Second ARSINOE Open Tender

for Climate Adaptation Innovations

 

November 2023 – January 2024

Are you developing an innovative solution for climate adaptation?

We welcome you to submit your innovation to ARSINOE’s Second Open Tender for Innovations!

BRIGAID CONNECT
University of Thessaly
GAC Group
Sustainable Development Solutions Network

We are seeking solutions that can help our regions and communities across Europe increase their resilience to extreme heat, water scarcity, drought, water pollution, and/or floods.

  • Does your innovation mitigate the impacts of extreme heat, water stress, water pollution and/or floods on social, economic and environmental systems?
  • Are you looking to demonstrate your innovation, make it fit with needs of real end users, and meet prospective clients?

What is ARSINOE and what are the Open Tenders for Innovations?

ARSINOE is an EU-funded project aimed at creating climate-resilient regions through systemic solutions and innovations. In 2023 the project is launching a series of open tenders to take stock of innovative climate adaptation solutions from across Europe. The aim is to identify promising or mature innovations that can help our case study regions become more climate resilient. Applications will be evaluated and the selected ones can receive up to EUR 50.000 for demonstration activities in our 12 participating case studies across Europe. See the supplementary materials below for additional information on specific budgets and requirements for each case.

What are the general requirements?

  • Applicants (innovators) have to be an established legal entity based in one of the eligible countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UK.
  • Applicants may be small- or medium-sized, enterprises, start-up companies, spin-off companies, universities or research and technology development institutes, multinationals or subsidiaries/daughter companies, NGOs, and foundations.
  • Contracting of the innovation is possible without conflicting with the legal requirements that the contracting party is subject to (e.g. those associated with public procurement legislation).
  • The online application has been submitted before the deadline via the ARSINOE webpage.
  • The online application form has responses to all the questions. Only complete applications will be considered eligible for further evaluation.
  • Selected innovations are available, and innovators are able to conduct any testing and implementation activities, including respective results reporting, within the period between April 2024 and March 2025. The exact dates and timeline are to be agreed with the contracting party during the contracting phase.
  • The innovation is relevant to the case study, i.e. it is deemed capable of contributing to addressing the challenge of the case study and to achieving its goals as they are stated in the supplementary materials published with the call.

How will my online application be evaluated?

For the evaluation, an Evaluation Committee is formed with members of ARSINOE consortium (with the leaders and co-leaders of our regional case studies to represent the interests of their stakeholders and independent partners to ensure the transparency and neutrality of the process). The Committee evaluates the applications according to seven pre-defined criteria which include: three types of readiness (Technical, Social, Market) and four qualitative criteria (Testing Feasibility, Innovator Vision, Promising Innovation, and Contribution to Social and Governance Transformation).

ARSINOE Case Studies participating in the second Open Tender

We have twelve case studies participating in this second tender. The items below provide access to the challenge statements and supplementary information that the case studies have prepared for you to propose your solutions. Please pay close attention to the distinct funding ceilings and legal requirements of the case you are intending to send your application to (read carefully the Annexes).

The key challenge for the open tender for innovations is enhancing the city’s capacity to deal with extreme heat, both in terms of preparedness and planning as well as responsiveness during the events.

Different climate adaptation measures, such as nature-based solutions, modeling and monitoring tools could contribute to addressing this challenge, embedded in the City’s plan for adaptation to climate change. While certain measures are already implemented or under development, there is still room for innovations that can enhance the city’s resilience. Implementation requires the motivation and cooperation of different actors, knowledge sharing between sectors and a conducive framework. The creation of such conditions could require education and capacity building to support social, behavioural changes and governance actions.

Other areas of action may include but are not limited to: 1) greening solutions with direct or indirect cooling effects for the city,  2) water management measures with direct or indirect cooling effects for the city, 3) measures to enhance the city’s capacity in protecting its vulnerable population, 4) tools to facilitate the city’s decision-making capacity, 5) measures to assess or mitigate the impact on human health and/or economic sectors.

We seek social, technical and governance innovations as well as concepts for light structural and nature-based solutions in an extreme heat management context.

