Expected Outcome
Projects are expected to contribute to one of the two following outcomes, exclusively:
- The creation of systems to address large scale challenges using combined robotics data and AI solutions that have significant impact on the objectives of the green deal. For example; in improving domestic energy consumption or in the cleaning up of contaminated land and waterways or in accelerating the circular economy along the complete value chain through automated waste avoidance and waste processing or reuse of materials.
- The creation of systems to address large scale resource optimisation challenges using combined AI and Data solutions, that have significant impact on the objectives of the green deal, such as optimisation of any kind of resources, from production to use along the complete value chain in order to minimise waste or foster the reuse of resources or in using AI and data solutions to maximize energy efficiency, ensuring energy security.
Which will contribute to
- The validation of solutions at scale by demonstrating the potential of integrating these technologies to address challenges in industrial ecosystems and develop solutions that are environmental friendly and contribute to the green deal
- Making and exploiting major advances in science and technology, to maintain Europe’s scientific excellence and ensure sovereignty of these key technologies expected to affect the society in contributing to addressing major societal challenges affecting the environment.
- Exploring deployment solutions that can ensure efficient scale up.
- Boosting the uptake of AI, Data and Robotics to exploit the major contribution expected to environmental sustainability.
Proposals should clearly identify the outcome it will focus on.
Scope
Proposals should demonstrate the added value of integrating either AI and Data, or AI, Data and Robotics technologies through large-scale validation scenarios reaching critical mass and mobilising the user industry, while demonstrating high potential impact contributing to the European Green Deal objectives. For example in the recycling of electric car batteries, cleaning and monitoring the oceans, decommissioning energy infrastructure, supporting the recycling of materials, the optimisation of energy usage, the minimisation of resource waste in value-chains, for example through the better adaption of production to demand, etc.
Focus should be given to attracting new user industries, and/or showing new business opportunities to boost the uptake of AI, Data and Robotics in major sectors and stimulate the involvement where appropriate of end-users to define the technological barriers to uptake and the use cases for deployment.
Proposals should address the involvement of SMEs and/or start-ups with significant potential to foster innovation through their engagement with large scale pilots. Focus will be on leveraging and nurturing emerging collaborations between stakeholder communities shaping an effective eco-system fit for the challenge of European AI, Data, Robotics, and on accelerating European R&I through structural involvement of innovative SME and deep-tech start-ups.
Proposals should target sectors and application domains with wide-scale deployment potential and maximum contribution to the green deal.
Multidisciplinary innovation activities should address one of the following:
- Large scale pilots bringing major industries from key application sectors in Europe – facilitating collaboration between small and large companies with the goal of exploiting and integrating existing tools, sub-systems and solutions that are re-usable from other sectors (thereby showing scalability/versatility, and enabling economies of scale) to have significant impact on the objectives of the green deal. The focus will be on the integration of tools, systems sub-systems and solution in the pilot by the grant beneficiaries. In this case, proposals are not expected to involve the use of financial support to third parties.
- The development of large-scale pilots addressing key applications with a significant and scalable impact on the objectives of the green deal by facilitating collaboration between small and large companies able address key challenges in the deployment of AI, Data and Robotics.
Financial Support to Third Parties: Projects should use FSTP to leverage novel technical advantage to address the operation of the pilot and to thereby support end users and service providers in addressing the challenges of the green deal. Third parties are expected to use the pilots for developing, testing and validating innovative solutions with significant impact on the green deal. Proposals should clearly delineate the expected contributions from the main beneficiaries as well as from the third parties, to ensure their coherence and impact. 40% of the EU funding requested by the proposal should be allocated to the purpose of financial support to third parties.
Proposals should either involve directly, or indirectly, appropriate expertise in other relevant disciplines for example related to environmental science and, as necessary, Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines, especially where this is relevant to validating the effectiveness of proposed systems and technologies with respect to the green deal objectives.
Proposals should include a clear business case and exploitation strategy.
All proposals are expected to embed mechanisms to assess and demonstrate progress (with qualitative and quantitative KPIs, benchmarking and progress monitoring, as well as illustrative application use-cases demonstrating well defined added value to end users), and share communicable results with the European R&D community, through the AI-on-demand platform and/or the Digital Industrial Platform for Robotics, public community resources, to maximise re-use of results, either by developers, or for uptake, and optimise efficiency of funding; enhancing the European AI, Data and Robotics ecosystem through the sharing of results and best practice.
This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on AI, data and robotics.
Specific Topic Conditions:
Activities are expected to start at TRL 3-5 and achieve TRL 6-7 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.
