Deadline Date: November 5, 2026
The European Commission is inviting applications under the Horizon Europe programme, with a total funding of €4,000,000, to address the emerging security challenges associated with the green transition in urban and peri-urban areas through the integration of innovative technologies and resilience-focused solutions.
The focus areas, objectives, priorities, and themes of this initiative include the identification and analysis of new security risks associated with innovative technologies in urban and peri-urban environments; the development of innovative tools to detect and measure changes driven by the green transition with respect to safety and resilience; the verification of measures aimed at countering potential risks, hazards, and vulnerabilities linked to green technologies; strengthening societal awareness and acceptance of safety and security dimensions of the green transition; examining the impacts of incidents involving new and emerging technologies, including environmental and climate-related risks; assessing the security, safety, and resilience of supply chains for green technologies in relation to technological and resource dependencies and European strategic autonomy; and equipping authorities and critical infrastructure operators with effective methodologies for evaluating safe and secure deployment and integration of emerging technologies.
The green transition in urban and peri-urban areas involves the deployment of technologies such as green roofs and walls, solar power installations, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, energy storage systems, smart sensors, surveillance technologies, green transport systems, and sustainable construction materials. While these solutions contribute to environmental sustainability and climate resilience, they also introduce complex interdependencies between new and legacy infrastructure systems.
These interdependencies may generate a range of physical, cyber, and environmental risks, including battery fires, toxic leaks, electric shocks, structural integrity failures, toxic waste concerns, data privacy vulnerabilities, land use disruptions, and broader environmental impacts. Additionally, the increasing reliance on digital and automated management systems introduces risks related to malicious access, software manipulation, data breaches, and hybrid threats that could compromise public safety, health, environmental stability, and economic security.
The research and policy response must therefore focus on enhancing preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery capabilities in the face of potential incidents involving green technologies. This includes improving the resilience of infrastructure systems and ensuring that security considerations are integrated into the design, deployment, and operation of sustainable technologies in urban settings.
A key dimension of this effort is the development of tailored recommendations that address the needs of diverse communities, taking into account socio-economic differences and ensuring inclusivity across age and gender groups where relevant. This supports not only technical resilience but also social acceptance and trust in green transition processes.
Ultimately, the integration of adaptive capabilities, risk-informed planning, and nature-based solutions in line with biodiversity principles will contribute to safer, more resilient, and sustainable urban environments. This will enable the benefits of green technologies to be fully realized while minimizing associated risks and strengthening long-term urban security and resilience.
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