Outcomes of the Mediterranean Initiative I : Horizon Europe work programme 2023-2024.
Date: 2025-10-28
Institutions: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
Subjects: EU initiative, EU research policy, Mediterranean region (EU), climate change policy, enhanced cooperation, health policy, innovation, renewable energy

Research and 
innovation

Outcomes of the 
Mediterranean Initiative I
HORIZON EUROPE 
WORK PROGRAMME 2023-2024

October 2025

Horizon Europe is open to researchers and innovators from all over the world. It also features specific initiatives 
aimed at enhancing cooperation with key strategic regions.

Mediterranean Initiative I

The EU and the Southern Mediterranean countries aim to strengthen their partnership based on co-creation, 
co-ownership and shared benefits. The cooperation in the region underlines the importance of common solutions 
to address major challenges. In June 2022, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) 
Research and Innovation (R&I) Ministerial endorsed the three key priorities and their 
corresponding roadmaps for EU-Mediterranean cooperation in research and innovation: 
Health, Climate Change and Renewable Energies. 

The Horizon Europe work programme 2023-2024 includes a Mediterranean Initiative, 
featuring around 37 topics and an approximate budget of €320 million through Calls 
for Proposals. These are closely aligned with the R&I Roadmaps focusing on the three 
core priorities for EU-Mediterranean cooperation in research and innovation.

Outcomes

The calls actively encouraged universities and research organisations from 
Mediterranean countries to participate in consortia, fostering new partnerships to address shared global 
challenges. Specifically in the flagged calls, more than 30 major Mediterranean R&I organisations are involved 
from 10 southern Mediterranean countries:

Turkey

Tunisia

Israel

Egypt

Morocco

Albania

Algeria

Jordan

Lebanon

Montenegro

A total of 18 funded projects involve at least one Mediterranean country. Approximately €245 out of €320 of 
the EU contribution is allocated to these projects.

HEALTH

CLIMATE 
CHANGE

RENEWABLE 
ENERGY

EU 
CONTRIBUTION

•  2 projects
•  EU contribution: 

•  12 projects
•  EU contribution: 

€ 156 892 877,99

€ 62 663 887,31

•  4 projects
•  EU contribution: 
€ 25 089 677

to projects with at least 
one mediterranean 
country involved total 
€ 244 646 442,30

Sucess stories

HEALTH

CLIMATE CHANGE

“EUROPEAN RARE DISEASES RESEARCH ALLIANCE” 
- Project N. 101156595

“TRANS-SAHARA - Novel WEFE Nexus” - 
Project N. 101182176

Six entities from three Med countries (Turkey, 
Morocco and Israel) are part of over 180 
organisations from 36 countries working closely 
together  to  support  health benefits to rare 
diseases patients through improved prevention, 
diagnosis and treatment. By working together, 
ERDERA partners can leverage their expertise and 
resources to drive progress in rare diseases research 
and improve the lives of patients and their families.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

“SOLINDARITY” – Project N. 101136148

With a consortium comprising 18 partners from 6 
EU countries, Switzerland, Morocco, and Jordan, 
SOLINDARITY strives to advance the energy 
transition in the industry by further developing and 
demonstrating sustainable energy solutions.  The 
project aims project, focuses on decarbonising 
industrial processes through an integrated Solar 
Energy-based Heat Upgrade System (SEHUS). This 
innovative system combines solar energy (both 
thermal and photovoltaic), high-temperature heat 
pumps, thermal energy storage, and waste heat 
recovery to significantly reduce carbon emissions in 
the industrial sector.

The TRANS-SAHARA project involves 
Algeria and Tunisia in its efforts 
to develop innovative approaches 
to agroforestry management in the 
North African region. Large-scale pilot 
initiatives in Tunisia will validate the 
project’s innovative Water-Energy-Food-
Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus approach, 
which aims to enhance community livelihoods 
and promote long-term adoption of sustainable 
agroforestry practices.

“INNOECOFOOD - Sustainable Aquaculture 
Innovation in Africa” - Project N. 101136739

With 21 partners spanning Europe and Africa, 
INNOECOFOOD promotes climate-smart practices 
and circular systems. Its goals include scoping 
aquaculture practices, optimising production and 
processing with technology, and validating quality 
and safety standards. The project aims to reshape 
the future of African aquaculture by training local 
communities, fostering sustainable ecosystems and 
establishing innovative ECOHUBs powered by AI and 
IoT technologies, in six African countries,  
including Egypt.

Practical information on the Mediterranean Initiative II:

More information on cooperation in research and innovation 
between the EU and the Mediterranean can be found here.

@EUScienceInnov 
#ResearchImpactEU  
#HorizonEU

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2025 
©  European Union, 2025

Unless otherwise noted, the reuse of this document is authorised under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence 
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This means that reuse is allowed, provided appropriate credit is given and any changes are indicated.
The EU does not own the copyright in relation to the following elements: © ivector #251163013, #225172715, #318273051, #362422833, 
#241215668, #245719946, #251163013, #251163053, #263530636, © Hanna #343035399, 2020. © mimacz #133762883, stock.adobe.com.

PDF

ISBN 978-92-68-32683-1

doi:10.2777/7073535

KI-01-25-210-EN-N