The Portfolio

ECOMO is one among the 8 projects funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC) under the EIC Pathfinder Challenge call “Carbon dioxide and nitrogen management and valorisation“, with a total approved budget of nearly €29 million. This call was launched in 2022 and aims at developing novel processes and technologies to capture and convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) and Nitrogen (N) into useful products. The grant agreement number of the ECOMO project is 101115403.

The 8 projects come together in the portfolio, cross-fertilising ideas and collaborating with each other, with the aim to accelerate the development of the most promising EU technologies in order to achieve this common goal. The technologies that will emerge from this portfolio will address the critical contemporary issues of climate change, global warming and soil/water pollution, in line with the European Green Deal.

Learn more at https://eic.co2nitrogen.eu/

Collaboration in Action: EIC CO₂ and N Portfolio concludes 2nd Annual Meeting in Naples

Eight EU-funded projects join forces to develop clean technologies for CO₂ and nitrogen management

Multidisciplinary EU teams present findings, explore synergies and define joint strategies

The European Innovation Council (EIC) CO₂ and Nitrogen Portfolio successfully concluded its 2^nd Annual Meeting, held on April 29–30, 2025, at the CNR – Institute of Sciences and Technologies for Sustainable Energy and Mobility in Naples. Representatives from all the eight projects in the Portfolio agreed to intensify their collaboration, both on techno-scientific as well as communication and business development level.

The Portfolio meeting was primarily in-person, with virtual access to the Junior Scientist Meeting and breakout sessions. Project leaders, junior researchers, communication professionals, and the EIC Programme Manager attended the meeting. The meeting reinforced the Portfolio’s collaborative spirit and marked a significant milestone in the joint effort to develop disruptive EU technologies that address climate change and pollution.

Highlights of the meeting

The meeting was openend by the EIC and MINICOR representatives. Carina Faber, the EIC Programme Manager for Renewable Energy Conversion and Alternative Resource Exploitation, highlighted the EIC’s hands-on approach to supporting innovation in renewable fuels and alternative resources. Jochem Weber from Liberal Synergies introduced a framework for assessing technology performance levels, which is key for evaluating the real-world readiness of breakthrough solutions.

Each of the eight portfolio projects—DAM4CO2, Mi-Hy, CONFETI, ECOMO, HYDROCOW, ICONIC, MINICOR, and SUPERVAL—presented their scientific approaches and preliminary findings. They shared insights into new methodologies and collaborative research pipelines. Poster discussions and networking sessions fostered meaningful dialogue, and dedicated workshops helped refine value propositions and explore synergies across projects.

The Junior Scientist Meeting, chaired by Senni Lehtonen (HYDROCOW), and the ACORN Booster Grant breakout session, led by Mi-Hy, both saw strong virtual participation. Communication professionals gathered to strategize dissemination and public engagement plans, thereby strengthening the visibility of this ambitious EU-funded initiative, and discussed further communication actions.

Building the future of climate innovation

On the second day of the event, the focus shifted to applying technology performance metrics, evaluating complementary project benefits, and refining collective impact strategies. During a joint working session moderated by Faber and Weber, the teams established shared objectives and explored opportunities to create value across projects.

The meeting concluded with a guided lab visit, offering participants a firsthand look at cutting-edge experimental setups. As the projects continue to mature, the Naples meeting affirmed their shared mission and collaborative potential.

Pioneering Innovations in CO₂ and Nitrogen Management and Valorisation at EIC Portfolio Meeting

More than 30 representatives from eight projects presented and discussed innovations at the European Innovation Council’s (EIC) CO₂ and Nitrogen Portfolio Annual Meeting on 17-18 June 2024 in Helsinki.

Eight large-scale projects made up of 51 organizations from 12 EU Member States and 3 non-EU countries and funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC) under the Pathfinder Challenge ‘Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen Management and Valorisation’, have shared their progresses and discussed pioneering innovations at the ‘EIC CO₂ and Nitrogen Portfolio’. On June 17-18, 2024, members of the portfolio came together in an annual meeting held in Helsinki. The meeting, hosted by Finnish food technology company and project partner Solar Foods, has served to encourage and foster conversations aimed at reshaping Europe’s environmental future.

The eight initiatives – CONFETI, DAM4CO2, ECOMO, HYDROCOW, ICONIC, Mi-Hy, MINICOR, and SUPERVAL – are formed by multidisciplinary teams from universities, research and technology organizations, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises. Collectively, these projects have embarked on a common mission to pool their resources and expertise to transform pollutants and waste into energy and value-added products, in an economically and environmentally sustainable way.

As the planet’s climate continues to warm, the urgency for effective action increases. Emissions of CO₂ and nitrogen pollutants need to be reduced and can also be used as feedstock for valuable products. This sustainable and circular approach aims to enhance the effectiveness of sustainable practices and enable a greener, more liveable future.

In this context, the EIC launched the Pathfinder Challenge ‘Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen Management and Valorisation‘ in 2022, aiming to develop novel sustainable processes and technologies to capture and convert CO₂ and nitrogen into useful products. This challenge focuses on different routes that integrate the capture and/or recovery of CO₂ and nitrogen compounds. From here they are converted into value-added products or net-zero commodities, chemicals, fuels, energy vectors for different uses and applications, using renewable energy sources and non-critical raw materials.

Reshaping Europe’s environmental future requires technical innovations and innovative policies to enable breakthrough products, processes and services to reach the marketplace. To ensure their successful uptake, the consortium is also joining forces to consider future ethical, societal and regulatory challenges that will enable European businesses and communities to access these developments and collectively contribute to a greener, healthier Europe.