Call: Sustainable Hydrogen Technology as Affordable and Clean Energy

There is an uninterrupted trend towards an increasing world energy consumption. This comes from both well-established sectors, such as transportation and residential sectors, as well as the growing demands of the recent digital transformation of society. Moreover, the move away from fossil fuels propels a transformation of the transportation sector toward a battery-based model, which will also demand greater advances in energy-related technology.

At the same time, the world faces many pressing challenges, including climate change, environmental degradation and the depletion of traditional energy sources. Therefore, the sustainable production of affordable and clean energy is an urgent challenge, which must be taken on in order to mitigate the risks of our increasing energy needs. To achieve this transition, having competitive energy alternatives compared to traditional fossil fuels and efficient energy transport and delivery is vital. So is the challenge of overcoming variability associated with several renewable energy sources, including wind and solar power.

Which countries and institutions are participating?

The following national and regional funding organisations have agreed to participate in this joint call, leveraging their national and regional R&D programmes and applying their respective funding regulations:

Bulgaria: Bulgarian National Science Fund (BNSF)
Czech Republic: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS)
Czech Republic: Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS)
France: French National Research Agency (ANR)
Germany: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Hungary: National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH)
Japan: Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
Lithuania: Agency for Science, Innovation & Technology (MITA)
Norway: Research Council of Norway (RCN)
Poland: National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR)
Slovakia: Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS)
Spain: Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI)
Switzerland: Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
Türkiye: The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBITAK)

How should project consortia be composed?

Each project consortium submitting an application should consist of at least 3 eligible beneficiaries (project partners), 1 from Japan and 2 from two different European countries participating in the Joint Call.

Partner Search Tool

In order to facilitate the process of forming research consortia, we offer applicants a Partner Search Tool – Partfinder available here: https://partfinder.ncbr.gov.pl/. This tool can be used by projects looking for partners and partners looking for projects.

Can researchers from other European institutions participate?

Researchers and research teams from other European institutions may participate as additional partners in a project consortium if they can prove that they have secured funding from other sources that allows them to fulfil their obligations within the consortium. A confirmation letter of the external sponsoring institution has to be submitted at the time of proposal submission.

What if I have questions?

If you have questions, please contact the EIG Concert-Japan Program Secretariat, Ms. Lea Debraux, at concert-japan-jcs@cnrs.fr, or the National and Regional Contact Person for your country or region.