ERA-NET for materials research and innovation

Project Information

M-ERA.NET 2

Grant agreement ID: 685451

DOI

10.3030/685451

Project closed

EC signature date 24 November 2015

Start date 1 March 2016

End date 28 February 2022

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Advanced materials

Total cost

€ 52 015 473,73

EU contribution

€ 12 750 000,00

Coordinated by

OSTERREICHISCHE FORSCHUNGSFORDERUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBH
Austria

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - M-ERA.NET 2 (ERA-NET for materials research and innovation)

Reporting period: 2017-03-01 to 2022-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

M-ERA.NET 2 brought together 43 partners from Europe and beyond to facilitate transnational RTD projects in materials research and innovation, including materials for low carbon energy technologies and related production technologies. The objectives were:
- strengthen the European RTD community and economy in materials research and innovation;
- highlight low carbon energy technologies to support the COMMISSION PRIORITY Climate Action and Energy;
- mobilise a critical mass of regional, national and international funding for transnational RTD cooperation in materials science and engineering, thereby achieving a very large leverage effect of the requested EU contribution;
- establish strategic programming of joint activities, addressing societal and technological challenges in an interdisciplinary approach;
- enable enlarged research cooperation within the EU Member States and Associated States;
- support the exploitation of created knowledge along the whole innovation chain;
- expand and deepen the international cooperation with funding organisations outside Europe to support RTD consortia with global partnerships;
- exploit the novel developments and strengthen a durable, long-term cooperation between funding organisations.

After 6 years, M-ERA.NET 2 proved to be a powerful tool to tackle European and global challenges in materials research. It provided substantial contributions to improving the coordination and cooperation of national and regional programmes and to the reducing the fragmentation of public funding across Europe and beyond.
M-ERA.NET 2 enabled collaboration between leading academic and industrial research partners from European and non-European countries and regions and facilitated access to previously inaccessible new markets. The joint calls for transnational RTD cooperation mobilise a critical mass of public funding to support key players in materials research to intensify pan-European partnerships and to encourage newcomers to transnational RTD cooperation.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

WP1
Task 1.1: Deliverable reports were compiled and submitted to the EC.
Task 1.2: 10 consortium meetings were organised.
Task 1.3: The Management Group has continuously controlled project progress to ensure effective operation of the core activities.

WP2
Task 2.1: The following actions were undertaken already before the actual M-ERA.NET 2 kick-off:
- survey among consortium partners to identify call topics and workshop of Strategic Experts Group
- analysis of ongoing initiatives to identify materials related R&D&I needs and opportunities for low-carbon energy technology development
Task 2.2: Call 2016 was designed from Oct 2015 to Jan 2016 and prepared for implementation Jan - Mar 2016.
Task 2.3: M-ERA.NET webpage, mailing list, call flyer.
Task 2.4: An electronic proposal management system was set up by the call secretariat comprising 3 separate modules: submission, evaluation, monitoring module.

WP 3
Task 3.1: 233 Pre-proposals were received. 91 Pre-proposals were recommended to stage 2.
Task 3.2: Full-proposals were evaluated by 3 evaluators. One of the experts acted as the rapporteur.
Task 3.3: An independent observer monitored the call implementation. 89 submitted and eligible full-proposals were evaluated according to the EC rules for ERA-NET COFUND. 68 full-proposals passed the central evaluation.
Task 3.4: Some updates of initial budgets were made. The final selection list was accepted 27 Feb 2017. 46 Full-proposals were selected for funding requesting 30.5 Mio EUR funding.
Task 3.5: All applicants received feedback emails from the call secretariat after the pre-proposal and full-proposal selection meetings.
Task 3.6: Options for using the EC top-up were defined in the CA; while the mixed-mode approach was already agreed the exact share of top-up was decided 27 Feb 2017.

WP4
Task 4.1: An online survey was carried out in 2017, which demonstrated satisfying results with the call process and the work carried out by the Call Secretariat.
Task 4.2: Continuous project progress on funded projects was monitored via the M-ERA.NET online monitoring tool. Mid-term and final reports were collected.
Task 4.3: A survey with a predefined set of indicators was sent to 220 projects partners in 46 funded projects.

WP 5
Task 5.1: Four additional joint Calls (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) were designed, implemented and completed. Annual call topics were elaborated in close cooperation with the RTD community including relevant scientific or industrial initiatives.
Task 5.2: For each joint Call a work programme with a respective call schedule and procedures was designed and endorsed by the Steering Board.
Task 5.3: The Calls 2017-2020 were promoted through the M-ERA.NET website, mass mailings and printed material.
Task 5.4: Call Secretariat was central service and contact point for applicants and evaluator and operated the electronic proposal management system.
Task 5.5: All projects funded between 2012 and 2020 were monitored.
Task 5.6: Questionnaires were sent on an annual basis to all parties in funded projects.

WP 6
Task 6.1: Annual programme surveys were conducted to identify options for harmonising national and regional funding schemes and monitoring procedures.
Task 6.2: A database of national and regional RTD clusters was published on the homepage. Activities with European Technology Platforms were carried out and a closer cooperation with the European Materials Modelling Council (EMMC) and BATTERY 2030+ (Batteries Europe, European Battery Alliance) was established.
Task 6.3: The cooperation with KIAT (Korea) was revived and the Canadian province of Quebec joined the Calls since 2019.
Task 6.4: The Institute for Innovation and Technology (iit) was appointed to conduct the final assessment of the M-ERA.NET 2 network. Key findings and practical lessons learned are summarised in a final report, which will be published on the M-ERA.NET webpage.

WP 7
Task 7.1: web-based communication via consortium intranet, public M-ERA.NET website or social media (Twitter).
Task 7.2: newsletter, M-ERA.NET and partner websites, events and promotional material like project flyer, posters, roll screen, business cards, give-aways.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

M-ERA.NET 2 built synergies and coherences in key fields of industrial materials research at national and regional level through:
• the convergence of funding programmes by streamlining programme procedures, allowing a more efficient use of resources
• funded projects, which boosted progress in research, technological development, innovation in the field of industrial technologies and particularly materials research
• the consolidation of research cooperation within the EU and improved cooperation with Third Countries
• a broad support for the research and innovation chain from TRL 2-7
• the exploitation and dissemination of research results

M-ERA.NET 2 implemented relevant parts of the Materials Roadmap Enabling Low Carbon Energy Technologies (SEC(2011)1609) and relevant objectives of the SET-Plan (COM (2009)519) through:
• a dedicated emphasis on low carbon energy technologies in the annual work programmes and call topics
• impact assessments of funded projects by the M-ERA.NET 2 network partners proved the expected impact in reality.

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