Europe Stack.

•Open-source delivery of Telco Edge Cloud building blocks by the supply side pilot,
which will be the foreseen backbone to articulate the cooperation among supply- anddemand-side LSPs.

•

These open-source modules should be aligned with industrial interests and with thecurrently embryonic developments at IPCEI-CIS Linux Foundation Telco Edge Cloudinitiatives (i.e. Sylva and CAMARA).

•

The demand-side developments in the relevant verticals will offer a continuous
feedback loop to the supply side endeavours, while they will benefit from theprogressive developments of the supply LSP.

•

Provide a foundation for exploitation of European technology developed under the 3C
initiative as an alternative to the platforms led by large multinationals. The project41

should provide a forum for consultation and input of the demand-side application
sectors and verticals into the development of the supply-side architecture and building
blocks.
•Identification of paradigms shifts evolving in relevant vertical domains like virtualworlds as a driver for emerging network virtualisation and performance as well as
vertical services like mobility, communities or energy.

•

Assessment of monetising edge computing, interoperability of middleware and SW
framework through trend scouting on markets, value chains and ecosystems in the areaof dynamic content delivery, AI adoption for telco operation and edge computing,convergence across the telco-cloud-edge- IoT continuum.

42Roadmap for next generation computing technologies from IoT device level to edge tocloud to HPC (CSA)
S p e c i f i c
conditions
Expected EU
The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of between EUR 1.8
contribution per and 2.5 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately
project
for a three years timeframe. Nonetheless, this does not preclude
submission and selection of a proposal requesting different amounts.
Indicative
budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 2.5 million.

Type of Action

Coordination and Support Actions

Technology
n/a.
Readiness Level
Article 22.5

No

Expected outcome:
The CSA action should be prepared, managed and coordinated by key stakeholders in thefield. Proposal results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcomes:•

Support structure for the European Computing ecosystem: networking events andvision workshops for the academic and industrial computing community;•

Yearly updated roadmaps on computing addressing the area from a broad perspectivefrom edge device to edge cloud to cloud to HPC, from scientific to industrial tosocietal and research applications, and addressing all relevant aspects such as realtime, security, support to artificial intelligence, use of generative AI for computing
system engineering, etc.

Scope:
To support the European Commission and the European computing constituency by providing
to them annually updated roadmaps for research and innovation related to computing. This
topic is overarching and building the bridge between Destinations 3 (heading “From Cloud toEdge to IoT for European Data”), Destination 4 (“Ultra Low Power Processors”), as well as
the Joint Undertakings (JU) on Chips, Smart Networks and Services, and high-performancecomputing (HPC). This effort builds on the achievements and structures established by the
HIPEAC project and think tank of all renowned European research centres on computing “atlarge” and their key experts. Both the academic visions as well as the industrial perspective
complementing the Strategic Research and Innovation Agendas of the JUs should be taken
into consideration.
43

Open Europe Stack: development of technological commons/open-source 3C building
blocks (RIA)

Specific conditions
Expected EU The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of EUR 10 million
contribution would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless,per project
this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal requesting
different amounts.
I n d i c a t i v e The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 10 million.
budgetTy p eActiono f Research and Innovation Action

Technology N/A
Readiness
Level
Article 22.5

NO

Financial
Support to
Third
Parties

Beneficiaries must provide financial support to third parties. The
support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants. As
the main objective of the action is to support large number of third
parties through open calls, the maximum amount to be granted to eachthird party is EUR 400 000 to allow 1/ cases where a given legal entity(e.g. large research, academic or industrial organisations) may receive
several grants (e.g. from different calls) 2/ reaching the maturity level
for third party’s project to ensure sustainability with multiple awards.
As the primary purpose of the action is to support and mobilise internet
innovators, a minimum of 70% of the total requested EU contribution
should be allocated to financial support to third parties, selected
through open calls.

Expected outcome:
Projects are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:•

A publicly available and operational stack of strategic commons focusing on internet
technologies for trust, transactions, connectivity, and decentralisation implementing
the European vision of next generation digital infrastructures, in particular the 3Cs
networks (in close cooperation with the 3Cs large scale pilots), and the wider Web 4.0.

44

•

•

•

A library of inclusive, trustworthy, interoperable, and human-centric applications andservices leveraging open-source commons building blocks which will increase thevalue of the network in the respect of European values.
A flourishing European ecosystem of contributors to digital commons– e.g.,
individuals, SMEs, academics - stimulated by critical challenges around sovereignty,
trust, and user empowerment.
Tools, services, and in-sights supporting compliance with and implementation of EU
legal framework e.g., EUDI, CRA, DMA, DSA, GDPR.

Scope:
This action will foster an open-source framework, developed through commons, i.e. open
source software governed by communities of contributors, that will provide key technology
components for the operation of the 3C large scale pilot. They will be addressing relevant
areas, structuring them in a stack and supporting the development of 3C building blocks
making them available through a library of digital commons supporting applications on top of
the European providers ecosystem.
It will mainly cover three technology areas:•••

Trust technologies such as privacy enhancing technologies, AI-based agents andtrusted technologies for identities allowing exchanges across multiple 3C networks,
providing the users with transparent, auditable, secure, and resilient building blocks
and tools across the internet stack.
Transactional technologies enabling the full cycle of asset transaction, resource accessand attribute verification between users, authoritative parties, and providers ofresources and services.
Decentralised technologies for an immersive world notably based on open standards
ensuring interoperable flow of data and events across the 3C pilot networks andoperators.

In order to implement the European vision of next generation digital infrastructures (3Cs
networks), applicants should devise appropriate mechanisms for cooperation with the 3C
Pilot:− To ensure the integration of requirements and specifications stemming by the 3C
Large Scale Pilots.
− To ensure the 3C Large Scale pilot’s swift integration of the building blocks developedby the Open Europe Stack, including envisaging mechanisms for testing andintegration of the solutions.
Applicants should provide concrete plans on how such work should be organised in close
cooperation with the 3C large scale pilot.
45

Applicants could also decide to select and fund third party projects, wherever required,through up to 15% budget of their project’s financial support to third parties based on
excellence and addressing requirements for transparency, publicity, confidentiality, fairtreatment, and adequate handling of conflict of interest.
If applicants opt for financial support to third parties, they should publicise calls towards the
open-source communities actively influencing the course of the Internet. The calls should
aim at improving trust, transactions, decentralisation implementing optimal balance between
distribution, security, AI usage and energy efficiency targeting climate neutrality objectives.
Applicants should then also define the mechanisms for maturing third parties’ projects e.g.,security and accessibility audits, packaging of the stack for easy deployment, localisation of
the software in EU languages, documentation best practices, performance optimisation andadvising on licensing.
Applicants should detail the path to growth for third parties’ projects e.g., by actively
animating communities, creating momentum among like-minded efforts, defining how
projects will gain critical mass and what services will be provided for reaching such stage.
Proposals should also detail the strategy for standardisation.
In addition to contributing to the 3C large scale pilot, applicants should demonstrate how thesoftware produced will be operationalised as a stack of open libraries accessible through acommon European repository and maximising re-use, reproducibility, and resilience for
adopters.
Applicants should actively manage the portfolio of funded projects and provide a coherent
overall picture in relation to the 3Cs objectives, describing how mature solutions are andensuring trusted and easy deployment capabilities for each building block through packaged
stack.
Applicants should strive for identification of common tools and stimulate maximum re-use ofcomponents coming from other funded projects e.g., interoperable identity and credential
management tools, common packaging solutions, tools for decentralised social media.
Applicants should seek active collaboration with other initiatives addressing internet
commons of relevance to 3Cs at national, European levels and beyond Europe including with
European technology industries.
Applicants should demonstrate their experience and understanding of open-source
communities and their expertise covering the full open-source life cycle through proven trackrecord including years of experience and indication of volume of open-source projects
supported.
Financial support to third parties
46

The proposal should detail the calls logic including criteria for eligibility and award,
procedure for awarding, eligible costs, third parties’ costs calculation and maximum per calls.
Third parties will be funded through projects typically in the EUR 50 000 to 150 000 range
per project, with indicative duration of 9 to 12 months. The consortium should provide theprogramme logic for the third-party projects, managing the projects lifecycle, and provide thenecessary technical and non-technical support: these tasks cannot be implemented using thebudget earmarked for the financial support to third parties.
The Commission considers that proposals in this topic with an overall duration of typically 36
months would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does notpreclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other durations.