During our collaborative sessions with stakeholders, the following potential solution categories emerged:

  • Nature-Based Solutions: Emphasis on leveraging the natural environment to mitigate the effects of extreme heat. Integration of green architecture to promote cooling and sustainability.
  • Water Management and Blue Infrastructure:Measures that provide a direct cooling effect for the city. Solutions necessary for maintaining and supporting green spaces, such as irrigation and water retention systems.
  • Digital Tools and Models:Technologies that enhance the decision-making capacity of policymakers and stakeholders. Tools that facilitate planning and/or responsiveness to extreme heat challenges.
  • Technical/Engineering Solutions:Engineering measures that can directly mitigate the effects of extreme heat or support other solutions.
  • Governance and Communication:Strategies and platforms that foster cooperation among different actors. Initiatives that promote knowledge sharing across sectors and create a conducive framework for action.
  • Social Innovations:Initiatives that support social and behavioural changes in response to extreme heat. Education and capacity-building programs to raise awareness and preparedness.
  • Energy/Mobility:Solutions that address the energy consumption patterns during extreme heat events. Mobility solutions that can mitigate the effects of heat or provide relief to the population.

Download supplementary material 

Air pollution due to Climate Change (Heatwaves, Wind/Waves, Extreme Events) and increased port operations (ships, cruises, ferries, cargo etc.) can have negative impacts to the personnel, passengers, and nearby community. The GHG concentrations affect the air quality and cause health issues to the personnel, passengers and the nearby community. PPA would like to apply an innovative solution that will monitor and forecast increased GHGs emissions that could be harmful for the personnel, the passengers and the citizens that live close to the port. The technical – digital solution will monitor and predict high GHGs emissions based on input – data such as climatic – weather parameters, ship-cruise operations, number of vehicles etc. and will propose adaptation measures to improve air quality and prevent health issues.

Download supplementary material 

Traditionally, port infrastructures have been designed considering past climate events. However, since the climate is changing, these infrastructures must be sized taking into account future climate conditions. Moreover, it is important for port managers to know when they will need to implement adaptation measures for their facilities and operations to address the effects of climate change.

Finding a solution capable of determining which of the downscaling or particularized climate scenarios or as originally called Representative Concentration Pathways of IPCC (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, more recently they are called Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) for the Port of Valencia aligns better with the reality of the port is crucial. This will provide a decision-making tool to establish future climate variables and, in a way, predict which climatic issues will impact port operations. Additionally, the tool should allow correlating oceanoclimatic events with their effects on infrastructures and port operations to assess real impacts. This serves as a foundation for designing adaptation measures.

The goal is to establish a climate change impact monitoring system that integrates past, current and forecasted oceanic and weather variables as currents, wind (speed and direction), water and air temperature, rainfall, etc. This type of data could be gathered from the Port of Valencia meteo stations,  SAMOA system (Puertos del Estado, https://www.puertos.es/es-es/proyectos/Paginas/SAMOA.aspx#) or AEMET (Spanish Weather Agency, https://www.aemet.es/en/portada).

Additionally, terminals operating in the port should be equipped with a user-friendly tool, like a mobile app, allowing them to quickly and clearly report any events (shutdowns, damages, delays, etc.) caused by climatic conditions. This way, real-time data on the evolution of variables and their impacts on port infrastructures and operations will be available.

The extended observation of both variables and events should enable predictions based on variable forecasts. It will also allow verifying whether the variable forecasts obtained during the modeling phase align with the actual climate evolution. This verification will help assess whether the real evolution conforms to the likely or unfavorable climate scenario (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5). This, in turn, will assist port authorities in obtaining the most accurate future climate predictions, facilitating proper sizing of new infrastructures and determining when adjustments to current facilities are necessary.

The company selected to demonstrate its solution in the Port of Valencia will have access to the Business Growth Programme of Opentop, Valenciaport’s open innovation hub.

Valenciaport  has connections with more than 1,000 ports around the world, making it the leading spanish port in terms of container traffic and the fourth largest in Europe. Opentop connects the technology of the best startups with the communities of the three ports of Valenciaport (Valencia, Sagunto and Gandía). It attracts tech companies, corporations and startups to collaborate on innovation projects in the port-logistics sector.
Opentop is looking for port tech related ideas to revolutionize the port industry. Its customized incubation and acceleration programmes, developed in collaboration with Wayra (Telefónica Innovation), offers the opportunity to accelerate your business in the heart of the Mediterranean with access to global leading companies, top notch mentors, funding possibilities, a living-lab and a vibrant entrepreneur ecosystem in one of the most iconic mediterranean cities.

Download sumplementary material

Download The Business Growth Programme Opentop in the Port of Valencia

In response to the significant threats posed by climate change to port activities, infrastructure, and the safety of surrounding communities—such as disruptions in port operations, increased accidents, damage to goods, compromised health, client complaints, energy inefficiencies, and air/water pollution—we are inviting innovative proposals for an Early Warning System. It should involve the implementation of advanced sensors capable of real-time data collection for climate-related parameters, including temperature, humidity, wind intensity, fog and air quality and effectively monitor and analyze climate-related events.

