Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
This EIC Pathfinder Challenge aims at advancing scientific knowledge and technological development of novel, clean and efficient cooling solutions that fully underpin “cold economy” vision.
For this purpose, the portfolio of projects supported under this Challenge should explore the potentials of new devices, processes, components and materials for clean cooling generation, storage and/or transport.
Specific objectives of the Challenge are to explore new devices, processes, components and materials for cooling.
Detailed Call Description
The demand for cooling is rising and cooling processes often result in significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, due to the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) or fossil fuel to power cooling equipment. The need call for novel solutions as they cannot be addressed by simply adapting conventional cooling processes and solutions, nor relying on existing supply chains for components and devices.
Technologies to be integrated in products and services shall demonstrate their potential to (i) reduce investment/operational costs, (ii) increase efficiency, operational reliability and interoperability, (iii) avoid the use of critical raw materials or harmful refrigerants and (iv) pursue circularity by design approaches, low environmental impact and low carbon footprint.
The proposals submitted in response to this Challenge may address fields such as:
- unconventional refrigeration technologies and systems including but not limited to functionalised Phase Change Materials (PCM), thermochemical materials, thermophotonic, elastomeric, barocaloric, magnetocaloric or thermally regenerative electrochemical cycles; new compression-expander mechanisms (i.e. electrochemical compression), use of mixed refrigerants or other novel cycles configurations;
- computational modelling and validation of energy-intensive low-temperature heat transfer processes, materials and components including their design, manufacturing, optimisation and dynamic performance (i.e. novel heat exchangers, compressors etc.);
- ultra-energy efficient operations and logistics along the cooling supply chain and final use, decoupling supply and demand via thermal carriers (PCMs, thermochemical materials, ice slurries, liquid air, molecular storage etc.) or systems integration, including mobile cold energy storage and associated charging solutions; interoperability of district networks, reversible heating and cooling infrastructures, or cold-to-power solutions;
- new designs and concepts for food processing and medical applications; unconventional refrigeration principles (such as thermoelectric, magnetocaloric, electrocaloric, elastomeric or barocaloric, photonic cooling conversion) or new compression-expander mechanisms (scroll, electrochemical compression), mixed refrigerants, novel cycles configurations.
The proposals may include smart interoperability solutions for electricity, heating and cooling networks integration, including reversible heating and cooling infrastructures, or cold-to-power solutions with waste heat and cold energy streams recovery from industrial processes, data centres and/or air conditioning of buildings.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
100%
The EIC considers proposals with an EU contribution of up to €4 000 000 as appropriate.
In addition to funding, projects will receive tailor-made access to a wide range of Business Acceleration Services and interactions with EIC Programme Managers and other actions in the portfolio of projects selected.
Thematic Categories
- New Entrepreneurship
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Small-Medium Enterprises and Competitiveness
Eligibility for Participation
- Educational Institutions
- Natual person / Citizen / Individual
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to apply, your proposal must meet the general as well as possible specific eligibility requirements for this Challenge (Please see TOPIC DESCRIPTION above).
The EIC Pathfinder Challenges support collaborative or individual research and innovation from consortia or from single legal entities established in a Member State or an Associated Country. In case of a consortium your proposal must be submitted by the coordinator on behalf of the consortium. Consortia of two entities must be comprised of independent legal entities from two different Member States or Associated Countries. Consortia of three or more entities must include as beneficiaries at least three legal entities, independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:
- at least one legal entity established in a Member State; and
- at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.
The legal entities may for example be universities, research organisations, SMEs, start-ups, natural persons. In the case of single beneficiary projects, mid-caps and larger companies will not be permitted.
The proposal will only be evaluated if it is admissible and eligible.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia,
P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Persons:
George Christou
Scientific Officer
Email: gchristou@research.org.cy
Nedi Kaffa
Scientific Officer
Email: nkaffa@research.org.cy
EU Contact Point
Research Enquiry Service: https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/contact/research-enquiry-service_en
EIC 2023 work programme – https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-2023-work-programme_en