Specific Challenge:

In a globalised world, cities all over the world are facing broadly similar challenges. Finding solutions and defining optimal pathways towards sustainable urbanisation receives high priority in the Research and Innovation (R&I) policy of the majority of the countries worldwide. In this context, aligning R&I agendas to underpin sustainable urbanisation and implementing them through international collaboration will promote synergies, and thus an optimal use of the available expertise, capacity and resources, avoid duplication and ensure robust outcomes of global relevance. The opening of JPI Urban Europe to third country partners is increasingly finding interest among its members and among third countries. The Belmont Forum provides an excellent platform for international collaboration in the area of sustainable urbanisation.

Scope:

Proposals should pool the necessary financial resources from the participating national (or regional) research programmes with a view to implementing a joint call for proposals resulting in grants to third parties with EU co-funding in this area. Proposers are encouraged to include other joint activities including additional joint calls without EU co-funding. Actions should build on the international strategy of the JPI Urban Europe and launch in collaboration with the Belmont Forum at least one international call on sustainable urbanisation.

Participation of legal entities from international partner countries and/or regions, in particular with countries participating in the Belmont Forum, is encouraged in the joint call as well as in other joint activities including additional joint calls without EU co-funding. Participants from countries which are not automatically eligible for funding[[http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/docs/h2020-funding-guide/cross... may nonetheless request a Union contribution (on the basis of the ERA-NET unit cost) for the co-ordination costs of additional activities.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU in the range of EUR 5 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Expected Impact:

Actions are expected to lead to:

• the alignment of research and innovation agendas in the area of sustainable urbanisation and co-ordinated streamlining of the implementation of the respective calls;
• enhanced excellence and global relevance of research and innovation activities on sustainable urbanisation and increased visibility at international level;
• strong and lasting alliance with the funding agencies of key international partners for research and innovation actions on sustainable urbanisation (e.g China, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, USA etc.);
• linking of possible European and international demonstration actions on re-naturing cities to induce a wider, worldwide application of nature-based solutions.