47

Preparing the Advancement of the state of the art of submarine cable infrastructures(CSA)
S p e c i f i c
conditions
Expected EU
The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of between EUR 1.9
contribution per and 2.1 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed
project
appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission andselection of a proposal requesting different amounts.
Indicative
budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 2.1 million.

Type of Action

Coordination and Support Actions

Technology
n.a.
Readiness Level
Article 22.5

YES

Expected outcome:Defining specific R&I roadmap at EU level to establish leadership in all relevant submarine
cable technology domains (EU research roadmap on submarine cables). This CSA should be
prepared, managed and coordinated by the key stakeholders in this field.
Τhe project should take into consideration the overarching challenges of:•Reinforcing European leadership in submarine cable connectivity, with European
capabilities and best practices shaping future connectivity standards;•

A digital and green transition towards low carbon footprint of connectivity platforms;
and•Ensuring resilience for the most demanding cases requiring a very high grade ofquality of service (QoS) and performances.

Against this background, the objectives of the target support actions are outlined below:•

Analysis and definition of the expected critical hardware and software components offuture submarine cable infrastructure systems, and indication on where Europe should
seize opportunities and strengthen its capabilities, taking into account thecharacteristics and architectures, including components, security, and operations of
future submarine connectivity infrastructures;48

•Definition of the main required R&I work and assessment of associated research
investment needs related to the identified domains;•

Definition of an appropriate industry roadmap (SRIA), in close partnership with
relevant EU actors both from industry and academia, indicating research & innovation
actions to be undertaken in priority, their scope, and a timetable showing the main
milestones and targets. The project could envisage organising thematic workshops toconsult all interested communities.

Scope:•

Enabling technologies applicable to submarine connectivity infrastructures andsystems are increasingly important to ensure Europe’s strategic autonomy as well as
economic security. Achieving such goals requires that Europe remains at thetechnological edge not only with regards to the cable technology itself but also all theother critical elements composing the submarine cable infrastructure such as repeaters,
landings stations, operational control centres, or cable communications cybersecurity.

•

While some of the necessary research is indirectly conducted through mainstream
research activities in generic technologies (e.g., optical communications or network
management software), more specific research is needed to address the particularneeds and advancement of submarine cable infrastructures and systems. However, thespecific research needs still need to be identified, which supports the need to develop a
specific roadmap and SRIA for research and innovation in submarine cabletechnologies. Such research efforts may address some of the following (nonexhaustive) domains: Multi-core fibre (MCF) technology, Digital Signal Processing,repeater systems, intelligent sensing, advanced Digital Acoustic Sensing (DAS),
logical layer and cable network management systems, robotics to improve theconstruction, maintenance and repair of submarine cable infrastructures, and other
innovations.

49Photonics

50

Active sensor technologies and multimodal sensor integration for multiple application
domains (IA) (Photonics Partnership)
Specific conditions
Expected EU The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of between EUR 4 and 6
contribution million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.
per project
Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal
requesting different amounts.
Indicative
budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 25 million.

Type of
ActionInnovation Actions

Technology
Readiness
Level

Activities are expected to start at TRL 3-4 and achieve TRL 6-7 by the endof the project – see General Annex B.

Article 22.5

NO

Expected outcome:Photonics sensor technologies enable precision and versatility in sensing across multiple
domains. The integration with multimodal systems enhances data accuracy and speed.
Advancements in photonics sensors and their multimodal integration aim to elevatediagnostics, monitoring, and environmental sensing by improving efficiency, performance,and reliability while reducing size and manufacturing costs.
The development of sensor technologies and multimodal integration is closely aligned withseveral key EU policies. These include achieving open strategic autonomy in digital andemerging enabling technologies, enhancing Europe's technological sovereignty, andsupporting the twin transition to a digital and green economy by promoting energy-efficient,competitive, and resilient digital infrastructures.
The initiative also aims to advance the digital transformation by providing access to highquality environmental data, supporting the development of technologies for privacy,
compliance, and data integrity to empower decision-making and foster a fair data economy.
Lastly, it contributes to the green transition by leveraging photonics sensor technologies forenvironmental monitoring and sustainable practices. It aligns with the EU's objectives for agreen and digital economy, enhancing system operations and promoting innovation in ecofriendly practices, thus strengthening Europe's technological leadership for societal andeconomic progress.

51

Projects are expected to contribute to at least three of the following outcomes to fully exploit
the potential of photonics for a digital, green and healthy future in Europe:•

Increase the efficiency of developed photonic sensors, surpassing existing
technologies in aspects such as energy consumption, data processing speed, andmeasurement accuracy.

•

Significantly reduce the size, weight, or footprint of the sensors and quantify
advancements over current technologies.

•

Improve both intrinsic and extrinsic performance metrics to boost measurement
accuracy across various user-case challenges.

•

Contribute to reducing manufacturing costs and increasing resource-efficiency, while
also enhancing reliability and durability of the targeted sensor systems.

They are additionally expected to:•Help secure the strategic autonomy for Europe by ensuring intellectual property andproduction means of key technologies are maintained within the EU, reducing
dependencies and enhancing negotiation power in technological cooperation.

•

Help maximise international competitiveness by increasing the uptake and translationof photonics technologies into new products and services, guided by key technology
requirements.

Scope:The scope of this call focuses on the advancement and application of photonics sensor
technologies and their integration into multimodal systems. Proposals are expected to address
the development of sensor technologies and their validation through trials in realistic use
cases. This includes exploring multi-modal sensor capabilities, as well as employing sensor
fusion and machine learning approaches for the analysis of sensor data. Techniques should
address at least two of the following areas:
•

LiDAR

•

3D sensing and imaging•

Communication fiber sensing•

Optical coherence tomography (OCT)•

Chemical sensing
52•

Bio- and medical sensing and imaging•

Particle sensing•

Integrated photonic solutions

In addition, the proposals could focus on developing and integrating algorithms designed toenhance the processing capabilities and decision-making accuracy of photonic sensors. Thesealgorithms may help to optimize the interpretation of complex sensor data, enable real-time
analytics and adaptive responses in dynamic environments.
Furthermore, projects should aim to provide significant improvements in at least two of theapplication domains listed below. This expectation underlines the call's objective to foster
innovations that have a substantial and beneficial impact on society and various industry
sectors:•

Healthcare (medical diagnostics, treatment through improved imaging techniques anddiagnostic accuracy).

•

Transportation Safety (enhanced safety features in automotive and aerospaceindustries through better sensing capabilities).

•

Industrial Efficiency (industrial processes such as manufacturing, quality control, andautomation through improved sensing technologies).

•

Agricultural/Food Sector (precision agriculture, food safety, food waste reduction andsupply chain management through improved sensing techniques for monitoring crop
health, detecting contaminants, and optimizing production processes and raw material
utilisation).

•

Environmental Monitoring and sustainable energy (pollution monitoring, climate
research, renewable energy infrastructure and natural disaster mitigation).

•

Security and resilience of people and critical infrastructure (face identification, long
distance observation by day and night, (infra-)structural health monitoring, gassensing, explosive detection)•

Protection and efficient operation of optical communications, risk management of datatransport and processing.

Proposals submitted under this topic should include a business case and exploitation
strategy.
Research must build on existing standards or contribute to standardisation. Where relevant,interoperability for data sharing should be addressed.

53

All projects should build on or seek collaboration with existing projects and develop
synergies with other relevant European, national or regional initiatives, funding programmes
and platforms.

54

Quantum and HighPerformance
Computing55

Continuation of the Quantum Technologies Flagship (CSA)
Specific conditions
Expected EU The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of around EUR 4 million
contribution would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, thisper project
does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal requesting different
amounts.
Indicative
budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 4 million.

