On December 12, 2024, HARMONMISSIONS partners participated in an online Train-the-Trainers workshop hosted by ARC Fund. This workshop was designed to prepare project partners for their role in organizing trainings, workshops, and brokerage events focused on participation in the EU Missions under Horizon Europe. The workshop provided comprehensive guidance on key topics, including: The objectives and structure of Horizon Europe. Mission-driven research and innovation and the EU Missions framework. Implementation of EU Missions within Horizon Europe. Developing competitive proposals for Horizon...

Wind Labs: Just Development of Wind Energy in Northeastern Bulgaria Edition #3: Factors for Maximizing Local Added Value in Offshore Renewable Energy Infrastructure Planning in the Black Sea The Applied Research and Communications Fund (ARC Fund) is organizing the third edition of the Wind Ideas Lab, which took take place on September 4, 2024, at 4:00 PM in the Congress Center at the Port of Burgas. AGENDA This event aims to bring together stakeholders and experts to discuss and develop fair and effective management practices for the development of wind energy in Northeastern Bulgaria. The...

About the case studies Explore the regional case studies on just and effective wind energy governance across seven countries: The Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Germany, and Bulgaria. Dive into the nuances of energy justice and participatory practices, explore regional recommendations and inspiring solutions. To ensure the best possible results in our case studies, the project experts have conducted document review work, as well as interviews with wind industry stakeholders in the researched regions. The findings and insights collected were summarised in regional...

Danube region countries such as Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, face some specific challenges in regard to their participation in the Missions of Horizon Europe program. Because of these obstacles, the HARMONMISSION partners have recognized the need for improving the cooperation among countries in the Danube region in order to enhance the capacity of research and innovation actors to participate in Missions-related projects. HARMONMISSION aims to do so by minimizing existing disparities and strengthen collaboration in two...

In a landmark effort to understand the European public’s stance on the energy transition, EnergyPROSPECTS has successfully conducted an in-depth online survey of 10,000 individuals across 19 European countries. The survey examined individual engagement in the energy transition, responses to the 2021-2022 energy crisis, energy-saving measures and motivations. The survey also sought to determine the expectations of citizens in relation to sustainable energy practices.  The survey findings suggest that most European citizens believe that their role in the energy transition is limited to...

On March 18, 2024, an online discussion was held within the WIND LAB #2: Just Development of Wind Energy in Northeast Bulgaria” (within JustWind4All project), dedicated to the visual effects of offshore wind farms in Northeast Bulgaria. Participants focused on exploring this important aspect of wind energy development and their intention to create a framework for equitable development in the region. The purpose of the Laboratory is to bring together stakeholders for discussion and generation of ideas for wind energy development. The project, supported by the European Commission’s...

ARC Fund has coordinated the development and implementation of an online survey, in which more than 10,000 citizens from 19 European countries participated. The survey was designed with the support of partners from nine countries involved in the EnergyPROSPECTS project – Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Spain, and The Netherlands. In each country, at least 1,000 citizens completed the questionnaire. Additional 1,000 respondents were recruited from 10 other European countries (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Turkey, and United...

ARC Fund, in collaboration with its partners in SYNCLUSIVE from Finland, Portugal, and the Netherlands, developed a state-of-the-art report presenting current insights and research on inclusive labor markets for vulnerable groups in Europe, specifically in four countries – Bulgaria, Finland, Portugal, and the Netherlands.  The insights address current challenges, barriers, and opportunities for disadvantaged groups’ inclusion. The report discusses the main vulnerable groups in the labour market, the stakeholders engaged in including vulnerable groups in the labour market, the...

ARC Fund representatives, together with colleagues from Portugal, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Bulgaria, underwent a two-day intensive training on Realist Evaluation Research. The training was part of the SYNCLUSIVE project and took place at the ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon in Portugal. The Realist research methodology aims to uncover the fundamental mechanisms which explain how and why programs work in specific circumstances, emphasising the significance of context, mechanisms, and outcomes. To be more precise, “This mechanism produces this outcome in this particular...

In recent years, the European Union has been facing substantial challenges in its labor markets. This is primarily as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, mixed with geopolitical uncertainty, rapid energy transitions, technological developments, and an ageing population. Vulnerable groups are particularly impacted by these challenges. It is critical to support them and begin working towards a more inclusive labor market, ensuring that no one falls behind.  ARC Fund, in collaboration with 16 organizations from Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Portugal, launched...