Modelling, Mapping, and Monitoring Nature Infrastructure (3M NI) is an evolving land use and management strategy using digital technologies & biodiversity knowledge to achieve sustainable use of resources and promote Nature-Based Solutions (NbS). 3M NI methods, harnessing data from in-situ observations, satellites, Internet of Things (IoT), and technologies such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence, can potentially increase the quantity and quality of data products while planning biodiversity and climate actions through NBS. One of the main challenges for NBS in Southeastern Europe is the low adoption rate of 3M NI technologies and practices, especially concerning "big data in natural resources" partly due to the lack of efficient communication skills as well as scientific and technological (S&T) skills for executing multi/cross/interdisciplinary analytics on multi-scale/source environmental data, addressing regional and site level issues, to extract more accurate and impactful actionable information by combining these data with specific user´s needs. SONATA capacity-building strategy builds on the complementary expertise of VITO (Belgium), FIHAC (Spain), NINA (Norway) and UNIOVI (Spain), that will transfer knowledge and skills to BIOS (Serbia) to enhance 1) researchers' S&T capacity for performing multi-scale/source data analyses, 2) researchers and administrative staff’s capability to communicate practical environmental data-related knowledge for NBS planning to stakeholders across the sustainable landscape value chain and to non-scientific local communities and 3) lower the development gap between European regions and create lasting partnerships. IT and Biosystems BIOS centers will be enhanced through SONATA into a NBS Team (NbS-T) concentrating on cross/multi/interdisciplinary innovation-driven R&D within a co-creation environment. Post SONATA BIOS' NBS-T will be nationally competent in the 3M NI and NBS sector and a qualified partner at the European level.

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.

WENDY aims at unravelling the factors triggering social acceptance of wind farms through an in-depth analysis at three dimensions: social sciences and humanities, environmental sciences and technological engineering. For that, the project will implement a series of local actions promoting the wider adoption of the project solutions, including guidelines, reports and handbooks which will be created to boost the understanding of wind farms decision making processes and enhance energy citizenship. This will be supported by the spatial multi-criteria WENDY toolbox. A tool able to identify the optimal turbines’ siting with the minimum environmental impact and highest social acceptance likelihood. All developed models, methods, guidelines and tools will be implemented within 10 wind projects spread across 4 countries. These have been selected considering: geography (north vs. south Europe), maturity stage (viability phase / planning phase / short-term operation phase / long-term operation phase); type of wind energy (onshore / offshore – floating, fixed-); and co-existence with other activities (agriculture, fisheries, energy communities). In these locations, outreach activities tailored to their specificities will be performed, creating the WENDY Knowledge Hubs which will incorporate citizens, local authorities, business owners and value chain actors of wind energy. WENDY Hubs will serve as a baseline for the WENDY Knowledge Exchange Platform, a forum that will be developed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge between decision makers and key stakeholders within wind farms planning processes. For a successful implementation of the project activities, all the value chain and the best-in-class expertise is involved in the project consortium including 9 partners from 6 European countries: 1 Large Company (EGP), 2 SMEs (WR, Q-PLAN), 1 University (CBS), 2 RTO (CIRCE, NINA), 1 Energy Community (MEC), 2 Non-profit organisations and associations (NOWC, APPA).

The overarching aim of STORE2HYDRO is to introduce a new mindset for storage of electricity in connection with existing hydropower. Relatively small adjustments to existing hydropower facilities by retrofitting reversible pump turbine technology would allow the European electricity storage capacity to increase by 22TWh/y or more. The aim will be achieved by: i) Validated innovative mechanical solutions to TRL4-5 for larger-scale pumped, longer-duration storage of electricity in existing high head Reservoir-to-Reservoir (RtR) and low head Run-of-River (RoR) hydropower facilities. ii) Mapping untapped hydropower sources for long term electricity storage in Europe increasing the availability, robustness and safety of energy storage solutions. The novel technologies will enable the operators to run hydropower stations in a more efficient, cost effective and flexible manner than today also adapting to the energy system. This is without changing the regulating heights or volume of the reservoir/river reaches following the European Green Deal priorities. Also, turbine manufacturers can introduce new components for cost-effective retrofitting of pumped storage. The technology will be validated with detailed LCA and by consideration of CAPEX and OPEX of potential future plant. The 1st innovation is based on unique design solutions for a retrofittable reversible pump turbine technology enabling a cost-effective solution free of cavitation, enhanced flexibility, and reduced losses. The 2nd innovation is enabled by digital twins including hydraulic and sediment dynamics for pumped-storage. These tools give detailed information about the status of the current storage increasing the availability and robustness of the mechanical storage of electricity in existing RoR and RtR systems adapting to, for example, predictions of generation of intermittent electricity from wind and solar. Practically this will imply new storage of electricity in existing reservoirs and river stretches.

In order to protect and manage marine species and habitats, there is an immediate need for the creation of robust evidence-based methods and integrated platforms. Therefore, there is a need to undertake marine research projects that are developed and implemented collaboratively, strategically, and at a sufficient scale. Animal tracking is the study of animal movements across various spatiotemporal scales (local, regional, continental, global; minutes to decades). Although animal tracking is not a new field of research, only recently have these electronic technologies necessary to follow marine animal movements across larger and longer scales have only recently become widely available. Strategic Infrastructure for improved animal Tracking in European Seas (STRAITS) will leverage ongoing acoustic tracking projects across the four corners of Europe (i.e., North Channel, Danish Straits, Straits of Gibraltar and the Bosporus/Dardanelles) by expanding efforts to connect initiatives on species-based biodiversity management while developing data management plans and networking channels to deliver data to national and international governing bodies. Coordinating aquatic animal tracking and environmental observation efforts at a scale that will be usable to make progress on international marine management and planning, is a major step towards an operational European Tracking Network (ETN) that contributes to major European biodiversity initiatives, conservation, and policy.