Tech Research and Innovation for the European Green Deal

As the European Research and Innovation Days drew to a close, the message to make the European Green Deal succeed was loud and clear. Martel is your partner of choice for the Green Deal Calls, but what’s the deal? Read on to learn more…

The European Green Deal is our blueprint to transformation

In her recent State of the Union Address, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, emphasised the EC’s Green Deal, with a mission to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, in line with Paris Agreement obligations. The European Commission proposes to increase the 2030 target for emission reduction to at least 55 percent (it was previously pegged at 40 percent). Leveraging efforts for economic and societal recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, the ambitious Green Deal plan has been endorsed by business leaders and investors.

Ms Van Den Leyen cited the fact that while emissions dropped 25 percent since 1990, the economy grew by more than 60 percent – the difference being that benefits bought to bear include technology, expertise and investment.

“We have a solemn promise to leave no one behind in this transformation. With our Just Transition Fund we will support the regions that have a bigger and more costly change to make”, she said. “Meeting this new target will reduce our energy import dependency, create millions of extra jobs and more than halve air pollution.” she continued. 400,000 people die prematurely due to poor air quality every year in Europe.

The mission of the European Green Deal goes beyond cutting emissions, to make a systemic modernisation across the economy, society and industry, addressing sustainable use of raw materials, energy, water, food and land use.

Green Deal is one third of NextGenerationEU

Next Generation EU, the four-year, €750 billion rescue package has more than one third (37 percent) earmarked to spend directly on European Green Deal objectives. What’s more, the EC has set a target of 30 percent of NextGenerationEU’s financing to be raised through green bonds.

Ms Van Den Leyen called for “A world where we use digital technologies to build a healthier, greener society… We must make this Europe’s Digital Decade,” she said with a need to respect principles such as the right to privacy and connectivity, freedom of speech, free flow of data and cybersecurity.

European Research and Innovation Days – European Green Deal highlights 

Ms Van Den Leyen’s key points were the focus of a Plenary session, European Green Deal during the European Research and Innovation Days event. The session took an in-depth look at the research and innovation contribution to the European Green Deal and the recovery, with a special focus on climate, ocean and biodiversity.

The session – featuring contributions from Jean-Eric Paquet, Director General of DG Research and Innovation, European Commission, Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth and Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal European Commission – stressed the importance of the Green Deal in the current context:

“It is essential for the Green Deal to be a success… we live in an extremely complicated time. It is a time of great turmoil, it is a time of tectonic change. Because humanity is faced with a challenge to its very existence, through the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis,” he said.

“At the same time, the geopolitical relations are changing very quickly, because of demographics, because of the economy. And on top of all of that, we’re in the middle of an industrial revolution. If you look at history you see that the industrial revolution has the potential to be disruptive, and bring creative potential to the fore. At the heart of this is science and technology. At the heart of this is innovation,” said Mr Timmermans.

Are you ready to be part of the Green Deal? Talk to us!

At Martel, we’ve more than 20 years’ of research and innovation experience and our hearts and mindset are green for the benefit of future generations.

Through our non-profit association, Digital For Planet, Martel is ready to support your applications to Green Deal calls. Proposals must be submitted by the 26th January 2021 and selected projects are expected to start in Autumn 2021.

The EU Green Deal Call aims for clear, discernible results in the short to medium-term, with a perspective of long-term change.

Martel can help you:

• Select the most appropriate Green Deal funding call / topic / instrument.
• Identify the best project partners to build a strong consortium.
• Put together and submit a winning proposal.

Access the Green Deal Call info here.

Further reading about the Green Deal here.