Type of
ActionCoordination and Support Action

Article 22.5

NOLump-sums

NO

Expected outcome:The new Quantum Flagship CSA is expected to:
1. Act as a global observatory of quantum technologies, systematically reporting on the latest
advancements and breakthroughs occurring worldwide. It will provide regular assessments tothe European Commission and Member States, specifically to the Quantum Expert Group of
the Quantum Pact, offering a detailed analysis of Europe's standing relative to global
competitors. This will ensure Europe can strategically respond to emerging trends andinnovations.
2. Capitalize on the accomplishments and infrastructure (e.g. online presence) established by
the current CSA to further elevate Europe's leadership in quantum technologies.
3. Provide comprehensive support to Flagship projects, researchers, and innovators, fosteringsynergies, knowledge sharing, and best practices.
4. Develop and implement targeted communication strategies to raise awareness andunderstanding of quantum technologies across varied audiences, including students,
specialists, and the general public.
6. Promote the sustainable growth of quantum technologies in Europe by exploring new
applications and markets, ensuring the field's dynamism and competitiveness.
7. Serve as a pivotal entity for coordinating efforts between the EU and Member States,
especially in light of the new Quantum Pact. This includes aligning national and European
strategies and enhancing international relations to fortify Europe's stance in the global
quantum landscape.
568. Assist the Flagship's governance bodies and facilitate the integration of new structures or
initiatives, ensuring a cohesive and efficient approach to advancing quantum technologies in
Europe.
Propose a clear, service-oriented model detailing the CSA's offerings to various stakeholders,
including research support, business intelligence, strategic analysis, international
collaboration facilitation, event organization, and communication activities.
Scope:The scope of the new Quantum Flagship CSA encompasses the following aspects and should
be prepared, managed and coordinated by the key stakeholders in this field.:
1. The global observatory role of quantum technologies, systematically reporting on the latest
advancements and breakthroughs occurring worldwide.
2. Fulfil the dissemination requirement of five articles every two months highlighting EU
success stories in quantum technologies. These articles must be widely promoted acrossEurope via social media, popular newspapers, and technical magazines to ensure maximum
visibility and impact.
3. Building upon the established infrastructure by the previous CSA, support the European
Commission and current and future projects within the Quantum Flagship, includingorganisation of events and ensuring they have access to the necessary resources and expertise.
4. Developing comprehensive communication plans tailored to different target audiences,enhancing the visibility and understanding of quantum technologies and their societal
implications.
5. Acting as a central hub for coordinating actions between the EU, Member States, andinternational partners. This involves compiling and disseminating information critical for
harmonizing strategies at different levels.
6. Providing support to the Flagship's governance structures, contributing to the smooth
execution of its strategic vision and operational goals. This may include aiding theestablishment and integration of new bodies or initiatives.
Proposals should also contribute to spreading excellence across Europe; for example, throughthe involvement of EU Widening Countries.
Links with topics in other WPs:
HORIZON-CL4-2021-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-32: Support and coordination of the
Quantum Technologies Flagship Initiative (CSA)57

Quantum Internet Framework Partnerships Agreement– launching the second Speci ic
Grant Agreement (SGA)

Specific conditions
Expected EU The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of around EUR 32,5
contribution million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.
per project
Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal
requesting different amounts.
Indicative
budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 32,5 million.

Type of
ActionSpecific Grant Agreement

Technology
Readiness
Level

Activities are expected to start at TRL 4-5 and achieve TRL 6-7 by the endof the project – see General Annex B.

Article 22.5

YES

Expected outcome:
Proposals submitted under the SGA2 for the FPA on "Building the Quantum Internet" areexpected to achieve the following outcomes, building on the progress made by the SGA1 anddemonstrating concrete steps (in terms of improved functionality, distance and accessibility)
towards the realisation of a quantum internet:
1. The realization of quantum communication technology that is scalable, reliable, and readyfor manufacturing.
2. The achievement of entanglement distribution over distances reaching or exceeding 500
km, incorporating quantum repeaters and demonstrating feasibility for global quantum
internet infrastructure over a real-world communication network.
3. Prototype (lab condition) of a long-distance quantum communication fibre network using
quantum repeaters capable of connecting metropolitan area networks over hundreds ofkilometres and demonstrate interoperability of various approaches and scalability of thearchitecture.
4. The integration of advanced quantum network applications (e.g., secret key sharing,
distributed quantum computation, blind quantum computation) into classical networkf58

infrastructure (i.e. orchestration platform) over a quantum network including quantum
repeaters.
5. Platform-independent software and network stack demonstration that can operate on aquantum communication network involving at least two quantum computing nodes withquantum memories, ensuring the network's resistance to known forms of cyber-attacks.
Scope:The Second Specific Grant Agreement (SGA2) under the FPA for building the Quantum
Internet should focus on making significant steps towards the practical realization of aquantum internet:• Develop the foundational technologies and network architectures needed to establish aquantum internet that interconnects quantum computers, simulators, and sensors throughquantum networks.
• Propel the innovation and deployment of quantum repeaters capable of operating acrossextensive real-world networks.
• Encourage collaboration across disciplines and sectors to address the technological,
computational, and societal aspects of building the quantum internet.
• Contribute to the development of international standards and ensure interoperability acrossdifferent quantum technologies, facilitating the secure and efficient exchange of quantum
information.
• Highlight the project's contribution to economic growth, technological sovereignty, andstrategic advantages in global quantum technology leadership.
• Engage with potential end users of the technological developments and enable advanced use
cases of a quantum internet.
Proposals should also contribute to spreading excellence across Europe, for example, throughthe involvement of EU Widening Countries.
Links with topics in other WPs:
HORIZON-CL4-2021-DIGITAL-EMERGING-02-19: Framework Partnership Agreements in
Quantum Communications (FPA)59

Quantum Computing – complementing the quantum computing FPAs with thedevelopment of a technology agnostic software stack (RIA)
Specific conditions
ExpectedEU
contribution
per project

The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of around EUR 4-6
million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.
Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal
requesting different amounts.

Indicative
budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 10 million.

Type of
ActionResearch and Innovation Action

Technology
Readiness
Level

Activities are expected to start at TRL 3-4 and achieve TRL 5-6 by the end of
the project – see General Annex B.

Article 22.5

YES

Expected outcome:
Proposals under this call are anticipated to achieve pivotal advancements in quantum
computing by:
1. Establishing a universal, interoperable quantum computing ecosystem that supports diverse
hardware platforms through the creation of technology-agnostic software stack.
2. Seamlessly integrating quantum computing with classical computing systems, including
HPC and cloud services (including the European High Performance Computing Joint
Undertaking’s supercomputers, and the quantum simulators already integrated into them), anddemonstrating practical quantum computing applications by showcasing use cases thatcombine quantum and classical computing capabilities
3. Advancing the development of standardized software architectures, compilers, andsimulators that ensure application portability and performance across different quantum
computing platforms.
4. Advancing integration of quantum simulators with HPC systems.
5. Demonstration of workflows that effectively combine quantum and classical computing toaddress complex computational challenges, providing clear examples of the added value ofquantum acceleration.

60

6. Support for initiatives aimed at training software developers in quantum programming anddeveloping libraries for basic quantum algorithms, including the integration of quantum error
correction mechanisms.
For all the above outcomes, the use of appropriate software licenses, such as those listed as
free by the Free Software Foundation and listed as open source by the Open Source Initiative,
is strongly recommended. Moreover, the beneficiaries will have to ensure open access to otherresearch outputs like data and workflows under the principle ‘as open as possible and as
closed as necessary’.
Scope: Quantum APIs and cloud access form the transition layer between users and quantum
machines in the quantum computation stack. This layer includes general-purpose quantum
software development kits that are used to implement quantum algorithms for both gate-based
systems, simulators and quantum annealers. This call seeks proposals that address the creationof a cohesive software stack that is agnostic to quantum hardware, facilitating thedevelopment, testing, and deployment of quantum applications across various platforms.
Projects are expected to deliver results under Open Source licenses and shall include sourcecode and data sets used as part of open repositories available to the EU community at large.
Proposals should also contribute to spreading excellence across Europe; for example, throughthe involvement of EU Widening Countries.
Links with topics in other WPs:
HORIZON-CL4-2021-DIGITAL-EMERGING-02-17: Framework Partnership Agreement fordeveloping large scale quantum simulation platform technologies (FPA)

61

International cooperation: joint research and development with international partners(RIA)

Specific conditions
Expected EU The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of EUR around 2.5 tocontribution 2.7 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.
per project
Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal
requesting different amounts.
Indicative
budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 8 million.

Type of
ActionResearch and Innovation Action

Technology
Readiness
Level

Activities are expected to start at TRL 2-3 and achieve TRL 3-4 by the endof the project – see General Annex B.

