Security challenges of the green transition in urban und peri urban areas

The call "Security challenges of the green transition in urban and peri-urban areas" supports innovative research projects with a total budget of €4,000,000 to analyze physical and cyber-related security risks of new green technologies in urban and peri-urban areas of the EU. The goal is to develop methods and recommendations that enable operators of critical infrastructures, first responders, and authorities to mitigate risks and sustainably promote the social acceptance of solar installations, e-mobility solutions, energy storage systems, or smart sensor systems. Funding is provided to companies, public and non-profit institutions, educational establishments, as well as private individuals from EU member states and associated countries. A prerequisite is the involvement of at least three relevant practical partners from different countries and, for Earth observation applications, the use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS. Personnel costs, material costs, travel expenses, and subcontractor services are funded at a 100% rate. The level of innovation of the project, its relevance to security authorities, and the effectiveness of resilience measures will be decided in the Horizon Europe program single-stage procedure by 05.11.2026.

The projects should develop novel resilience approaches and address security concerns such as battery fires, data manipulation, or toxic leaks, and design adaptive concepts for different urban communities. A focus lies on identifying risks along the entire supply chain of green technologies in the context of European strategic autonomy. Projects document results in the project description, CVs of the project leadership, and the financing plan. EU-funded research thus contributes to a safe, trustworthy, and future-proof urban living environment in the spirit of climate neutrality.