The innovation must not only meet the current specified parameters but also demonstrate adaptability for unforeseen requirements in the future. The innovation must utilize advanced analytics and machine learning to process collected data and predict climate-related events, providing timely alerts tailored to the severity of the situation, seamlessly integrate with existing port management systems, ensuring coordinated responses during extreme weather events.

To mitigate negative impacts, the proposed innovation needs to develop protocols for port operations, regular maintenance of sensors and early warning systems, enhanced preparedness measures, and compliance with ISO standards for reporting and monitoring.

Additionally, it must incorporate AI-assisted prediction, with sensors strategically placed in at least 10 locations and have a mobile interface operational in both Android and Ios. Ensuring compliance with CE marking and establishing adjustable acceptable limits for warnings are essential. Additionally, to enable seamless integration of new sensors. We value collaborative partnerships and encourage proposals demonstrating a proactive approach to addressing future challenges, ensuring the long-term resilience of our ports and the well-being of all stakeholders involved.

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The key challenge for the North Macedonia case study is to improve climate adaptiveness of multiple social and economic sectors, related to water scarcity, through integrated cross sectoral planning and management actions in the transboundary environment. The CS4 team therefore seeks an innovation that will integrate technological and social elements and will be a leverage tool toward the goal of improved climate resilience in sectors related to water use and scarcity (environmental, economic and social).

The innovation should feature advanced technologies for accurate groundwater quantity measurement across extensive watershed areas, enabling the integration of real-time data into algorithms that correlate with Prespa lake water levels. Moreover, it should facilitate data accessibility (via visualization, mobile apps, communication platforms, alert systems, etc.) for stakeholders of all profiles (scientists, public authorities, industry, citizens, etc.)  in all three countries sharing the water resources.

During our collaborative sessions with stakeholders in the living labs, the following potential solution categories emerged:

  • Improved water measurement and monitoring system, as a pre-condition for an effective management, planning and climate adaptivity.
  • Awareness raising, education and capacity building of water managers, policy makers and water users.
  • Intelligent Agriculture/ Intelligent Farming as an opportunity for monitoring water consumption and water pollution to maintain water balance, one of the main challenges in this region is sustainable agriculture.
  • Technologies for water recover, recycle, and reuse in industry and tourism.

They all have a common ground on the understanding that access to information is crucial for informed decision-making, management, planning, and the responsible use of resources, by providing cross sectoral and trans- boundary integration into smart and sustainable resilience improving actions.

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The key challenge for the Albanian case study is to improve climate adaptiveness of multiple social and economic sectors, related to water scarcity and water quality, in a transboundary concept. The Albanian CS4 team therefore is searching for innovations that will integrate both technological and social aspects in terms of climate resilience in different sectors relevant for water scarcity and quality (environmental, social-economic, health and education).

The innovations we are looking for should be a good methodology and integrated technology for measuring water quality and quantity of both Ohrid and Prespa lakes, open data source accessibility for an operative unit on site. Moreover, the physical multifunctional/multidimensional hub will contribute with the innovative arrangements of the stakeholders and local practice community.

During our national and international meetings, the following potential solution categories emerged:

  • Physical multidimensional incubator for the region covering technical and social environmental aspect:
    • Monitoring water system for a long timeline, as a pre-condition for an effective management in transboundary level, planning and climate change adaptivity)
    • Education and public awareness (entities, public and private engagements).
    • Agriculture and tourism aspect of the region, innovative solutions to be provided.

The innovative vision will help the transboundary cooperation of the Case study Ohrid and Prespa lakes.

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In the Turkish Demarcation of CS6 we seek innovative ideas that will bolster the resilience of the coastal and marine ecosystems in the southwestern Black Sea that improve the adaptive capacity and the sustainability of the region. Particular emphasis is given to advance smart tools, technologies and digital innovations –including social innovation– that would support the transition to a sustainable blue economy in the Black Sea.