Article 22.5

NO

Expected outcome:The overall objective of this call is to support the implementation of the EU-Republic ofKorea Digital Partnership by strengthening cooperation with Republic of Korea (ROK) in
quantum technologies, in the areas identified in the Partnership.
Joint EU-ROK proposals are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:•

Strengthening the European quantum ecosystem, enabling stakeholders to enhancequantum technologies' applications in academic, industrial, and relevant cases for the EU
and ROK.

•

Improving the exchange of information and expertise to tackle societal challenges
utilizing quantum technologies.

•

Sharing best practices in deploying quantum technologies and integrating them with othertechnologies.

•

Facilitating researcher and engineer exchanges between the EU and ROK for mutual
access to quantum infrastructures.

•

Enhancing international cooperation between the EU and ROK quantum communities,
with a roadmap for future collaboration in targeted areas.
62

Scope:Proposals for the Joint Call EU-ROK are expected to address quantum technology challenges
in the fields of quantum communication, computing, simulation, and sensing, identifying theadded value and mutual benefits for both EU and Korean partners. This includes integration
across various disciplines such as physics, engineering, computer science, cybersecurity,
theory, algorithms, software, manufacturing, control, infrastructures, etc.
Relevant technological and societal challenges to address include:• Co-design of hardware and software to accelerate quantum computing and simulation
applications, ensuring interoperability across platforms and foundational quantum algorithm
and architecture theories.
• Development of secure quantum communication protocols, including quantum key
distribution and beyond, with a focus on device independent protocols, quantum networkarchitecture, and certification of quantum states.
• Application-specific quantum sensor development, covering areas like device fabrication,
characterization for purposes like navigation, imaging, and biomedical applications, andoptimizing sensor control and advanced approaches.
Proposals should clearly define the benefit of EU-ROK collaboration, aiming to enhance thetechnology readiness level (TRL) through comprehensive engineering approaches involving
public and/or private partners.
Proposals should also contribute to spreading excellence across Europe; for example, throughthe involvement of EU Widening Countries.
International cooperation: Joint or coordinated calls
Proposals must be submitted by consortia involving entities from both the EU and ROK.
Participants are expected to adhere to the rules of participation and funding outlined in the
Horizon Europe Framework Programme.
All proposals must include a detailed plan for collaboration, including objectives,
methodologies, and expected outcomes.

63

Post-exascale HPC (CSA)
Specific conditions
Expected EU The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of around EUR 2,5
contribution million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.
per project
Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal
requesting different amounts.
Indicative
budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 2,5 million.

Type of
ActionCoordination and Support Action

22.5

NO

Expected outcome:•

Delivery of a high-quality roadmap addressing the post-exascale HPC researchchallenges for applications, algorithms, software, hardware and systems•

Contribution to the development of a competitive European converged HPC/Quantum/
AI ecosystem•

Interaction and collaboration with similar international efforts

Scope:
Proposals are invited for a Coordination and Support Action that will guide and prepare
European HPC for the post-exascale era of converging supercomputing, quantum computing
and artificial intelligence worlds. This CSA should be prepared, managed and coordinated by
the key stakeholders in this field.
The action should bring together the key scientific and industrial players in Europe and should
liaise with RIAG, INFRAG, ETP4HPC, international post-exascale efforts, DARE FPA on
RISC-V hardware, CoEs and other relevant European projects and initiatives.
The action should analyse the research challenges of all relevant technologies in the postexascale era and produce and maintain a high-quality research roadmap withrecommendations for research actions at the European level. Issues like hardware-supported
mixed-precision, HPC as a service, real-time HPC, digital continuum, convergence of HPC/
AI/Quantum/Cloud/Edge, should be part of the analysis.

64

The Commission considers that proposals with an overall duration of typically 36 months
would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does notpreclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other durations.

2-Dimensional Material/Graphene

65

Innovative Advanced Materials (IAMs) for photonics, enabling low-power and ultrabroadband performance for telecommunication (IA/RIA) (New European Partnershipon innovative materials)
Specific conditions
Expected EU The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of between EUR 5
contribution million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.
per project
Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal
requesting different amounts.
Indicative
budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 10 million.

Type of
ActionResearch and Innovation Action

Technology
Readiness
Level

Activities are expected to start at TRL 3-4 and achieve TRL 5-6 by the endof the project – see General Annex B.

Article 22.5

NO

Expected outcome:•

Demonstrated added value of Innovative Advanced materials (IAMs) for integrated
photonic devices and systems, with focus on low power consumption, enabling future
telecommunication networks in which Europe can build competitive value chains.

•

IAMs for miniaturized and outperforming photonic integrated technologies e.g. interms of performance, power, cost, enabling the development of future-proof, scalable,
low-power and high-bandwidth devices.

Scope:
IAMs can be the ideal candidate for several applications in photonics and optoelectronics.
These include ultrafast integrated photonic circuits, with modulators, waveguides, detectors,
emitters and switches, which play a crucial role in the ongoing quest to increase the speed ofdata transmission in telecommunications networks. In addition, they find utility in highfrequency transmitter modulators and receiver demodulators, which are essential foradvancing wireless telecommunications technologies. They can also serve as integral
components in optical interconnects for data centers, high-performance computing (HPCs),
and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) computing systems.
The main objective of this call is to explore innovative solutions based on IAMs, including
2DMs, that offer state-of-the-art performance and low power consumption, while66demonstrating scalability for volume production, thus exploiting the Si manufacturing
infrastructure. The envisioned compact devices will be designed to be compatible with lowpower driving electronics and thus reduce energy consumption. Solutions should becompatible with existing photonic integrated platforms and low-voltage electronics.
Proposals are expected to integrate the value chain and include relevant manufacturing
technologies required to bring the developed devices to market. Prototypes will be developed
using packaged devices, including electronics, to enable testing in relevant environments.
Efforts will be focused on envisioning optimized routes for electronic and photonic design,
fabricating photonic circuits, producing IAMs, conducting testing, executing wafer-scale
fabrication, and performing co-integration and co-packaging, ultimately leading todemonstrations of the developed technologies and their added values.
Proposals investigating 2D materials are expected to develop synergies and relate to activities
and outcomes of the projects at the core of the Graphene Flagship2. Such proposals should
also cover the contribution to the governance and overall coordination of the Graphene
Flagship.

2 Graphene Flagship: https://graphene-flagship.eu/

67

Innovative Advanced Materials (IAMs) for conformable, lexible or stretchable
electronics (RIA) (New European Partnership on innovative materials)
Specific conditions
ExpectedEU
contribution
per project

The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of between EUR 5 million
would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, thisdoes not preclude submission and selection of a proposal requesting different
amounts.

Indicative
budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 10 million.

Type of
ActionResearch and Innovation Action

Technology
Readiness
Level

Activities are expected to start at TRL 2-3 and achieve TRL 4-5 by the end of
the project – see General Annex B.

Article 22.5 NO

Expected outcome:•

Conformable, flexible or stretchable electronic devices and circuits, enabling
improved user experience and adoption;•

Sustainable electronics based on low environmental impact materials, promoting
reparability and/or recyclability and compatible with energy and resource efficientmanufacturing processes;•

Materials tailored for solution-processed electronics such as semiconductor,
conductive, dielectric, electroactive polymers, etc. enabling high performance andreliable flexible electronics devices.

Scope:
The concept of "ubiquitous electronics" can be a unique opportunity for the EU, opening up
new avenues for e.g., wearable electronics, e-textile, e-skin, wellbeing solutions and Internetof wearable things (IoWT), which represent strategic markets for the EU. Innovative andadvanced materials (IAMs) can enable new technologies and the much-needed paradigm of anelectronic device that can adapt to any substrate. Despite the progress made in this field,
current devices are made up of a limited proportion of flexible, conformable, and stretchable
components, mainly sensors, while the rest of the circuit remains rigid, limiting thistechnology shift.

f68

The overall objective is to discover Innovative Advanced Materials (IAMs), including 2DMs,
with improved properties in terms of flexibility, conformability and stretchability that canenable novel flexible electronic applications, with a focus on environmentally friendly
technologies with reduced carbon footprint processing. Proposals should address all of thefollowing challenges:•

Discomfort of existing wearables leading to non-adoption•

Environmental impact of current electronics due to the use of hazardous and/or criticalraw materials, energy-hungry and resources intensive processes•

Low or limited performance and durability of existing materials for high performanceand reliable flexible electronic devices and circuits•

Limited integrability of current electronics: size and/or weight, complex cabling,interface between flexible and rigid components, design limitations (i.e., patterngeometry, thickness, dimensions).

