Cluster 4 – Digital, Industry & Space

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Cluster 4

List of Horizon calls for which the VCW Lab @ Nova SBE is seeking national and international partners.

Horizon Europe – Cluster 4: Digital, Industry & Space – Open & forthcoming topics (2027 calls)
Topic CodeTopic TitleStatusDeadlineIndicative Budget
Destination 1 – Leadership in materials and production
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-02Advanced manufacturing for key products (IA)Open2 February 2027~€36M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-03Factory processes and automation for de- and re-manufacturing (RIA)Open2 February 2027~€36M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-06Circular innovative advanced materials: facilitating the transition from design to markets (RIA)Open2 February 2027~€36M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-08Textile circularity through advanced processing and manufacturing technologies and system approaches (IA)Open2 February 2027~€16M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-16Technologies for innovative processing of raw materials (IA)Open2 February 2027~€49M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-17Expert network on Critical raw materials (CSA)Open2 February 2027~€3M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-22Innovative advanced materials and new production processes – reducing dependencies on Critical and Strategic Raw Materials (IA)Open2 February 2027~€36M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-42Unlocking the potential of academic intellectual assets for industry, SMEs and startups (CSA)Open2 February 2027~€2M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-47Pilot access schemes to Technology Infrastructures for European startups, scaleups and innovative SMEs (CSA)Open2 February 2027~€5M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-49‘Proof of market’ to improve valorisation and commercialisation of Horizon generated R&I results (IA)Open2 February 2027~€5M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-61Fast Track to Research and Innovation for breakthroughs in industrial technologies (RIA)Open2 February 2027~€20M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-62Fast Track to Innovation for breakthroughs in the Chemical Industry Action Plan (RIA)Open2 February 2027Up to €2.5M per project (up to 6)
HORIZON-CL4-2027-02-MAT-PROD-32-two-stageEfficient energy input from renewable sources and energy management in the process industries (IA)Open2 February 2027 (stage 1)
2 September 2027 (stage 2)		~€53M
Destination 2 – Data and AI single market and infrastructure
HORIZON-CL4-2027-04-DATA-03Decentralised, federated and sustainable AI data processing (RIA)Opens 17 Nov 202618 March 2027~€17.5M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-04-DATA-08Demand-side 3C pilot demonstrators on converged telco edge cloud (IA)Opens 17 Nov 202618 March 2027~€19M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-04-DATA-09Energy efficiency and sustainability of AI processing in data centres (IA)Opens 17 Nov 202618 March 2027~€10M
Destination 3 – Open strategic autonomy in digital and emerging technologies
HORIZON-CL4-2027-02-DIGITAL-EMERGING-52-two-stageNew approaches for Human/AI collaboration for the workforce of the future (RIA)Open2 February 2027 (stage 1)
2 September 2027 (stage 2)		~€30M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-04Apply AI: challenge-driven AI innovation booster (RIA)Opens 17 Nov 202618 March 2027~€14M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-05Apply AI: AI-driven robotics for industry (IA)Opens 17 Nov 202618 March 2027~€18M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-06International cooperation in AI (IA)Opens 17 Nov 202618 March 2027~€3M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-10Horizon scanning and foresight in enabling digital technologies (CSA)Opens 17 Nov 202618 March 2027~€4M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-11EU Frontier AI Initiative: safe, computationally efficient frontier AI (RIA)Opens 17 Nov 202618 March 2027~€44M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-05-DIGITAL-EMERGING-03Advanced integrated photonic devices with ultra-low power consumption (RIA)Opens 17 Nov 202618 March 2027€3–5M per project (up to 6)
Destination 4 – Space-based infrastructure, services, applications and data
HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-12Digital solutions for autonomy in space transportation systems (IA)Opens 9 Mar 20272 September 2027€2–3M per project (2)
HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-21ISOS4I pilot mission integrated ground test (RIA)Opens 9 Mar 20272 September 2027~€1M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-33Digital enablers for collaborative Earth observation and satellite telecommunications (RIA)Opens 9 Mar 20272 September 2027€1.5–3M per project (2)
HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-34Demonstration missions for collaborative Earth observation and satellite telecommunications (IA)Opens 9 Mar 20272 September 2027€5–10M per project (4)
HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-71Quantum space gravimetry (RIA)Opens 9 Mar 20272 September 2027€14–15M per project (2)
HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-83Space critical EEE components for EU non-dependence (RIA)Opens 9 Mar 20272 September 2027~€0.3M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-SPACE-03-84Space critical equipment for EU non-dependence (RIA)Opens 9 Mar 20272 September 2027~€0.3M
Destination 5 – Digital and industrial technologies for human-centric innovation
HORIZON-CL4-2027-04-HUMAN-01Advanced hardware components for virtual worlds (RIA)Opens 17 Nov 202618 March 2027€4.8–5.6M per project (up to 8)
HORIZON-CL4-2027-04-HUMAN-02Virtual Worlds and Web 4.0 ecosystem (CSA)Opens 17 Nov 202618 March 2027~€3M
HORIZON-CL4-2027-04-HUMAN-07Engaging European stakeholders in international digital standardisation (CSA)Opens 17 Nov 202618 March 2027~€7M

Status as of 23 October 2026. Budgets are the topic total unless shown per project.

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Want to explore real case studies from this cluster? The books below are a great place to start.

Lages, Luis Filipe (2026), “Transforming Leadership, Innovation and Strategy: The VCW Method for Decision Making”, Nova School of Business and Economics, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal. (346 pages)

ISBN: 978-989-53346-1-2

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Lages, Luis Filipe (2026). “Decide Smarter in Business and Life: Transforming Decision Making with VCW”, Nova School of Business and Economics, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal. (289 pages)

ISBN: 978-989-53346-2-9

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Lages, Luis Filipe, Vânia Fonseca and Peter Toh (2026). “The VCW Method for Leadership, Innovation, and Decision Making: Case Studies in Space Business, Earth Observation, and the Blue Economy”, 2nd edition, Nova School of Business and Economics, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal. (204 pages)

ISBN: 978-989-53346-6-7

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Lages, Luis Filipe, Álvaro Dias and Carlos Reis-Marques (2026). “The VCW Meta Framework for Strategy, Co-Creation, and Problem Solving: Case Studies in Space Business, Earth Observation, Land and Environmental Management”, 2nd Edition, Nova School of Business and Economics, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal. (236 pages)

ISBN: 978-989-53346-7-4

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Want to dive into more VCW case studies across different clusters? Visit:

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