The RENATURE proposal aims to establish and implement a strategy and research cluster to step-up and stimulate scientific excellence and innovation capacity in the area of nature-based solutions for sustainable development. Nature-based solutions, defined as living solutions that address societal challenges in a resource-efficient and adaptable manner and to provide simultaneously economic, social, and environmental benefits, are a priority for the key priority for the European Union research and innovation agenda. RENATURE will establish twinning between the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), as a tertiary and research organisation from a Widening country, and internationally leading research institutions from other member states. The proposed activities include various types of training and networking events aimed at building up the research capacity and at promoting research excellence in the field of nature-based solutions. The research team is composed of three leading research intensive institutions within this rapidly developing field and one private entity; that is the Trinity College Dublin (Ireland); University of Trento (Italy); University of East Anglia (United Kingdom), and Pensoft Publishers (Bulgaria). The project team possesses multidisciplinary skills and complementary knowledge, which is considered as being critical to offer new nature-based solutions for sustainable development. This collaboration is expected to offer the widening institution MCAST an opportunity to increase the research capacity within this sector, link up with existing initiatives and projects led by, or receiving input from, the research-intensive institutions, develop a national research cluster with strong international collaborations, and provide practical solutions based on cutting-edge science and developed through international collaboration.

The main aim of IP4OS is social innovation: to empower multi-professional teams and their organisations in each of the 27 European countries with knowledge, skills, awareness and advocacy to boost the valorisation of scientific knowledge in the ERA to a new level by promoting a concerted approach to agile IP management and OS practices. IP4OS will (1) describe a concerted IP-OS approach in the Synergy Framework with best practices on agile IP management to support OS practices, (2) inform the Community of practice about the Synergy Framework with a Role-Model Campaign using advocates, facts and figures, (3) train multi-professionals in agile IP Management with the Synergy Core Curriculum (4) empower multi-professional teams in HEIs and RPOs to use agile IP management to support OS. IP4OS will publish and disseminate an open-access and sound Synergy Framework, providing recommendations for best practices. The project raises 50% more awareness in the Community of Practice by informing about advocates, facts and figures on IP tools that support OS practices. Furthermore, IP4OS will reach 300 trained professionals and additionally (at least) 27 multipliers for multi-professional teams from all European countries via several easy-to-use and sustainable educational resources using the Synergy Framework and the Synergy Core Curriculum. Furthermore, IP4OS will build a Community of Practice by interacting with the different stakeholders in IP and OS. In particular, training and empowerment tasks target 15 professions divided into (A) IP experts and intermediaries, (B) experts performing research, and (C) trainers teaching IP in/and research. With the consortium's extensive IP and OS knowledge, established training and campaign infrastructure, and exceptional expertise, IP4OS can achieve its ambitious objectives in 24 months.

Eutrophication is a major problem causing poor ecological status of European lakes with its severe impacts being enhanced by climate change. However, at the same time, eutrophication could be the potential solution to the depletion of global phosphate (P) reserves, threatening global food security. A vast amount of P and other nutrients are lost from the catchment and transported into lakes, making most lakes a nutrient-rich reserve, as observed by the frequent occurrence of massive, devastating algal blooms in many lakes. FERRO bridges the nutrient enrichment problem to the depletion of P problem to create a sustainable solution to both challenges by circular management. We will develop a next-generation lake restoration approach by combining targeted restoration techniques with nutrient recovery and recycling to achieve multi-benefits: improved ecological status of lakes, support a circular economy, climate adaptation, support food production, promote biodiversity, and boost ecosystem services provision. The multiple environmental and socio-economic co-benefits extend beyond the scale of intervention, supporting wider sustainability and accounting for social and economic ambitions. FERRO supports the natural recovery of lakes (after many years of nutrient enrichment) through four transdisciplinary pillars: 1) classification and prioritization of lakes for restoration (integrated in-situ and remote sensing-based techniques); 2) implementation of sustainable catchment-oriented solutions (biotechnology to prevent nutrient losses in agriculture and nutrient recovery at lake inflows and reuse in agriculture), 3) implementation of sustainable in-lake restoration solutions (nutrient recovery from lakes and reuse in agriculture); and 4) knowledge transfer. FERRO marks a major shift in how lake restoration will be done for ages.

CO-OP4CBD aims to enhance coordination of the EU support to advance the implementation of the CBD, and doing so make more effective use of existing expertise and initiatives. This will lead to greater coherence in the ways in which the EU, its Member States and associated countries identify and draw on available expertise, improved advice and support to a range of CBD processes, and a more coordinated and cooperative approach in the engagement of experts in supporting implementation of other intergovernmental agreements and processes. Therefore the core focus of CO-OP4CBD is to support the increase facilitation of technical and scientific cooperation in European countries and elsewhere. This will be achieved through the implementation of a set of Coordination and Support Actions: 1) building on existing networks of experts and institutions; 2) engaging experts into the CBD processes; 3) supporting the implementation of monitoring, reporting and review; and 4) increasing technical and scientific cooperation. These actions are targeted at and will benefit the EU, its Member States and associated countries. Many actions and outputs of CO-OP4CBD however will be of interest and use to other Parties to the CBD.