HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-DIGITAL-EMERGING-51-two-stage

AI improved advanced manufacturing and production processes in factories (RIA) (Made in Europe and AI, Data and Robotics partnerships) -

⚫ indicates current topic
Node background color indicates the call topic status
Double click on a topic to center information around it.
Node size is proportional to distance from the current topic

About the connections

The graph above was generated based on the following links

HORIZON-CL4-2027-02-DIGITAL-EMERGING-52-two-stage
New approaches for Human/AI collaboration for the workforce of the future (RIA) (Made in Europe and AI, Data and Robotics partnerships)
Jump to this topic

MOTIVATION Made in Europe addresses AI in advanced manufacturing across three distinct levels: 1. System, 2. work station & 3. process level. The level addressed in HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-DIGITAL-EMERGING-51-two-stage is the process one, while the work station level is addressed in HORIZON-CL4-2027-02-DIGITAL-EMERGING-52-two-stage.
HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-07
Robust and trustworthy GenerativeAI for Robotics and industrial automation (RIA) (AI/Data/Robotics & Made in Europe Partnerships)
Jump to this topic

MOTIVATION Projects under HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-DIGITAL-EMERGING-51-two-stage may build on project results from HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-DIGITAL-EMERGING-07.
HORIZON-CL4-2021-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-01
AI enhanced robotics systems for smart manufacturing (AI, Data and Robotics - Made in Europe Partnerships) (IA)
Jump to this topic

MOTIVATION Projects under HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-DIGITAL-EMERGING-51-two-stage may build on project results from HORIZON-CL4-2021-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-01.
HORIZON-CL4-2021-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-07
Artificial Intelligence for sustainable, agile manufacturing (AI, Data and Robotics - Made in Europe Partnerships) (IA)
Jump to this topic

MOTIVATION Projects under HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-DIGITAL-EMERGING-51-two-stage may build on project results from HORIZON-CL4-2021-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-07.

Call text (as on F&T portal)

View on F&T portal

Expected Outcome:

Increased competitiveness and productivity, through innovative AI-enabled advanced manufacturing processes and operations, including real-time monitoring and adaptive optimisation; and
Reduction of emissions and alignment with Clean Industrial Deal objectives.

Scope:

AI approaches in manufacturing processes hold the potential to significantly enhance circularity, process and operational efficiency as well as sustainability of modern factories. Current state-of-the-art technologies have already paved the way for more streamlined operations, yet there remains untapped value in e.g. quality improvement, definition of optimal process operating conditions, reduction of scrap, optimization of energy usage. Real-time monitoring and adaptive optimisation using AI models can enable agile responses to production variability and support sustained, high-performance operations.

New solutions based on innovative enabling technologies such as deep learning, large language models, digital twins, synthetic data, and data-driven models allow manufacturers to improve production system efficiency, elevate product quality, and proactively address critical challenges in energy consumption and carbon footprint. This dual focus on operational excellence and sustainability ensures that factories can maintain competitive advantage while also contributing to specific environmental goals, e.g. reducing the pressure on ecosystems and natural resources. Since innovation capacity and competitiveness also requires a systemic understanding of an organization’s value creating structure, novel AI solutions should be implemented such that they can support all structures and phases of operation, in technical and non-technical terms.

Proposals should produce dedicated innovative explainable AI based solutions in advanced manufacturing for at least two of the following:

improve processes and operational efficiency, and reduce climate and environmental impact of processes and factories through dynamic selection of optimal processes and production parameters, exploiting AI for process modelling and/or optimisation;
avoid the production of defective parts using AI to detect process drift and anomalies and correct proactively defects in real time; and
maximise the fraction of regenerated components or materials used in the production using AI to optimise the material flow.

Proposals should demonstrate potential for these AI tools to adapt to changing production needs and real-time data, and should describe how industrial data access, confidentiality, and secure data-sharing will be addressed.

Projects are encouraged to link with AI Factories, including the Data Labs. The results may be validated in Testing and Experiment Facilities (TEFs), and further deployed via European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs). This topic is linked to the Apply AI Strategy, therefore proposals should seek collaboration with relevant initiatives.

Proposals can optionally address the conditions for implementing the novel AI solutions within an organisations structure and value creating models, thereby contributing to systemic approach of implementing a smart organisation.

