Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges

Horizon 2020 promoted a cross-sectorial approach to research and innovation on urban issues under the Societal Challenge pillar. The latter is a challenge-based approach that brings together resources and knowledge across different fields, technologies and disciplines, including social sciences and the humanities. It covers activities from research to market with a new focus on innovation-related activities, such as piloting, demonstration, test-beds, and support for public procurement and market uptake. The urban issues covered under the Societal Challenge pillar included climate, mobility, energy and resource efficiency, circularity, health and wellbeing, culture, nature-based solutions, air quality, resilience and adaptation.

This chapter is part of the report 'EU research & innovation for and with cities' that provides an overview of the main EU Research and Innovation (R&I) actions for and with cities to help them accelerate their transition towards sustainability and climate neutrality.