Info_PILLAR 2 - HORIZON EUROPE

Pillar 2: Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness

The Global Challenges and European Industrial Competiveness pillar supports research relating to societal challenges and reinforces technological and industrial capacities through 6 CLUSTERS.

It sets EU-missions with ambitious goals tackling some of our biggest problems. More information on Missions is available here.

It also includes activities pursued by the Joint Research Centre which supports EU and national policymakers with independent scientific evidence and technical support.

Social sciences and humanities are fully integrated across all clusters, including specific and dedicated activities.

Pillar II covers activities from a broad range of Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs),
including lower TRLs.

Pillar II holds the lion’s share of the HE programme funding.
 
Pillar II supports research projects carried out by international and inter-disciplinary consortia. The projects address specific pre-defined topics proposed by the EC which fall into six different clusters, each of them focused on specific global societal and industrial challenges. More information on the specific content of each cluster is available by clicking the links below:

  1. Health
  2. Culture Creativity and Inclusive Society
  3. Civil Security for Society
  4. Digital Industry & Space
  5. Climate, Energy & Mobility
  6. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture & Environment

Horizon Europe: Pillar 2 projects

SYMBIOREM - Symbiotic, circular bioremediation systems and biotechnology solutions for improved environmental, economic and social sustainability in pollution control

Specific programme: HORIZON-CL6-2021-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-10
UPV/EHU Partner Status: Coordinator
UPV/EHU PI: JL Vilas Vilela

Project start: 01/09/2022
Project end: 31/08/2026

Brief description: The overall goal of SYMBIOREM is to improve the effectiveness, sustainability, circularity and cost-efficiency of bioremediation and revitalisation strategies for soils, sediments, surface water and groundwater. SYMBIOREM focuses on the intersection of advanced bioremediation methods with circular bio-based systems. Twelve novel bio-based technologies and strategies are developed as modular solutions to mutually enhance bioremediation efficiency, use secondary inputs, and turn residues and contaminants into valuable resources. SYMBIOREM investigates the exploitation potential of indigenous species with bioremediation capabilities, including microorganisms, microbiomes, proteins, plants and animals. SYMBIOREM targets five archetypes of contaminated environments: industrial brownfields, mixed solid waste landfills, urban surface water bodies with mixed contamination, contaminated soils and surface water bodies, and European marine environments. SYMBIOREM targets the four most common pollutants of soil and groundwater in Europe: heavy metals, mineral oil, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) and Volatile Aromatic Hydrocarbons (VAH). The project also targets mixed contamination, eutrophication, organic micropollutants and microplastic. SYMBIOREM recovers a diverse portfolio of resources from contaminated sites, including several Critical Raw Materials (CRM). SYMBIOREM will deliver new knowledge about bioremediation agents, their functionality in combination, as well as hazards of pollutant remobilisation. SYMBIOREM elaborates new avenues for circular value creation and empowers people on the ground by involving citizens and key stakeholders in participatory research, co-design and co-management of bioremediation sites, to facilitate bottom-up replication and increased safety and sustainability of bioremediation and revitalization strategies in aims to achieve the targets of the EU Zero Pollution Action Plan.

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Contact information:

International R&D Office UPV/EHU
Email: proyectoseuropeos@ehu.es