News flashes
2024-07-17
EVALUATION RESULTS
Published: 07.12.2022
Deadline: 19.03.2024
Available budget: EUR 136,500,000.00
The results of the evaluation for each topic are as follows:
HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-03
HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-04
HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-22
HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-54
HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01- 55
Number of proposals submitted (including proposals transferred from or to other calls)
105
47
65
34
2
Number of inadmissible proposals
0
0
2
0
0
Number of ineligible proposals
2
1
0
0
0
Number of above-threshold proposals
72
26
36
28
2
Total budget requested for above-threshold proposals
EUR 539,471,604.25
EUR 244,032,447.18
EUR 181,203,876.41
EUR 126,275,147.75
EUR 29,999,765.15
Number of proposals retained for funding
4
6
3
4
1
Number of proposals in the reserve list
4
2
3
2
1
Funding threshold[1]
14.50
14.50[2]
14.50
14.50
14.50
Number of proposals with scores lower or equal to 15 and higher or equal to 14
11
5
6
6
1
Number of proposals with scores lower than 14 and higher or equal to 13
16
4
7
6
1
Number of proposals with scores lower than 13 and higher or equal to 10
45
17
23
16
0
Summary of observer report:
The observer was appointed to monitor the proposal evaluation process in HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01 call topics with respect to its fairness, efficiency, transparency and consistency with the applicable rules and procedures.
For the purpose of implementing the task the observer reviewed the call and evaluation documentation, participated in selected process activities, including briefings, a representative sample of consensus meetings and all panel review meetings, she also used the tools supporting evaluation. The sample of observations and feedback collected during the evaluation provided a good basis to draw valid conclusions.
The observed process was well designed, efficient and transparent. It was executed fully in line with the applicable rules and procedures.
In order to ensure the maximum degree of impartiality and fairness throughout the entire process proposals went through several evaluation steps, starting from individual evaluations conducted independently by 3 assigned experts, through a consensus discussion, cross-reading and panel review. Evaluation reports, both individual and consensus, were reviewed by experienced quality controllers for consistency and quality.
The evaluation criteria and scoring system were properly applied across all topics.
The observed evaluation can serve as a benchmark to many national and international procedures as a well-designed, well-structured and properly implemented process, resulting in unbiased and fair outcome.
We recently informed the applicants about the evaluation results for their proposals.
For questions, please contacttheResearch Enquiry Service.
[1] Proposals with the same score were ranked according to the priority order procedure set out in the call conditions (for HE, in the General Annexes to the Work Programme or specific arrangements in the specific call/topic conditions). For HE, to determine the ranking for ‘Innovation actions’, the score for ‘Impact’ is given a weight of 1.5.
[2]According to the specific condition of HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-04, to ensure a balanced portfolio coverage, grants are awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but at least also to the two highest ranked proposals for each of the two expected outcomes (1. The creation of systems to address large scale challenges using combined robotics data and AI solutions, 2. The creation of systems to address large scale resource optimisation challenges using combined AI and Data solutions). Therefore, additional proposals are retained for funding to fulfil this condition.
2024-04-08
Call HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01 was closed on 19/03/2024.
A total of 252 proposals were submitted in response to this call.
The breakdown per topic is:
HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-03 - Novel paradigms and approaches, towards AI-powered robots– step change in functionality (AI, data and robotics partnership) (RIA)
105 proposals submitted (indicative topic budget – 30 EUR million)
HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-04 - Industrial leadership in AI, Data and Robotics boosting competitiveness and the green transition (AI Data and Robotics Partnership) (IA)
47 proposals submitted (indicative topic budget – 60 EUR million)
HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-22 - Fundamentals of Software Engineering (RIA-LS)
64 proposals submitted (indicative topic budget – 13.50 EUR million)
HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-54 - Smart photonics for joint communication & sensing and access everywhere (Photonics Partnership) (RIA)
34 proposals submitted (indicative topic budget – 18 EUR million)
HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-55 - Photonics Innovation Factory for Europe (Photonics Partnership) (IA)
2 proposals submitted (indicative topic budget – 15 EUR million)
The evaluation results are expected to be communicated in July2024.
2024-02-28
This update is ONLY applicable to the topic:
HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-22 - Fundamentals of Software Engineering (RIA)
Some users have encountered issues with the Detailed Budget Table (HE Lump sum) template that is preventing them adding beneficiaries tabs. We have replaced now the template in the submission system with a version that does not create issues.
If you have already filled in the original Detailed Budget Table, then you can submit this Excel file. However, if you encounter difficulties with the original template, please use the version available now in the submission system. We apologise for the inconvenience.
2023-11-15
The submission session is now available for: HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-55(HORIZON-IA), HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-03(HORIZON-RIA), HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-22(HORIZON-RIA), HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-54(HORIZON-RIA), HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-04(HORIZON-IA)
