Introduction to the EASME and its role in Horizon 2020

Arnoldas MILUKASEASME B2: H2020

Environment and Resources

• One of the 6 Executive Agencies of the EU

• Established in December 2003 as the Intelligent Energy Executive Agency (IEEA)

• 2007-2013: remit extended to the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) and Marco Polo

• On 1st January 2014: EACI became EASME

• 7 Parent DG's: GROW, RTD, ENV, ENER, CLIMA, MARE, CONNECT

EASME: History

• Part of 'Secure, clean and efficient energy' challenge: Energy efficiency call

• Part of 'Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials' challenge:o Climate Actiono Natural Resourceso Eco-innovationo Raw materialso Earth observation

• Industrial leadership:o Sustainable Industry Low Carbon Scheme (SILC II)o Innovation in SMEso Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies (LEIT)

• The SME instrument

Horizon 2020 @ EASME

Unit created on 1 January 2014

• Human Resources:

28 staff members today to grow to some 70 staff members by 2020

• Unit organised around 4 sectors: • H2020 Eco-innovation• Climate Action• Natural Resources• Raw Materials and SILC II

Unit B2 - Horizon 2020: Environment and Resources

• To achieve a resource – and water - efficient and climate change resilient economy and society,

• The protection and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems, and

• A sustainable supply and use of raw materials, in order to meet the needs of a growing global population within the sustainable limits of the planet's natural resources and eco-systems.

• Harnessing Earth observation data (GEO)

Societal Challenge 5: Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and

Raw Materials

H2020 SC5: Helping to build a green economy

WasteNatural resources

Climate Change

Water

Eco-Innovation

Raw materials

Budget of €3 billion over 7 years for:

• Blue Growth – Unlocking the potential of Seas and Oceans

• Cross cutting – cooperation within H2020 SC2, SC3, SC4 and SC5

• Call 2014 – BG-8 – Developing in-situ Atlantic Ocean Observations for a better management and sustainable exploitation of the maritime resources - One project AtlantOS – selected for funding

• 2015 – evaluations ongoing

Blue Growth focus area (part of)

• Budget: 20.652.923 € - 51 months• 62 beneficiaries from 18 countries, incl. from US, CA, BR,

ZA (without funding) and international organizations (ICES, UNESCO)

• Led by GEOMAR (DE)• Objective: to improve and innovate Atlantic observing by

creating a more systematic, cost effective and user-driven international Integrated Atlantic Ocean Observing System (IAOOS).

• https://www.atlantos-h2020.eu/

AtlantOS - Optimizing and Enhancing the Integrated Atlantic Ocean Observing System

• Topic SC5-16 – Making Earth Observation and Monitoring Data usable for ecosystem modelling and services• 2 proposals were selected: SWOS and ECOPOTENTIAL –

both started on 1 June 2015• Both projects will build synergies between them and with other

GEO projects• They will undertake pilot actions in selected protected

areas to further develop the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) and foster a knowledge base regarding ecosystem observations for the Copernicus (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) initiative.

GEO – Earth Observation

• Budget: 4,979,198 € - 36 months• 12 partners from 11 countries, including industrial partners

(SMEs) and key users • Will develop a monitoring and information service focusing on

wetland ecosystems • SWOS will contribute to establishing a Global Wetland

Observing System, it will position Europe in a leading role for wetland activities within the GEO ecosystem, biodiversity, water, land cover tasks.

• http://www.swos-service.eu/

SWOS - Satellite-based Wetland Observation Service

• Budget:15,993,931 € - 48 months • 47 partners from 14 countries, including non-EU (ZA, AU) and

IO (UNESCO, UNEP)• Broad coverage in terms of ecosystems (mountains, marine

areas, arid areas)• ECOPOTENTIAL focuses on internationally recognized PAs in

Europe and beyond in a wide range of biogeographic regions, and it includes UNESCO, Natura2000 and LTER sites and Large Marine Ecosystems.

• http://www.ecopotential-project.eu

ECOPOTENTIAL - Improving Future Ecosystem Benefits through Earth Observations

SC5-18b-2015: Integrating North African, Middle East and Balkan Earth Observation capacities in GEOSS (CSA)

• Objective: to strengthen the Earth Observation networks of the broad European and North African, Middle East, and Balkan region

SC5-17-2015: Demonstrating the concept of 'Citizens‘ Observatories'(IA)

Citizen Observatories: • can strengthen environmental monitoring capabilities, • have the potential to generate new and original applications to

reduce investment and running costs of in-situ observations and monitoring applications and solutions,

• involve novel partnerships between the private sector, public bodies, NGOs and citizens.

Ongoing evaluations:

Thank you for your attention!

• Find out more:• www.ec.europa/research/horizon2020