Societal Challenges

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Horizon 2020 reflects the policy priorities of the Europe 2020 strategy and addresses major concerns shared by citizens in Europe and elsewhere. The societal challenges programme section brings together resources and knowledge across different fields, technologies and disciplines, including social sciences and the humanities. This will cover 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. This gateway hosts the articles published on Open Research Europe stemming from the Industrial Leadership programme section supported by Horizon 2020.

Research Article

Peer review process completed

Stakeholder perceptions of Nature-based Solutions (NbS): potential, risks and ways forward

Authors: Carlos Picon, Eise Spijker, Luis Virla, Moritz Laub, Siti N. Indriani, Takeshi Takama, Mohamed Ahmed, Eric Rahn, Bibiana Bilbao, Thao Pham, Markus Donat

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Martijn Kuller

Published: November 11, 2025
Research Article
Revised
Peer review process completed

Mapping immersive digital tools in the ICT4Water Cluster: innovation, interoperability and impact.

Authors: Ilias Karachalios, Nikolaos D. Tantaroudas, Christos Makropoulos

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Francesco DE PAOLA, Yutaro Onuki

Published: November 28, 2025
Case Study

Peer review process completed

CCUS and Local Social Perspectives

Authors: Kostas Stavrianakis, JACOB A.E. NIELSEN

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Jingli Fan

Published: October 23, 2025
Open Letter

Peer review process completed

IPM Decisions Platform – a Pan-European online platform hosting decision support systems and associated resources for integrated pest management.

Authors: Mark W. Ramsden, Berit Nordskog, Tor-Einar Skog, Dave Skirvin, Angelo Marguglio, Antonio Caruso, Christophe Pradal, Lise Jorgensen, Mette Sonderskov, Nikos Georgantzis, Marko Debeljak, Jurij Marinko, Harm Brinks, Bjorn Andersson, Ilias Travlos, Eleanor Dearlove, Neil Paveley

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Daniel Leybourne, Daren Mueller

Published: October 16, 2025
Case Study
Revised
Peer review process completed

Empowering ECRs to make research projects flourish: lessons from a European research project

Authors: Julius Schlumberger, Kelley De Polt, Judith N. Claassen, Timothy Tiggeloven, Sophie L. Buijs, Marleen C. de Ruiter, Maria Vittoria Gargiulo, Joel C. Gill, Núria Pantaleoni Reluy, Robert Šakić Trogrlić, Philip J. Ward

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges, Horizon Europe

Peer reviewers: Kofi Agyekum, Leanne Gibbs, Liudvika Leišytė, Marleen Wierenga

Published: August 3, 2026
Research Article

Peer review process completed

Comparison of EEG pre-processing pipelines for spontaneous EEG data in a large neurodivergent cohort

Authors: Rianne Haartsen, Luke Mason, Pilar Garcés, Philipp Bomatter, Jörg Hipp, Mark. H. Johnson, Jan K. Buitelaar, Eva Loth, Declan Murphy, Emily J.H. Jones, The EU-AIMS LEAP group

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Andrea Zanola, Stefania Coelli

Published: October 6, 2025
Research Article

Peer review process completed

Impact of environmental land lease contract specification on implementation of nature inclusive farming

Authors: Roos van Rosmalen, Kina Harmanny, Catharina J.E. Schulp

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Charles Francis, Jason Loughrey

Published: September 19, 2025
Data Note
Revised
Peer review process completed

Zooplankton abundance and environmental variables at weathership station India, 59 o N 19 o W, from 1971 to 1975

Authors: Xabier Irigoien

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Camilla Svensen, Inma Herrera, Taketoshi Kodama

Published: October 7, 2025
Research Article
Revised
Peer review process completed

Investigative research for occurrences of hydrogen, helium, methane and carbon dioxide in West Macedonia: linking geological reservoirs to subsurface gas generation and migration

Authors: Pavlos Tyrologou, Nikolaos Koukouzas, Nazaré Couto, Christos L. Stergiou, Júlio Carneiro

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: JOHN GRAHAM BEGG, Nicolas Lefeuvre, Princewill Ikpeka, Rebecca Tyne, biying chen

Published: April 13, 2026
Research Article

Peer review process completed

Improved local weather forecasting using machine learning

Authors: Guillaume Fischer, Elodie Courtois

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Shivang Pandey

Published: September 5, 2025
Method Article
Revised
Peer review process completed

On solving coordinate problems in climate model output and other geospatial datasets

Authors: Clément Cherblanc, Jeppe Peder Grejs Petersen, Fredrick Bunt, José Abraham Torres-Alavez, Ruth Mottram

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Aleksi Nummelin, Alvaro Escribano, David Bromwich, Deniz Bozkurt, Mika Rantanen, Srinidhi Gadde

Published: December 16, 2025
Research Article
Revised
Peer review process completed

Production and carbon footprint of microbial oil from waste lemon peel extract

Authors: Vittorio Giorgio Senatore, Essi Paronen, Sofía Martínez-López, Miguel Ayuso, Sofia Ceccarossi, Eveliina Hylkilä, Katri Behm, Mirko Zago, Riccardo Milanesi, Immacolata Serra, Paola Branduardi