Proposals should address reparability and/or recyclability of devices and circuits e.g.
reversible adhesives and interconnects, low temperature soldering, bio-based or recycled
substrates such as low thermal budget paper and inks, etc., compatibility with energy andresource efficient manufacturing processes e.g., printing, thermoforming, lamination,
injection moulding, etc.
Proposals investigating 2D materials are expected to develop synergies and relate to activities
and outcomes of the projects at the core of the Graphene Flagship3. Such proposals should
also cover the contribution to the governance and overall coordination of the Graphene
Flagship.

3 Graphene Flagship: https://graphene-flagship.eu/

69Virtual Worlds

70Core technologies for virtual worlds (RIA) (Virtual Worlds and Photonics Partnerships)

Expected EU The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of between EUR 5 and 6
contribution million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.
per project
Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal
requesting different amounts.
Indicative
budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 43 million.

Type of
ActionResearch and Innovation Action

Technology
Readiness
Level

Activities are expected to start at TRL 3-4 and achieve TRL 6 by the end of
the project – see General Annex B.

Article 22.5

NO

Expected outcome:
Proposals are expected to contribute to developing core technologies for Virtual Worlds,
with a focus on be er, more realis c and more performant interac on and immersion, at
applica on and components levels. The following outcomes are expected:A) Be er and more realis c immersion through mul modal interac on.
Improve the mul modal immersion experience combining eXtended Reality withadvanced and innova ve technologies
B) Innova ve photonics technologies for projec on, sensing and percep on in virtualworlds.
•

Improve the performance of microdisplays or sensing devices serving Virtual
Worlds by using innova ve Op cs and Photonics technologies.
Improve the user experience beyond the state-of-the-art by assessing the humanpercep on and experience from subjec ve, objec ve, and func onal perspec ves
and taking into account the speci c proper es of the targeted devices as well asprivacy, security and safety requirements.

••

Proposals are expected to address at least one of the expected outcomes, either type A) or
B). The type must be clearly iden ed within the proposal, Special a en on will be given to
proposals including transdisciplinary research (encompassing Type A) and B) ) in order todeliver and enhance uptake of suitable, accurate, ethical and safe solu ons.

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At least two proposals in each of the areas de ned below will be selected. Proposals should
clearly iden fy the area they are addressing.
Proposed applica ons should aim at increasing awareness, acceptance and adop on ofvirtual worlds applica ons across sectors.
Scope:
Virtual worlds will impact the way people live, work, create and share content, the way
public administra ons interact with ci zens as well as the way businesses operate, innovate,produce and interact with customers.
Mul modal interac on and immersion are key dimensions of Virtual Worlds and will besupported by innova ve op cs and photonics technologies to achieve the full poten al of
Virtual Worlds core technologies.
A broader adop on of Virtual Worlds will need be er and more realis c immersion andinterac on, mixing modali es, sensors and actuators for an ever-improved user experience:
touch, smell, hap cs, etc will be be er s mulated, bringing users closer to real-world
sensa ons, serving Virtual Worlds.
Many challenges remain to be addressed to realize op cs and photonics technical solu ons
that o er high-performance, excellent visual quality, high-quality user experience, andsustainable services and devices, for head-mounted displays (HMD), autostereoscopic
displays or sensing devices.
Coupled with display and sensing technologies, algorithms and metrics should be considered
to exploit the underlying light (transporta on) models given the u lized modality andaddress e.g. scene representa on, content genera on, compression, transmission, content
reconstruc on, content-to-display adapta on, or rendering. Moreover, the quality ofintegra on, both from a user and technological perspec ve, will be essen al for a broadadop on of Virtual Worlds.
The type A) proposals under this topic should develop and demonstrate novel applica ons
for Virtual Worlds that combine several modali es and aim to provide seamless and more
realis c immersive interac ons. Proposals should inves gate novel scien c approaches orpush the limit of exis ng ones to improve the synchroniza on and integra on of the di erent
modali es.
Proposals should focus on an enhanced use of mul modal technologies, integra ng at least
two modali es within an extended reality applica on. Modali es include hap cs and forcefeedback, vision, touch, smell, speech, etc.

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The type B) proposals should address the development and integra on of advanced
innova ve and high-performance Op cs and Photonics technologies for display and sensing
devices serving Virtual Worlds.
o For displays further improve current high-end microdisplays regarding
power consump on (<1 mW), device e ciency, resolu on (8K andbeyond, pixel densi es > 10kppi), high dynamic range (HDR), colour
gamut, contrast and refresh rate holding the promise for truly immersive
experiences;o For sensing devices improve accuracy in diverse ligh ng condi ons andwith di erent eye physiologies
Special a en on should be given to the design and fabrica on of suited waveguide op cs,
holographic elements, di rac ve op cs, re ec ve light guides, freeform op cs, or metasurfaces with op mal op cal proper es and behaviour; to support the required eld of view
(FoV), to be lightweight and safe for the user, and provide excellent colour uniformity andhigh brightness e ciency; to sa sfy the use case requirements for both professional use andmass adop on, i.e., be scalable to large volumes and cost-e ec ve; to integrate targeted
systems seamlessly into mixed-reality devices without increasing bulk or reducing comfort.
For proposals type A) and B), the quality of integra on, both from a user and technologicalperspec ve, will be essen al for a broad adop on of Virtual Worlds. The proposals should
include a focus on human percep on and experience, from subjec ve, objec ve, andfunc onal perspec ves , and take into account EU values such as inclusivity, privacy, security
and safety of users and their personal data. Solu ons should guarantee the privacy and rights
of individuals and companies and ensure secure and trustworthy interac ons to deliver andenhance uptake of suitable, accurate, ethical and safe solu ons.
The Consor um should pay a en on to developing solu ons that are reliable, robust andinteroperable. Proposals should leverage exis ng open standards and technologies in thedomain of eXtended Reality. Applica ons should be tested and anchored in real world
environments and aimed at least one applica on domain.
We consider that proposals with an overall dura on of typically 36 months and a budget ofEURO 5-6 M€ would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, thisdoes not preclude submission and selec on of proposals reques ng other dura ons.
This topic is implemented through a joint e ort from the co-programmed European
Partnership for Virtual Worlds and the Photonics Partnership.

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Generative AI for Virtual Worlds: Advanced technologies for better performance andhyper personalised and immersive experience (IA) (AI/Data/Robotics & Virtual Worlds
Partnerships)

Generative AI is a general technology that is accessible, powerful and adaptable to a vast
range of uses and has the potential to revolutionise human-machine interaction and enhance
productivity across value chains and organisational functions, laying the foundation for novel
economic activities.4
Generative AI will enable creators to build on the spot, adaptable, realistic or innovative
characters, user-tailored artefacts and Virtual Worlds, or creative breathtaking divergent
worlds and landscapes. AI generated smart digital assistants and 3D chatbots will be helping
users to navigate safely and inclusively.
Specific conditions
Expected EU The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of between EUR 4 and 5
contribution million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.
per project
Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal
requesting different amounts.
Indicative
budget

The total indica ve budget for the topic is EUR 20 million.

Type of
ActionInnovation Actions

Technology
Readiness
Level

Activities are expected to start at TRL 4-5 and achieve TRL 7 by the end of
the project – see General Annex B.

Article 22.5

NO

Expected outcome:
Projects are expecting to contribute to the following outcomes:•

Realistic, creative and innovative characters, user-tailored artefacts, and Virtual
Worlds for a better immersion and significantly improved user experience.

