MSCA

Wet and intact peatlands are natural CO2 reservoirs and play an important role as water buffers during periods of excessive rainfall and drought. In many areas of north-west Europe (NWE), large areas of peatland are drained for peat extraction, agriculture or forestry. This turns them into CO2 sources rather than reservoirs. By restoring the natural buffer properties, the partners in the EU BUFFER+ project are contributing to climate change adaptation and mitigation in NWE, while at the same time restoring the biodiversity of peatlands and creating new sources of income.

The “Biotech Talent Unlocked” project promotes cross-border cooperation between the Netherlands and Germany in the Ems-Dollart region. The focus is on strengthening bio-based research and businesses with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and thereby achieving the goal of the European Green Deal. One tool reach this aim is to make the existing achievements more visible and thus to retain potential employees in the region.

With “WattenVision”, a cross-border model region for sustainable development and experiencing nature in Europe is being created. A cross-border project partnership was formed for this purpose, which aims to achieve a new quality for sustainable development in the Ems-Dollart region with innovative measures. The target groups are companies, tourists and citizens.

Scientists from the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), OptoGenTech GmbH, which was spun off from the UMG in 2019, the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS in Chemnitz, the Finnish company Modulight and the French company SCT Ceramics are receiving 2.5 million euros for the development of the optical cochlear implant to restore hearing in humans. The funds for the three-year “OptoWavePro” project come from the “EIC Transition” funding programme of the European Innovation Council (EIC). The EIC Transition funding specifically supports small and medium-sized companies, start-ups and organisations to transform projects from basic research into marketable products.

Farms, and dairy farmers in particular, have a direct influence on biodiversity in grassland ecosystems. Through farm-specific decisions, e.g. when, where, and for how long cows graze on pastures, grazing can have both positive and negative effects on biodiversity. At the same time, climate change requires adapted grassland management, especially on intensive grassland. This is where the DivGrass project comes in. The aim is to make agricultural businesses in grassland management fit for the future against the backdrop of climate change. The central questions are whether species-rich grassland can contribute to greater climate resilience and how adapted grassland management can maintain consistently high production levels and thus the profitability of the farm.