This topic is linked to the Apply AI Strategy, therefore proposals should seek collaboration with relevant initiatives.

Proposals should include a business case and exploitation strategy, as outlined in the introduction to Destination ‘Leadership in materials and production for Europe’.

This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnerships Made in Europe and AI, Data and Robotics.

null

Activities are expected to start at TRL 4-5 and achieve TRL 6 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.

News flashes

2026-08-23

CALL UPDATE: GENERALISED FEEDBACK FOR SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS AFTER STAGE 1

HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-two-stage (stage 1)

To best ensure equal treatment, successful Stage 1 applicants do not receive evaluation summary reports (ESRs) pertaining to their proposals. Instead, the Agency provides generalised feedback with information and advice that might assist applicants in preparing Stage 2 full proposals.

This generalised feedback is based on the most common shortcomings identified in the ESRs of successful Stage 1 applicants. It is not intended as individual feedback for a specific ESR. In preparing a Stage 2 full proposal, applicants may choose to address or clarify these shortcomings.

Please be mindful that a stage 2 full proposal will undergo more detailed evaluation, possibly by a new group of independent external experts. It is essential to ensure that the full proposal is consistent with the brief outline proposal submitted at Stage 1. It must NOT differ substantially.

HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-DIGITAL-EMERGING-51-two-stage

EXCELLENCE

The scope of some proposals is too broad, and the achievability of the objectives is not fully substantiated.
Some of the identified KPIs and objectives lack clear baseline figures.
The progress towards the expected TRL 6 across all components/areas is not fully demonstrated, moreover there is not sufficient evidence (specific prototypes, preliminary test results, partner publications) of the starting TRL.
Proposals did not convincingly demonstrate how their solution differs from existing industrial AI platforms or how it becomes a distinct marketable solution.
The system architecture and interoperability mechanisms are not sufficiently explained.
The integration of concrete measures within research activities regarding gender dimension aspects are not fully elaborated.
The open science practices are sometimes insufficiently described and not adequately integrated into the methodology.
The research data management is inadequately addressed, lacking sufficient specifications on how real manufacturing data are handled.
Security measures, data-sharing mechanisms, ownership, actual data volumes and confidentiality safeguards of industrial data are insufficiently described.

IMPACT

The steps towards the achievement of the expected impacts are not sufficiently specified.

The proposals lack sufficient quantified impact indicators or measurable assessment methodologies.

Some impact estimates are not sufficiently supported by detailed baseline assumptions.

The potential barriers to the expected outcomes and impacts are sometimes identified in general terms and the evolution of barriers over time is insufficiently indicated.

The description of identified mitigation measures is either described in a general manner without concrete implementation steps or specific activities do not convincingly demonstrate their efficacy.

Some potential target groups are not sufficiently considered. Moreover the link between the identified groups and the expected impacts is sometimes too generally described.

2026-08-23

CALL UPDATE: FLASH EVALUATION RESULTS

Published: 16.12.2025

Deadline: 17.03.2026

Available budget: EUR 98,000,000.00

In accordance with General Annex D of the Work Programme, the evaluation of the first-stage proposals was made looking only at the criteria ‘Excellence’ and ‘Impact’. The threshold for both criteria was 4. The overall threshold (applying to the sum of the two individual scores) was set for each topic/type of action with separate call-budget-split at a level that allowed the total requested budget of proposals admitted to stage 2 be as close as possible to 3 times the available budget (and not below 2 times). The thresholds that were applied are the following:

HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-DIGITAL-EMERGING-51-two-stage – “AI improved advanced manufacturing and production processes in factories (RIA) (Made in Europe and AI, Data and Robotics partnerships): 9.5 points

HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-MAT-PROD-21-two-stage – “Development of safe and sustainable alternatives to substances of concern (IA)”: 8.5 points

HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-DIGITAL-EMERGING-53-two-stage - Innovative AI methods and technologies for the process industries (RIA) (Processes4Planet and AI, Data and Robotics partnerships): 9.5 points

The results of the evaluation for each topic are as follows:

HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-DIGITAL-EMERGING-51-two-stage

HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-DIGITAL-EMERGING-53-two-stage

HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-MAT-PROD-21-two-stage

Number of proposals submitted (including proposals transferred from or to other calls)

