With the (draft) work programme for 2025, being officially pre-published it’s time to provide you with a high-level overview of what to find in this 340 pages long document.

The submission deadline for all call topics will most likely be October 2nd. The topics are expected to be published on the Funding and Tenders Portal by May 22, when the call topics will open.

Info days & brokerage events

For more information and an opportunity to ask questions to the responsible units and project officers, we refer you to the public info days (online). Also don’t forget about the brokerage events for helping you find consortia to join or to promote your project idea(s).

About the destinations

Cluster 4 groups Digital, Industry & Space topics which is quite diverse. Therefore it's subdivided in 6 destinations (~ topic groups, content domeins), of which 2 are more oriented towards industrial topics (1 & 2), 3 are more focussed on digital topics (3,4 & 6) and one is about space topics (5). Of course there are no clear hard boundaries between the domains, so make sure to check everything when looking for interesting call topics.

Industry domain

Destination 1 - Climate-neutral, circular and digitised industrial value chains

Focuses on supporting competitive European industry through the twin green and digital transition. This involves developing new technologies, boosting manufacturing processes for net-zero solutions, and improving productivity.

Destination 2 - Raw materials, chemicals and innovative materials

Aims to strengthen EU's critical raw materials capacities and develop advanced materials that are safe and sustainable by design. This supports Europe's technological sovereignty and capacity for the twin transitions.

Digital domain

Destination 3 - Data services and AI

Supports the next stage of the data economy, focusing on developing technologies for privacy preservation, data compliance, and secure data exchanges. Aims to rebalance data and computing capacity across the cloud-to-edge continuum.

Destination 4 - Digital and emerging technologies

Ensures Europe's strategic autonomy in key technologies while preserving an open economy. Focuses on semiconductors, quantum technologies, and other digital capabilities critical for industry transformation.

Destination 6 - Human-centric innovation

Focuses on transforming user experience through virtual and extended realities for industry, entertainment, public services. It aims to create an R&I ecosystem combining sophisticated VR/XR optics, human-computer interaction, real-time computing, and application research.

Space domain

Destination 5 - Space-Based Infrastructure

Addresses the development, deployment and use of global space-based infrastructure, services, applications and data to support EU's space program components.

Different call types

You’ll see different types of calls. The main action types mentioned are:

• RIA (Research and Innovation Actions): Projects aimed at establishing new knowledge, exploring feasibility of new/improved technologies, products, processes, services or solutions
• IA (Innovation Actions): Projects directly aimed at producing plans/designs for new/altered/improved products, processes or services
• CSA (Coordination and Support Actions): Actions consisting primarily of accompanying measures like coordination, networking, awareness raising, communication, dissemination, dialogue. Typically only interesting for a very limited number of organisations with a special place in the ecosystem.
• COFUND (Co-funded Partnership): Actions to establish and implement a joint programme of activities between participating states. Typically only interesting for government agencies.
• SGA (Specific Grant Agreement): Used in the context of Framework Partnership Agreements to implement specific research activities. You need to be already part of an existing partnership in order to be eligible for this call.

On the ecosystems

Within Cluster 4, there are some partnerships active that cover a thematic domain. A full list with more details can be found on the NCP Flanders website on the Cluster4 page. Use the partnerships for a fast lane to consortium forming, detailed information and guiding advise. The partnerships covering topics in this 2025 Work Package are:

• Made in Europe Partnership: A co-programmed partnership focused on manufacturing technologies and processes
• Processes4Planet Partnership: A co-programmed partnership dealing with process industries and decarbonization
• Clean Steel Partnership: A co-programmed partnership focused on steel industry decarbonization
• Textiles for the Future Partnership: A co-programmed partnership focused on textile innovation
• Innovative Advanced Materials for Europe (IAM4EU): A co-programmed partnership addressing advanced materials development
• AI, Data and Robotics (ADRA) Partnership: A co-programmed partnership focused on artificial intelligence, data and robotics technologies
• Chips JU: a co-programmed partnership aimed at strengthening Europe’s semiconductor and microelectronics ecosystem to support digital and industrial transformation
• Photonics Partnership: A co-programmed partnership focusing on photonic technologies and their applications across various sectors including communications, healthcare, and manufacturing