ZEBAI is an ambitious integrative project in which a broad range of interdisciplinary teams collaborate to develop a new methodology that aims to change the way that Zero-emission buildings are designed, by integrating all interdependent analysis and partial alternative decision-making processes under a holistic approach that allows the evaluation of a design simultaneously taking into account: energy performance, environmental impact, indoor environmental quality, and cost-effectiveness. For this purpose, we will require to develop a database of well-characterised materials and make an estimation of discrepancies between simulated and actual building performance. The methodology that will be used is artificial intelligence techniques to optimise the selection of materials and systems in different aspects of the building design. The AI-assisted methodology aims to make the design process more efficient and user-friendly while incorporating all environmental quality and cost-effectiveness objectives. This approach will enable the optimisation of new architectural designs towards scalable Zero Energy Building (ZEB) design in different climates, usages, and building patterns, with the ultimate goal of achieving a zero-emission building stock by 2050. During the project, we will test ZEBAI methodology with four representative demonstrators (located in Ukraine, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands). ZEBAI relies on previously funded European research projects and aligns with several national initiatives in which the partners collaborate.

INITIATE is a project that aims to empower higher education institutions to develop R&I through institution transformation. INITIATE, in its widening dimension, seeks to raise excellence in science and knowledge valorisation of Europe's universities through cooperation and knowledge circulation. Through stakeholder inclusion and co-design approach, INITIATE will design an approach for institution transformation that will reflect on the current needs and resources of the institution, external elements such as policy barriers, good practices from other initiatives and identification of possible collaboration areas with other institutions including local ecosystems. Through iterative process and R&I Labs supported by online tools such as Knowledge Hub, INITIATE will generate policy recommendations for helping stimulate R&I development and scientific excellence in Widening countries, in addition to research outputs and creation of joint applications for other funding sources (e.g. Horizon Europe). The approach will be demonstrated in Croatia, Portugal and north Macedonia. This will finally result in a roadmap for long term uptake of R&I in widening countries with identified replication cases and forming of the Alliance for green energy transition that will assure the long-term sustainability of INITIATE results. The action focuses on universities in Widening countries, in which the cases for the implementation of INITIATE approach will be conducted. Additionally, the project aims to achieve several outcomes, including the successful institutional reform and upgrade of higher education institutions in the R&I dimension, empowerment to be actors of change, and the mainstreaming of a culture of excellence in science and value creation amongst higher education institutions, particularly in less research-intensive institutions and countries. To achieve these outcomes, the project will engage universities as well as local ecosystems.

The development and application of solid-state lasers (SSRs) over the last decade, emphasizing their wide-ranging uses in fields such as metal processing, medical applications, and optical transmission systems. It outlines the fundamental components of SSRs and the importance of achieving a balance between gains and losses in the laser resonator for effective generation. The concept of Q-switching is introduced, highlighting its role in enhancing laser performance by modulating the Q-factor of the resonator. Active and passive Q-switching methods are compared, with a focus on the advantages of passive Q-switches for generating powerful sub-nanosecond pulses in compact laser systems. The challenges associated with finding suitable passive Q-switching materials, particularly for long-term use, are discussed, leading to the proposal of a novel approach using a composite structure of polymer matrix with Cr4+:YAG nanopowders. This initiative, undertaken by the ALTER-Q consortium comprising European academic institutions, research organizations, and SMEs, aims to address the current limitations and pave the way for cost-effective alternatives in Q-switched laser technology.

TRUSTparency starts from the assumption that what scientists need to trust is that the Mertonian process of organised scepticism can operate, allowing scientific knowledge to self-correct efficiently. By extending this assumption we argue that scientists and all other research stakeholders should be open to adopt innovative interventions, to the extent that they can trust that these are developed, deployed, assessed, and corrected transparently and collaboratively. TRUSTparency’s core guiding principle clearly reflects the above argument, specifically by advocating for a maximally informed, context-sensitive, collaborative, democratic, and transparent approach to facilitating the development of interventions that enhance reproducibility by Research Performing Organisations, Research Funding Organisations, learned societies, and publishers. These types of institutions will be empowered to develop their own policy guidelines in the form of a Reproducibility Promotion Plan (RPP), which will be a sequence of concrete steps to transfer the practices that promote reproducibility to their everyday work and to monitor their effectiveness with mechanisms customised to their specific needs. The co-development activities of the project will be based, with the concerted engagement of the project’s Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAB), which is composed, among others, of 10 national Reproducibility Networks (RNs). The SAB will actively participate in the three-stage co-development plan of the project’s interventions: (a) development, (b) pilot testing by 9 institutions, and (c) validation-finalisation. The project's co-creation activities will be applied in tandem with a wide and structured discussion facilitated by the highly innovative comCensus platform. From day one, TRUSTparency will establish a Reproducibility Community and invite all stakeholders with stakes in fostering reproducibility to join through an open call distributed via the professional networks.