The challenges of cluster 2 are interconnected to each other and have been chosen because they respond to the most pressing social, political, economic and cultural concerns and expectations of the European citizens.

Cluster 2 will address the EU priorities and will enable decision makers to meet challenges, adopt new paradigms, and policies for change in a context of fast paced transformations, transitions and international interconnectedness.

The 2021-2022 Work Programme will mainly focus on three key challenges or destinations:

• Destination 1 (Innovative Research on Democracy and Governance): actions under destination 1 will reinvigorate democratic governance and improve trust in democratic institutions. They will help to safeguard fundamental rights to empower active and inclusive citizenship.
• Destination 2 (Innovative Research on the European Cultural Heritage and the Cultural and Creative Industries): activities under this destination will promote better access and engagement with cultural heritage and improve its protection, enhancement and restoration. Research and innovation will support sustainable growth and job creation through the cultural and creative industries and contribute to integrate them into the European industrial policy as drivers for innovation and competitiveness.
• Destination 3 (Innovative Research on Social and Economic Transformations): actions in destination 3 will help to tackle social, economic and political inequalities, support human capital development and contribute to a comprehensive European strategy for inclusive growth.

Furthermore, cluster 2 will also use the multidisciplinary expertise of social sciences and humanities in order to better understand the fundamental contemporary transformations of society, economy, politics and culture.