During our collaborative sessions with stakeholders in the local Living Labs, the following emerged as solution categories of main interest:

  • Smart, Harmonized Monitoring: Interoperable, smart monitoring technologies with a particular emphasis on identification/monitoring of marine pollution source(s) using remote sensing and other data processing technologies, autonomous submarines to monitor pollution sources, current fish stocks and biogeochemical cycles. The proposed solutions should enable and facilitate cooperation among the many public and scientific institutions that already work in the area, with the objective of aligning efforts and saving resources.
  • Digital Solutions for Monitoring and Conserving Biodiversity: Acoustic monitoring technologies, autonomous devices, new identification techniques such as eDNA, and other data processing techniques to improve and conserve biodiversity in the area.
  • Decision Support Tools for Holistic and Integrated Planning: AI-fed monitoring and forecasting and other data processing techniques to enable integrated planning and cross-sector coordination, especially as regards to land use for dwelling, energy generation, economic activities, nature conservation and environmental protection.

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The impact of Climate Change on the Danube Delta is a complex process involving many different aspects. The summary of the conclusions of the working group meetings in Romania that have been organized under ARSINOE have led to two major topics as impact on biofiltration capacity of the aqueous biota in the Danube branches and related lakes and impact on the tendency of extension of areas of salted lands and marshes.

The International Living Lab associated to CS 6 – Black Sea decided to focus on the topic of quality of water that involves for the Romanian sub-case the focus on the impact of climate change processes on biofiltration capacity of the aqueous biota in the Danube branches and related lakes.

Problem statement: To support the resilience building of the local communities in the Danube Delta in the process of adaptation to climate changes related to the challenges of the quality of water with a special emphasis on biofiltration capacity of the aqueous biota in the Danube branches and related lakes.

The motivation of this approach is the rapid alteration with significant changes of parameters of the ecosystems functioning and the water quality in the Danube Delta water ecosystems is worsening due to low adaptation capacity of the water microbiota complex.

The access to scientific evidence of local communities, local authorities and other stakeholders from the Danube Delta, in terms of measured data, explanatory models and simulations, scenario building and forecasting of consequences of the changes due to climate change on the biofiltration adaptation capacity to climate change of the microbiota from the Danube Delta branches and related lakes.

The expected innovative solutions have to address the following three aspects:

  • Access to measurement/observation data from on-site measurement sensors, historical data records, satellite data and other similar on hydrographic, composition and microbiology parameters of water in the Danube Delta;
  • Data processing and modelling tools and platforms that could relate available data with observable properties, sensitivity analyses and forecasting of the evolution of quality of water;
  • The scientific-evidence information dissemination, debates, validation, co-creation and co-design of possible solutions with the local communities.

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How do we ensure that we are best positioned to address the challenges posed by climate change impacting Ropotamo Reserve?

The key challenge for this open tender for innovations is providing protection of the components of the ecosystems, with focus on water quality and quantity, pollution and balance. The stakeholders have agreed on several major categories of innovations which would have the potential to bring real change to the area and support their efforts to protect it: regular water monitoring (quality and pollution); river flooding, including early warning; flood protection; risk management; and solutions for vegetation resilience to climate change and extreme droughts/precipitation.

Additional categories, marked as important, are groundwater mapping, fire warning systems, alert systems for poaching (including social innovation) and illegal logging detection.

We seek technical solutions, including NBS, but also innovations in governance which would support multi-actor approach to complex climate-related challenges. Innovations should result in measurable positive impacts and include a plan for evaluation.

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The key challenge for the tender for innovations is to motivate and inform relevant stakeholders and practitioners and to promote a deep engagement from commercial actors, citizens and the civil society in climate change risk management and adaptation, including investments. Without such a holistic and transformative approach, both climate change adaptation and disaster risk management are likely to be suboptimal. Many different actions and activities could contribute to solving this challenge, including social, technical, economical, and governance innovations. Education and increased risk awareness is likely to play a significant role as is the use of digital platforms and techniques like mobile applications/apps, the use of existing and upcoming open data, and AI. Specific areas of action may include but are not limited to:

  • Innovations and actions to inform and engage civil society in climate change adaptation beyond the “usual suspects”.
  • Improved communication pathways from the authorities to and with citizens during an extreme flood event, for example in terms of education, early warnings, real-time flood forecasts, recommendations and information sharing, data collection and citizen science.

The involvement of the private sector is also crucial, as ambitious climate change adaptation hinges on co-development and co-financing with the private sector. There is, however, currently little information on incentives for the private sector to engage in climate change adaptation with a broader scope (city and society) than just the protection of own assets. There is also an urgent need for improved knowledge of the economic costs of flood events to their business activities. The latter was recently emphasized in the aftermath of the October floods from the east, when countless small companies reported massive, uninsured damages. In this context, specific areas of action may include but are not limited to:

  • Innovations that can help motivate businesses and investors to adopt more community-oriented perspectives with a high valuation of co-benefits and social responsibility. Investigation and/or monitoring of incentives for investors from the private sector to engage and invest in urban development and climate change adaptation – with a focus on Esbjerg and the landmark Green Flood Barrier.
  • Assessment and collection of data on the estimated and/or realized costs of flooding by industry, small and large businesses, shops, etc.

