Support to the activities of the ETIPs and technology areas of the SET Plan

In 2015, the launch of the Energy Union saw the SET Plan incorporated as the Energy Union’s fifth pillar on ‘Research, Innovation and Competitiveness’. Through the Communication “Towards an Integrated Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan”, the Integrated SET Plan set ambitious R&I targets which remain relevant and essential in the new context of the European Green Deal and the Recovery Plan for Europe.

Depending on the sector, European Technology and Innovation Platforms (ETIPs), and/or SET Plan Implementation Working Groups (IWG) and/or similar stakeholders fora support the development and implementation of the SET Plan R&I priorities by bringing together relevant stakeholders in key areas from industry, research organisations and, where applicable, SET Plan Countries’ government representatives. They develop research and innovation agendas and roadmaps, industrial strategies, analysis of market opportunities and funding needs, understanding of innovation barriers and exploitation of research results, which are in line with the Recovery Plan for Europe and latest EU climate and energy related policies. They also provide consensus-based strategic advice to the SET Plan initiative covering technical and non-technological aspects.

Considering the overarching aim of the clean energy transition, ETIPs, IWGs and/or similar fora are encouraged to align and coordinate their activities, defining cross-cutting aspects for accelerating the clean energy transition and contribute to the development of a European Research Area in the field of Energy. Proposals should support ETIPs and/or IWGs and/or stakeholders fora of one of the above-listed sectors, taking into consideration the specific needs of the sector they address and the emerging policy priorities for their implementation as well as the coordination with other initiatives/projects, in order to avoid overlaps.

ETIPs, IWGs and stakeholders fora should ensure the participation of companies (industry and SMEs), research and civil society organisations, universities and European associations representing relevant sectors (as applicable) from a representative number of SET Plan countries establishing links with national authorities. To maximise their impact and widen participation, they are encouraged to develop and implement robust outreach approaches and societal engagement actions to span across the EU and associated countries.

Special attention should be given to the key challenges of the European Green Deal, including, but not limited to, technological pushback, industrial production, societal transformation, and just transition. Likewise, contributions to the goals of the European Research ERA in the field of energy, in particular regarding how to incentivise investing in research and innovation should be addressed.

Furthermore, proposals should develop a dissemination and exploitation strategy and implement dissemination and networking activities with other existing ETIPs and IWGs (e.g. joint workshops, thematic conferences, webinar series, regular exchanges, etc.). Relevant outputs of these CSAs will feed into the SET Plan information system (SETIS).

This topic requires the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.

Proposals should address one of the following sectors: carbon capture storage and use, geothermal systems, hydropower, ocean energy, photovoltaics, renewable fuels & bioenergy, concentrated solar thermal energy (CSP & STE), renewable heating and cooling, wind energy, energy efficiency in industry, energy efficiency in buildings.

Proposals submitted under this topic are encouraged to include actions designed to facilitate cooperation, across Europe, with other projects and to ensure the accessibility and reusability of data produced in the course of the project. Proposals should include a finance and sustainability plan for future continuation beyond the lifetime of the proposal.

The indicative project duration is 3 years.

The requested budget for actions in the areas of concentrated solar thermal energy, energy efficiency in industry and energy efficiency in buildings should be around EUR 0.6 million because in these sectors there is no ETIP, only a SET Plan IWG with lighter structure and activities. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of a proposal requesting different amounts.