•

Smart digital assistants and 3D chatbots for a safe and inclusive navigation

Scope:

4 Communica

on on boos ng startups and innova on in trustworthy ar
24 January 2024.

cial intelligence Com(2024) 28 nal of

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Generative AI, at the edge and integrated in devices, will bring better performance, a more
personalised and a more immersive experience for an inclusive and wider adoption of Virtual
Worlds. Small and frugal AI models would enable faster inference contributing to lower
latency while improving security and privacy by processing data closer to the user, preserving
EU Values. Smart digital assistants will accompany users throughout their journey within
Virtual Worlds, bringing new innovative communication modalities, advancing collaborative
intelligence and decision-making AI capabilities.
The following type of innovation actions proposals are expected:
Generative AI – Realistic and innovative Virtual Worlds for a better immersion:
Proposals should use Generative AI to build on the users’ expectations to create either safe
and inclusive virtual spaces, realistic environments, or creative and beyond reality ones. They
should develop dynamic Storytelling and scenarios to enable creative content that is
personalised leading to unique experiences for the users or shared with other users. They
should also use AI to enable generation of personalised avatars aiming to provide seamlessand more realistic immersive interaction.
Generative AI – Smart digital assistance for a safe and inclusive navigation in Virtual
Worlds:
Proposals should develop smart digital assistants and 3D chatbots (AI-enhanced
communicating 3D avatars), to for example, enhance training and education, remove language
barriers or language disorders through instant translation, including sign languages, offer
sentiment analysis and behavioural decision support systems, enable users to adapt to various
interlocutors from various cultures, languages and backgrounds, contributing to navigate ininclusive and safe Virtual Worlds, while offering users new adapted learning modalities.
When relevant, proposals can capitalise on latest developments in generative AI, to bring stepchange in explainable collaborative intelligence and decision-making capabilities bydedicated specific research.

75

Drive the evolution of the internet towards open and interoperable Web 4.0 and Virtual
Worlds : building blocks in priority areas (RIA) (Virtual Worlds Partnership)

Specific conditions
Expected EU The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of EUR of around 3
contribution million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.
per project
Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal
requesting different amounts.
I n d i c a t i v e The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 14,5 million.
budgetTy p eActiono f Research and Innovation Action

Te c h n o l o g y N/A
Readiness
Level
Article 22.5

NOLump-sums

YES

F i n a n c i a l Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties. The support toS u p p o r t t o third parties can only be provided in the form of grants. The maximum
T h i r d amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 150 000. This is justified byParties
the possibility for a third party to participate during the full duration of thepilot.
A maximum of 15% of the total requested EU contribution may be allocatedto financial support to third parties, selected through open calls.
Procedure

The procedure is described in General Annex F. The following exceptions
apply:
To ensure a balanced portfolio covering all the areas described in the scope,
grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but atleast also to one application that is the highest ranked within each area,
provided that the applications attain all thresholds.

Expected outcome:o

An early demonstration of the future Web 4.0 architectural framework (including
protocols and standards) made up of key open source internet building blocks in76

priority areas: identity, software supply chain, open hardware, decentralised solutions& virtual worlds.
oThe emergence of open and interoperable Web 4.0 and Virtual Worlds supported by
EU based internet ecosystems centred on EU values and regulatory framework withhigh socio-economic impact, through the application of digital commons technologies
and other open-source solutions and open standards in several use cases.

oSupporting the transition from today’s internet towards Web 4.0 where end-users haveaccess to a more personalised and interactive experience through more collaborative,
decentralised and user-centred approaches. Special attention will have to be given to
security, scalability, and accessibility issues.

oNew business opportunities and the emergence of new business and sustainability
models based on Open Source.

Scope:
The aim of this topic is to advance the evolution of the internet towards open andinteroperable Web 4.0 enabling Virtual Worlds, ensuring seamless user experience navigating
across platforms by increasing the take up of digital commons technologies and other Open
Source solutions in Europe. The action will thus leverage the strong and active community ofEuropean open-source innovators that can contribute to relevant digital commons to deliveron key features of virtual worlds.
This topic will support early demonstrations for Web 4.0 and its architectural framework,through the use of key building blocks where there is sufficient level of maturity and criticalmass of commons contributors (such as in the context of the Next Generation Internet
initiative).
The envisaged Web 4.0 should be powered by open and decentralised technologies enabling
interoperability between platforms and networks and freedom of choice for the users. It
should be developed through open source / digital commons and tackle security, scalability
and sustainability at the core of the technological developments.
Applicants should define the mechanisms for contributing to and aligning with the strategic
roadmap for research and innovation and the architectural Framework as it becomes available
from the specific separate support action (TOPIC CSA Web 4.0 and Virtual Worlds).
Applicants should devise appropriate mechanisms for cooperating with the other projects
under this action to ensure that they work in a coherent way towards the vision of an open,
interoperable Web 4.0
At least one proposal in each of the area defined below will be selected. Proposals should
clearly identify the area they are addressing.
77

Area 1: Identity management
Proposals will support and facilitate the deployment and adoption of the EU Digital Identity
Wallet with the testing, community development and packaging of open-source solutions forthe issuance and verification of electronic attestations and the provision of eIDAS trust
services. The aim is to deliver a diversity of open-source digital solutions and services inaccordance with the European digital rights and principles, empowering citizens with thefreedom of choice from many secure digital identity solutions that are aligned with the EU
regulations. Additionally, to foster and support enterprises to harness the benefits of the EUDI
wallet and the eIDAS trust services. Examples may include the implementation of EUDI
wallets for open-source operating systems, like Linux (for enterprise servers), cloud-based
wallets, laptop-based wallets, open-source OS for mobile devices. Furthermore, technicalsolutions and services for secure and anonymous digital payments and money transfers
between people, solutions for the implementation for attestation issuers and verifiers and theeIDAS trust services with a focus on the development of open-source stacks for issuers andrelying parties (for issuing and verifying electronic attestations), especially as/for cloudservices.
Area 2: Software Supply Chain security
Trusted frameworks are essential to keep the software supply chain secure, as demonstrated
by the recent attack on XZ Utils. The aim is to strengthen the security of the software supply
chain by leveraging related NGI building blocks and package solutions for example fortraceability of code, collaborative trust models among contributors and users, detection of
anomalous behaviour, construction of software bill of material. Use cases include developers
and users of codes, DevSecOps team, corporate IT, open-source projects, industry and/or
parties that need to be compliant with the Cyber Resilience Act.
Area 3: Open Hardware
Open Hardware is key for supporting trust and sovereignty as it allows users to inspect,modify, and implement freely the designs. The aim is to support the uptake of open hardware
chips and tools through prototyping, productization and integration in real life cases.
Proposals can address several re-usable tools and components such as controllers, processors,or network chips. Use cases include consumer devices for immersive virtual worlds, industry
applications, consumer devices, smart cities.
Area 4: Alternative solutions to centralised platforms
As EU legislation places obligations on platforms, particularly focusing on gatekeepers, it isimportant to prioritize nurturing and enriching credible alternatives. Proposals in this area
could cover integrating, testing and operation of open-source decentralised solutions offering
credible alternatives to users supporting the emergence of Web 4.0 and Virtual Worlds
78

experience. Examples include instant messaging, application stores, or productivity
groupware that should showcase virtual worlds interoperability, trust, resilience, andscalability. The focus should be made on decentralised and federated solutions based oninteroperability requirements and on open standards to ensure to not only meet regulatory
demands but also foster a more open, diverse, resilient, and competitive digital ecosystem.
Area 5: Web 4.0 demonstration for Virtual Worlds
Web 4.0 technologies enabling interoperability and transferability across platforms are crucial
to ensure various players to contribute to virtual worlds as opposed to a mono-provider
environment. This area will make use of existing open-source building blocks for ensuring
trust, interoperation, interconnection, transaction, and resource access in Virtual Worlds
applications and services. Proposals will aim at integrating the various building blocks, with a
special focus on interoperability and will demonstrate seamless interactions (for example
when browsing and searching across multiple providers) in one or two selected scenarios.
For all areas, proposals shall innovate beyond the state-of-the-art and could include
development, integration, testing, deployment, uptake, and operations activities.
Proposals should encourage, when relevant, open access to data, standardisation activities, aswell as an IPR regime and sustainability model ensuring lasting impact and reusability of
results.
The Commission considers that proposals with an overall duration of typically 24 to 36
months would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does notpreclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other durations.

