POWERUP NETZERO

Six European clusters (cleantech, mobility&logistics and digital), from five regions, one less developed, present the PowerUp NetZero (Powering Up Net Zero applications through the European Single Market) proposal aimed to support the innovation and adoption of new processes and technologies to strengthen the twin (green and digital) transition. Thus, addressing Strand 1 (net-zero technologies and critical raw materials) of the EUROCLUSTER Call, tackling net-zero technologies and their production value chains, fostering the development of new solutions, innovative applications, and widespread market adoption across various sectors, including digital solutions integration. Where appropriate, the technologies actively manage a sector coupling which lead to a netzero environment. The net-zero related applications in which the project will focus on are 5: Solar energy, Battery and energy storage, H2 technologies, Sustainable biogas/biomethane, and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). They were selected by asking the clusters' members which were their main interested related to net-zero technologies and in which applications they were working on or interested in doing so.

The project provides Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) to SMEs from Europe to support 2 kinds of activities: Business innovation / technology adoption activities (19 SMEs will be selected), and Innovation projects (13 consortia selected, including at least 26 SMEs), meaning a total of 45 SMEs supported by the project.

PowerUp NetZero will also tackle Training activities: it will organise online webinars and workshops tackling interesting topics of netzero (such as sector coupling) as well as activate contacts with initiatives that provide opportunities for SMEs and young entrepreneurs related to training, up-skilling and re-skilling. A long-term strategy will be developed to ensure sustainability.