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Luis Alfonso Díaz-Secades, RAROSUE AMARAIBI, Wilailuk Niyommaneerat

Published: January 22, 2026
Research Article

Peer review process completed

Individual perceptions of cybersecurity and risk management

Authors: Brian Pickering, Steve Taylor

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges, Industrial Leadership

Peer reviewers: Arash Habibi Lashkari, Filiz Mızrak, Mohammad Almaayah

Published: August 22, 2025
Review
Revised
Peer review process completed

Teacher knowledge and teacher identity in mathematics education: An interdependent model

Authors: José Carlos Piñero Charlo, María del Carmen Canto López

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: CARLIT CASEY TIBANE, Jorge Guerra Antequera

Published: April 16, 2026
Research Article

Peer review process completed

An exploration of prospective users’ perception of a citizen energy community and its organization and benefits

Authors: Fausto Javier Sainz Salces, Georgios Yiasoumas

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Ilaria Pigliautile, gianluca ruggieri

Published: August 7, 2025
Research Article

Peer review process completed

High Resolution Global Environmental Stratification to Model Shifting Bioclimatic Conditions and Climate Change Impacts on Terrestrial Ecosystems

Authors: Robert J. Zomer, Marc J. Metzger, Jianchu Xu, Antonio Trabucco

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: vivek chetry

Published: July 25, 2025
Software Tool Article
Revised
Peer review process completed

The Network of National COVID-19 Data Portals: public health equity through collaboration

Authors: Marianna Ventouratou, Liane Hughes, Katarina Öjefors Stark, Johan Rung, Natalia Koralewska, Marzena Ciechomska, Krzysztof Kurowski, Cezary Mazurek, Eva Alloza, Alberto Hornos-Vidal, Salvador Capella-Gutierrez, Robin Navest, Erik Hjerde, Aitana Neves, Colman O'Cathail, Alfonso Valencia, Henning Hermjakob, Matt Pearce, Manish Kumar, Nadim Rahman, Carla Cummins, Guy Cochrane

Funders: Excellent Science, Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges, Horizon Europe

Peer reviewers: Chizaram Onyeaghala, David Horsfall, Flavia Bernardini, Gopi Battineni, Muskan Kapoor

Published: August 10, 2026
Research Article
Revised
Peer review process completed

Farmers’ and stakeholders’ views on the adoption of agroecological practices. Results from participatory workshops in European countries

Authors: Jacques-Aristide Perrin, Alexander Wezel, James Henty Williams, Bettina Wenzel, Hella Kehlenbeck, Aurélie Ferrer, Gordana Đurić, Gvozden Mićić, Dimitrije Markovic

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Chukwuma Ume, Harun Cicek, Joeva Rock, Rachel Wynberg, Yohanes Kamakaula

Published: December 11, 2025
Open Letter
Revised
Peer review process completed

From plant genetic resources to cosmetic active ingredients: when science meets regulation and market rules

Authors: F. Bourgaud, R. M. Twyman, K.-M. Oksman-Caldentey

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Ahmed Zahidi, Niharika Bhattacharya

Published: September 4, 2025
Systematic Review
Revised
Peer review process completed

The pursuit of equity in COVID-19 policy and policymaking: A qualitative systematic review

Authors: Paul Cairney, Stefano Intropido

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Geoff Bates, Isabella M. Radhuber

Published: June 23, 2026
Research Article

Peer review process completed

Electrochemical lignin depolymerization - effects of electrolyte composition and electrode materials

Authors: Chloe Roux, Cassandre Ecrabey, Linda Mezule, Sabarathinam Shanmugam, Timo Kikas, Roman Tschentscher

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Xabier Erdocia

Published: June 9, 2025
Open Letter
Revised
Peer review process completed

Navigating Europe's agricultural transition: Systemic policy approaches to mixed farming and agroforestry

Authors: Holger Pabst, Johannes Lang, Simone Sterly

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Elsa Varela, Nicholas Jordan, Rosemary Venn

Published: February 10, 2026
Research Article
Revised
Peer review process completed

Cultural-morphology and molecular analysis of Botryodiplodia theobromae, a pathogen of coconut fruit

Authors: Osayomore Endurance Ekhorutomwen, Safa Oufensou, Nnamdi Ifechukwude Chidi, Quirico Migheli, Olalekan Hakeem Shittu

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: EGYA YANKEY, LELLAPALLI RITHESH

Published: November 12, 2025
Research Article
Revised
Peer review process completed

Análisis comparativo de los centros de detención en España e Italia 2018-2023: Abordar las deficiencias sistémicas y el cumplimiento de los derechos humanos

Authors: Laura María Zanón Bayón-Torres, Almudena Juárez Rodriguez, Mercedes Fernández

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Francesca Esposito, Joseph Nwadiuko, M. Alvi Syahrin, Virginia Paloma

Published: July 14, 2025
Research Article

Peer review process completed

Preventive Strategies Against Disinformation: A Study on Digital and Information Literacy Activities Led by Fact-Checking Organisations

Authors: Cristina M. Arribas, Manuel Gertrudix, Rubén Arcos

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Alberto Dafonte-Gómez, Javier J. Amores, Laura Teruel Rodríguez, Morgan Wack

Published: May 6, 2025