191

Number of inadmissible proposals

Number of ineligible proposals

Number of above-threshold proposals

Total budget requested for above-threshold proposals

189827153.75

121314614.38

114126082.2

Number of proposals in the reserve list

N/A

Ranking distribution

Number of proposals with scores lower or equal to 10 and higher or equal to 9

Number of proposals with scores lower than 9 and higher or equal to 8

Summary of observer report:

The evaluation of HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-two-stage, stage 1, was carried out through a structured remote process, including expert briefings, individual evaluations, written SEP discussions, consensus preparation and remote consensus meetings. The observer reviewed a structured sample of meetings and proceedings in SEP, including proposal records, written discussion trails and consensus documentation. The overall assessment is clearly positive. The process demonstrated professionalism, transparency and procedural maturity. The observed meetings were generally well prepared and effectively facilitated, with evaluators applying the award criteria through structured discussion and with due attention to consistency, impartiality and confidentiality. Commission/Agency staff supported the process constructively and neutrally, helping discussions remain focused on the criteria and requirements, while respecting independent expert judgement. SEP provided a robust process record and supported traceability across the evaluation workflow, including written exchanges, scoring status and consensus outputs. The process appeared proportionate to the scale and complexity of the call. The observed evaluation was compliant with the applicable rules and aligned with the principles of excellence, transparency, fairness, impartiality, confidentiality, speed and efficiency. No indication was observed that would call into question the fairness of the process or the equal treatment of proposals. Practical improvement points were identified concerning operational resilience in remote evaluation work: technical readiness for remote conferencing, reliable backup channels if the main evaluation system is temporarily unavailable, role-specific expert preparedness, and systematic meeting opening procedures. Overall, the evaluation process was of high quality and provides confidence that the procedure was conducted fairly, professionally and in line with the applicable evaluation framework.

We recently informed the applicants about the evaluation results for their proposals.

For questions, please contact the Research Enquiry Service.

2026-08-23

CALL UPDATE: PROPOSAL NUMBERS

PROPOSAL NUMBERS

Call HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-two-stage_stage 1 has closed on 17.03.2026.

322 proposals have been submitted.

The breakdown per topic is:

HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-DIGITAL-EMERGING-51-two-stage: 191
HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-DIGITAL-EMERGING-53-two-stage: 79
HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-MAT-PROD-21-two-stage: 52

Evaluation results are expected to be communicated around the 4th week of June 2026.

2026-08-23

The technical issue affecting the upload of part B to the proposal submission tool has now been resolved.

2026-08-23

Dear Applicants,

Please note that, due to a technical issue, it is currently not possible to upload part B to the proposal submission tool. Our IT service is actively working to resolve the issue shortly.

We apologise for any temporary inconvenience caused.

2026-08-23

The submission session is now available for: HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-DIGITAL-EMERGING-53-two-stage, HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-MAT-PROD-21-two-stage, HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-DIGITAL-EMERGING-51-two-stage

Found 9 annotations in info base click to see

call topic details

Call status: Closed
Opening date: 2025-12-16 (8 months ago)
Closing date: 2026-03-17 (5 months ago)
Procedure: two-stage

Budget: 30,000,000
Expected grants: 5
Contribution: 4,000,000 - 6,000,000

News flashes

This call topic has been appended 6 times by the EC with news.

2026-08-23
call update: generalised feedback for su...
2026-08-23
call update: flash evaluation resultspub...
2026-08-23
call update: proposal numbersproposal nu...
2026-08-23
the technical issue affecting the upload...
2026-08-23
dear applicants, please note that, due t...
2026-08-23
the submission session is now available...

Call

HORIZON-CL4-2026-02-two-stage

Call topics are often grouped together in a call. Sometimes this is for a thematic reason, but often it is also for practical reasons.

There are 2 other topics in this call:

Source information

Showing the latest information. Found 10 versions of this call topic in the F&T portal.

Information from

2026-07-15_06-38-48
2026-03-20_06-34-40
2026-03-18_06-33-59
2026-03-03_06-33-51
2026-02-04_06-32-24
2025-12-24_06-31-04
2025-12-20_06-31-02
2025-12-19_06-31-14
2025-12-16_06-31-02
2025-12-13_06-30-36

Check the differences between the versions.