79

Speci ic support for the Virtual Worlds Partnership and the Web 4.0 initiative (CSA)(Virtual Worlds Partnership)
Specific conditions
Expected EU The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of EUR 2,5 million
contribution would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, thisper project
does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal requesting a
different
Indicative
The totalamount.
indicative budget for the topic is EUR 2,5 million.
budgetType of
ActionCoordination and Support Actions

Technology
Readiness
Level

N/A

Article 22.5

NO

Expected outcome:The launch of a new European Partnership will help develop and promote a thriving industrial
and end-user ecosystem in the EU, covering all the aspects of the virtual worlds value chain.
It will also actively engage with people and society at large and provide access to a broader
range of resources, including funding, expertise and technology.
This CSA should be prepared, managed and coordinated by the key stakeholders in this field.
Proposal results are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:
1. The delivery of a Strategic Research and Innovation agenda (SRIA) for Web 4.0 in Europe
leading to an inclusive, trustworthy, interoperable, and human-centric Web 4.0 leveraging
open-source commons building blocks enabling new social and sustainability models that
respect European values.
2. The delivery of a Strategic Research, Innovation and Deployment Agenda (SRIDA) for
Virtual Worlds in Europe, for useful, open, interoperable, inclusive, sustainable andtrustworthy virtual worlds systems and applications, ensuring Virtual worlds reflect EU
values and principles.
3. Established and running European Virtual Worlds Partnership supporting the European
Virtual Worlds and Web 4.0 community.

f80

4. A strong and competitive ecosystem, with European companies playing a leading role in
the adoption and acceptance, and in the development and deployment of Virtual Worlds
technologies.
5. Reinforced links among initiatives in virtual worlds in Horizon Europe, Digital Europe
Programme, and other programmes.
6. Widespread educational and outreach programmes
7. Increased adoption of virtual worlds that are open, interdisciplinary, safe and respect
ethical values and European legal framework, including regarding privacy, security in all
Member States and Associated Countries
8. Standardisation methods for virtual worlds technologies and in support of the Commission
regulatory framework.
Scope:The selected proposal should provide specific support for the coming European Virtual
Worlds Partnership.
The selected proposal will:•

Support to the Virtual Worlds Partnership to develop a strong and inclusive networkby strengthening the links and promoting collaboration among academia, industry,
public actors and end-users, including the major industrial European sectors and all
relevant stakeholders, to guarantee strong coordinated efforts toward trustworthy andhuman-centric virtual worlds for the economy and society. The network will also
include national representatives, to link to national programmes and to foster synergies
and coordination between the various European, national, public and private
initiatives. Such coordination of efforts in research, innovation and expertise will be
important for Europe’s leadership in virtual worlds. The objective is to support thecommunity in defining and implementing the Virtual Worlds strategy for research,innovation, and deployment, and support the Partnership in its coordination andsupport of the community in non-R&D tasks as well.

•

Support the development and implementation of a Strategic Research, Innovation and
Deployment Agenda for Virtual Worlds (SRIDA)•

Support the development of a Strategic Research and Innovation agenda (SRIA) for
Web 4.0 in Europe and propose an implementation agenda of a European Web 4.0
strategy for research and innovation by defining the trajectories to drive the evolutionof the internet towards Web 4.0. This should include the architectural framework81

(including standards and protocols) and principles, identifying its main building
blocks. The implementation strategy should also identify the technology areas where
Web 4.0 and Virtual Worlds can benefit from joint developments, reuse oftechnologies or exchanges.
•

Support the emergence of a thriving European ecosystem for Web 4.0 wheredevelopers, research teams, industry and startups can boost technological capabilities,
accelerate uptake of innovative solutions, and foster a supportive businessenvironment. This community shall be involved in the definition of the architectural
framework, its main building blocks and the implementation roadmap.

•

Coordinate and establish links with all relevant initiatives in Web 4.0 and Virtual
Worlds in Horizon Europe, Digital Europe Programme (such as the Common
European Data spaces or the Digital Twins) and other programmes (European
Innovation Council, Digital Innovation Hubs, European Digital Innovation Hubs,
European Digital Infrastructure Consortia, the VR/AR Industrial Coalition, etc), inview of sharing knowledge and developing synergies. Such synergies should be
developed with the relevant projects through efficient mechanisms (e.g. joint task
forces), organisation of joint events gathering projects, etc. In view of sharing
knowledge and developing synergies, proposals shall also coordinate and establish
links with relevant initiatives in this Work Programme such as references to the topics
on Open Europe Stack, pilots, 3C, Web 4.0 Building blocks in priority areas (RIA).

•

Closely collaborate and build synergies with other relevant European Partnerships(such as Data, AI and Robotics; Photonics, the European Blockchain Partnerships);
Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative, the European Flagships (such as Graphene),the EU supported digital twins initiatives (such as Destination Earth).

•

Support and encourage the adoption of Virtual Worlds in all Member States andAssociated Countries, with particular emphasis on geographical aspect and across thevalue chain.

•

Develop and implement outreach programmes aiming at better understanding andawareness of Virtual Worlds including acceptability and trustworthiness, informing
about potentialities of Virtual Worlds but also ensuring that public expectations are
realistic to avoid backlash in the adoption. Such activities should target in particular
the business community, with a particular focus on SMEs, as well as public
administrators, and citizens at large.

•

Identify ethical, legal, societal and economical aspects of virtual worlds and actions on
how to tackle possible issues.
82•Support to standardisation in view of boosting virtual worlds industry, creating, andguaranteeing trustworthy and ethical Virtual Worlds, by bringing stakeholders together
and, when needed, organise European representation in existing or new
standardisation working groups in support of the Commission regulatory framework

This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on Virtual Worlds and theinitiative on Web 4.0.
All proposals are expected to allocate tasks to cohesion activities with the Partnership on
Virtual Worlds and funded actions related to this partnership. Proposals should include
activities to collaborate with projects stemming from topics relevant to virtual worlds andshare or exploit results where appropriate. Proposals should also develop synergies with
relevant activities in Digital Europe Programme.

83International Cooperation

84

International cooperation in semiconductors (CSA)
Specific conditions
ExpectedEU
contribution
per project

The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of around EUR 3 million
would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, thisdoes not preclude submission and selection of a proposal requesting different
amounts.

Indicative
budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 3 million.

Type of
ActionCoordination and Support Actions

Article 22.5

NO

Expected outcome:•Evidence-based advice to the Commission and the Member States on joint actions
with leading semiconductor countries (including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan,
Singapore, USA, Canada, and India) in support of EU policies.

•

Support to the Commission to define and implement measures aiming at strengthening
the position of Europe’s industry in the global semiconductor value chain.

•

Factual elements (e.g. analyses of state-of-the-art, emerging technologies…) that help
the Commission in assessing potential areas of cooperation.

Scope:
Within the context of semiconductor and semiconductor-based photonics (e.g. silicon
photonics), the CSA will support the Commission and the Member States in the following
activities:•

Preparation of a regional mapping of industrial strengths and gaps and their expected
evolution;•

Identification of emerging opportunities (e.g. technologies, approaches) for
cooperation with other regions;•Definition of research areas in which international cooperation would result intangible benefits for Europe;85•

Analysis of risks to the EU’s technological advancements, technologicalcompetitiveness, and access to leading-edge technology vis-à-vis international
cooperation countries;•

Promotion and contribution to standardisation activities;•

Organisation of joint events contributing to the above outcomes;•

Promotion of mobility of researchers in specific topics (in cooperation with othersupport schemes);•

Preparation of a comparative analysis of modalities for cooperation and theirapplicability.

The Commission will actively engage with Member States via the European Semiconductor
Board ensuring that their interests and views are taken into account. This CSA should be
prepared, managed and coordinated by the key stakeholders in this field.
Links with topics in other WPs:
This topic builds on the results under the following topics:•

HORIZON-CL4-2022-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-38: International cooperation insemiconductors (CSA)

Chips Joint Undertaking’s HORIZON-Chips-2024-3-RIA: Joint call with Korea on
Heterogeneous integration and neuromorphic computing technologies for future
semiconductor components and systems

86

GenAI for Africa
Specific conditions
Expected EU The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of EUR 1-2 million
contribution would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, thisper project
does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal requesting a
I n d i c a t i v e different
The totalamount.
indicative budget for the topic is EUR 5 million.
budgetTy p eActiono f Research and Innovation Action

Te c h n o l o g y Activities are expected to start at TRL 4 and achieve TRL 6 by the end of theR e a d i n e s s project – see General Annex B.
Level
Article 22.5

NO

Expected outcome:•

African societies would benefit from innovative solutions on GenAI applied to key
areas:•

Provide local technological companies with the technological capacity to develop
targeted solutions to unlock the full potential of GenAI Digital in key areas with theprimary focus on rural communities in Africa.