Innovations should result in measurable impacts and include a plan for evaluation

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Torbay, in its pursuit of comprehensive flood preparedness and resilience, is seeking innovative solutions that align with the disaster emergency preparedness cycle for flooding, encompassing five critical phases: mitigation, preparedness, prevention, response, and recovery.

We invite proposals for innovations that span a spectrum of domains, including social, governance, and technical spheres. During our collaborative sessions with stakeholders in the living lab, the following potential solution categories emerged:

  • Flood Focused Digital Solutions: Use existing data and machine learning for flood and asset warnings, along with resource allocation during floods.
  • Flood Focused Infrastructure and People Solutions: Develop flood barriers for harbours and high-risk roads, and enhance communication for coordinated responses.
  • Engagement and Co-Creation Initiatives: Empower communities through initiatives addressing the climate crisis, co-design projects, and micro-funding opportunities.
  • Education and School-Focused Innovations: Create curriculum packages for climate change education in schools and promote local environmental awareness.
  • Water Reuse and Rainwater Management: Explore community rainwater sharing, sustainable water use, and green/blue space strategies.
  • Finance and Insurance Planning: Investigate sustainable financial models like a roof tax and community insurance.
  • Health: Implement accessible health programs addressing climate impacts and mapping health inequalities.

We seek innovative ideas that can bolster Torbay’s flood resilience across these diverse dimensions, ultimately ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of its residents and the preservation of its natural environment.

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The key challenge for the Sardinia case study is to improve sustainable food production and resilience of agricultural systems under climate change, to guarantee food security and quality. The main goals to be achieved to accomplish this challenge are: (1) stabilizing and/or increasing crop production while optimizing agricultural inputs (e.g., irrigation water, fertilizers); (2) increasing local food production; (3) enhancing awareness and information of all the main actors of the food chain, including consumers; (4) achieving zero waste.

Addressing this challenge implies a multi-disciplinary approach focused on Agriculture, Technology, Circular Economy, Social innovation. While some adaptational measures are already under development and/or partially implemented, there is a need to accelerate these efforts and foster collaboration among various stakeholders in the agri-food chain.

With the constraints of limited resources and changing environmental conditions, the region seeks innovative solutions to guarantee food security and quality. During our collaborative sessions with stakeholders in the living lab, the following potential solution categories emerged:

  • Digital Adaptation: The development and integration of digital technologies tailored for farmers, such as weather forecasting tools, Decision Support Systems, and blockchain applications.
  • Certification Branding and Consumer Awareness: Implementation and promotion of certified products that emphasise quality, sustainability, and origin supported by platforms and/or apps designed to enhance consumer knowledge and appreciation for sustainable and local food products.
  • Technological Integration: Incorporation of innovative sensors, water storage systems, and other technologies powered by sustainable energy.
  • Zero Waste: Development and widespread of innovative agronomic inputs from Circular Economy to guarantee sustainable crop production (e.g. organic fertilizers, amendments, etc.).

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What do I have to do to participate?

  1. Thoroughly review the challenge statements and supplementary information that the participating Case Studies have put together to describe their climate adaptation needs and priorities (click on the “+ More info” buttons above).
  2. Visit climateinnovationwindow.eu to see what climate innovations we have worked with in the past.
  3. Read carefully the guide for applicants before starting to prepare the online application.
  4. Click here to prepare and submit your application online. Deadline for applications is Monday 08 January 2024 at 23:59 CET.

In addition, we invite you to register here to participate in the online Info Sessions taking place on Tuesday 12 December 2023 and Friday 5 January 2024 at 14:00 CET. During these sessions applicants will have the chance to express their doubts or questions and receive guidance about the application process. Moreover, we suggest you check our FAQs document which will be regularly updated with the questions raised during the Info Sessions.

ARSINOE

ARSINOE Project

Climate-resilient regions through systemic solutions and innovations. The ARSINOE approach is presented in nine demonstrators in terms of applicability, replicability, potency and efficacy.

Brigaid Connect

BRIGAID Connect

We are a cluster of companies and individuals, each contributing their specific angle of expertise to help regions and communities implement their adaptation roadmaps.