Better understanding, anticipating and addressing the biodiversity benefits and impacts of the clean and digital industries
Better understanding, anticipating and addressing the biodiversity benefits and impacts of the clean and digital industries funds researchers to assess biodiversity impacts and guide nature-positive transitions.
Funder: European Commission
Due Dates: October 13, 2026 (Opening) | January 14, 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: €6 million per project; €18 million total topic budget; 3 expected grants
Summary: Supports research on the biodiversity benefits, impacts and dependencies of clean and digital industries to guide nature-positive transitions.
Key Information: Proposals should cover at least five industrial activities across at least three EU or Associated Country biogeographical regions.
Description
This European Commission Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action funds research on how Europe’s industrial decarbonisation and digitalisation affect biodiversity across entire value chains—from demand and design to operations, waste and end-of-life. It covers European-based industries relevant to the Clean Industrial Deal, digital and artificial intelligence industries, and their supporting physical infrastructure, including mining, transport, energy systems and data centres. Data-intensive industries, particularly intellectual property rights and copyright industries, are also in scope.
Projects should assess direct, indirect and cumulative effects on terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems, compare conventional industries with decarbonised, digitalised and circular alternatives, and develop practical decision-support tools. The goal is to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services, avoid shifting environmental burdens between ecosystems and regions, and strengthen industrial resilience through less harmful transition choices.