Scope:
Generative AI (GenAI) holds the potential of creating in Africa a rich ecosystem oftransformative solutions and practical applications addressing the specific societal challenges
and opportunities most of the countries are facing.
The proposals should address one or more of the following topics:•

Agriculture optimisation: GenAI can analyse satellite imagery and sensor data tomonitor state of crops, soil conditions, and weather patterns, enabling farmers to boost
crop yields and enhance food security through sophisticated predictive analytics andefficient resource management like water and pesticides. This is crucial to mitigate
climate change and poor irrigation infrastructures in some areas of Africa.

•

Healthcare: GenAI can diagnose diseases from medical images and patient data,enhancing healthcare in remote areas; forecast disease outbreaks and aid in preventive
87

planning, and with the help of chatbots and virtual assistants can offer medical advice
and connect patients with doctors, expanding telemedicine services, making healthcare
more accessible to remote populations.
•

Infrastructure and urban planning: GenAI optimises energy usage, integrates
renewables, and ensures efficient distribution, while managing water and waste
effectively for sustainability, and enhancing safety with real-time incident detection. It
also provides support for reconstruction following natural or human-made disasters.
This is vital for some African communities with scarce natural resources like waterand facing high temperatures by using Urban Digital Twins.

•

Digital Skills and learning: Generative AI can personalize learning paths, create
multilingual educational content, and offer on-demand virtual tutoring, benefiting
rural communities with low resources and fully relying on mobile phones to accessonline services. Additionally, adaptive learning platforms can use data analytics totailor teaching, while engineers craft queries to help AI models understand local
languages and nuances to set up conversational chatbots for local communities.

The proposals will approach these objectives by:•

Developing and integrating generative Artificial Intelligence models and algorithms
specifically adapted for one or several of the abovementioned key areas.

•

Involving and supporting start-ups in Africa to create innovative solutions to uniquely
African challenges in those areas based on GenAI.

Links with topics in other WPs:
Procurement projects in AI for public good, in the areas of health, digital twin forreconstruction, emergency response and electric grid optimisation.

88

AI for Public Good 1: Innovative cancer imaging services AI-based for breast andprostate diagnosis
As part of the cooperation with the US on AI for Public Good, in the area of health innovative
services are to be implemented for cancer imaging detection relying on AI algorithms thatlater can be offered to hospitals and clinical centers in need of advanced technologies.
Technical teams on both sides will train, enhance and optimise existing AI models andalgorithms for breast and prostate cancer diagnosis using images. The training will utilise
generative AI and machine learning as appropriate based both on synthetic and real data fromclinical sources from the US and EU.
The set of innovative services to be procured through domain experts by the EC for phases II(development), III (testing)•Train, enhance and optimise existing AI models and algorithms for breast and prostatecancer diagnosis using images. The training will utilise generative AI and machinelearning as appropriate based both on synthetic and real data from clinical sourcesfrom the US and EU. Sources of, mainly magnetic resonance, data images will beidentified and organised according to ethical and privacy requirements and equippedwith efficient and secure access mechanisms.

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Validation of required level of enhanced accuracy of models will be validated, prior totheir testing in real trials. Trials will be undertaken for each use case (breast andprostate cancer) in countries in need, through clinical centres, e.g. in Kenya and South
Africa (tbc) and in trials in locations in Asia (US proposal).

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Following the trials, the experts will plan and initiative the steps towards regulatory
approval of the algorithms, for use in real life scenarios.

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The enhanced AI models and guidelines to their use in diagnosis will be delivered as
open access to EU and US researchers, as well as to stakeholders from other world
regions (in particular to low-to-middle income countries).

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The teams should also assess the potential to provide the AI models and theirdiagnosis guidelines and training possibly using virtual and remote learning, as aservice to countries in need through e.g. hosting in high computing facilities.

Form of Funding: Procurement
Type of Action: Public procurement
Indicative timetable: First quarter of 2025
Indicative budget: EUR 2.4 million

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AI for Public Good 2: Innovative services AI-based for emergency response and crisis
management
As part of the cooperation with the US on AI for Public Good in the area of emergency
response, innovative solutions and services are to be implemented to face natural disasters
such as wildfires and flooding. This will be done through a combination of advanced
technologies including AI, geographic information systems, and real-time data analytics
empowering emergency responders to anticipate, optimize, and track resource allocation,
coordinate response efforts more effectively. The goal is to implement a multihazard open,
modular, multi-hazard platform that harnesses the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) tosignificantly enhance emergency response capabilities during natural disasters, supportingthem with accurate data. The ecosystem will leverage existing global, national and regional
systems like the Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS) and National Emergency
Response Information System [NERIS]).
The set of innovative service to be procured by the EC for phases II (development), III(testing)•

Development of the platform and integrating the existing Global Wildfire Information
System (GWIS) that already covers the entire planet. Potentially integration of otherUS-based systems (Calfire, Missoula science lab...).

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Host the platform in cloud-based servers.

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Deployment in several countries in Latin America (mainly Central America, theCarabeen and Colombia) and others suggested with the US.

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Support for the EU (DG ECHO) to use the platform as part of the Union Civil
Protection Mechanism (UCPM).

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Assess the potential to provide the platform as a service, hosted in high computing
facilities in order offer emergency response capabilities to countries in need at broader
scale. Prepare the scaling-up and hosting.

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Design and develop of the multihazard platform for disaster 2: floods.

Form of Funding: Procurement
Type of Action: Public procurement
Indicative timetable: First quarter of 2025
Indicative budget: EUR 2 million

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AI for Public Good 3: Innovative services AI-based for urban reconstruction
As part of the cooperation with the US on AI for Public Good, in the area of reconstructive
innovative services are to be implemented to support urban reconstruction planning relying on
AI algorithms.
The set of innovative services to be procured by the EC for phases II (development), III(testing) are:•Technical research teams from EU and the US will identify data sources and create adataset containing 3D virtual replicas of buildings in cities all over the world(excluding replicas from the EU and the US which are already under development).

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The teams will organise the data and make it accessible according to agreed security,
privacy etc. requirements and develop and train supporting AI algorithms fortrustworthy, transparent and cost-efficient reconstruction projects.

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The virtual replicas and the AI algorithms will be integrated into a Geographical
Information System (GIS) platform for a complete offering of digital twin and AIalgorithm-based reconstruction services.

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The teams should also assess the potential to provide the GIS platform, hosted in highcomputing facilities in order offer the services to countries in need at broader scale.

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Design and develop the production version of a Digital Twin for reconstruction basedon pilots conducted in Phase I.

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Deploy the solutions in several counties in need, like Ukraine.

The teams should also assess the potential to provide the platform, hosted in high computing
facilities in order offer the services to countries in need at broader scale.
Form of Funding: Procurement
Type of Action: Public procurement
Indicative timetable: First quarter of 2025
Indicative budget: EUR 2 million

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AI for Public Good 4: Innovative services AI-based for electric grid optimisation
As part of the cooperation with the US on AI for Public Good in the area of electric
optimization, innovative solutions and services are to be implementing enabling dynamicallythe integration of renewable energy sources to meet increasingly fluctuating demands. The
solutions will rely on AI to enhance energy efficiency and promote optimal usage,
contributing to a greener society.
The set of innovative services to be procured through domain experts by the EU for phases II(development), III (testing) are:•Finish design and development of edge-oriented AI-based flexibility tools. It will bedone combining different modeling activities already available and present scenariosof flexibility over the long-term, providing an assessment tool.

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Running laboratory simulations for verification of the proposed mechanism of dataexchanges and complex systems simulation.

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Concept testing and validation of tools both in the lab and in the field, prior to testingin EU locations (e.g. Rome, Denmark, Portugal).

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Deployment in third countries in need e.g. Peru (Lima).

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The teams should also assess the potential to provide the platform, hosted in highcomputing facilities in order offer the services to countries in need at broader scale.

Form of Funding: Procurement
Type of Action: Public procurement
Indicative timetable: First quarter of 2025
Indicative budget: EUR 3 million

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