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
Revised
Peer review process completed

Neurodivergent Researchers in Autism Research: A Survey within the AIMS-2-TRIALS Consortium

Authors: Teresa Del Bianco, Georgia Lockwood Estrin, Alexandra Lautarescu, Bethany F. Oakley, Eliza Eaton, Jerneja Terčon, Sarah Douglas, Jan Roderik Derk Plas, David Belton, Eva Loth, Mary Doherty, Emily J.H. Jones

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Emma Wilson, Lauren Allen, Lucy Waldren

Published: July 9, 2026
Method Article
Revised
Peer review process completed

Definition and application of indicators for urban bioeconomy: Analyzing the circularity maturity profile of european cities and regions

Authors: Marta Pereira-Ferrer, Alicia González-Míguez, Pedro Villanueva Rey, Teresa Alvariño Pereira, Miguel Ángel Suárez, Carla Bartolomé, David Silva, Jorge Rodrigues de Almeida

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Gurudas Nulkar, Jaime SOLIS GUZMAN, Nurliyana Abdul Raof, Sebastian Leavy

Published: February 10, 2026
Method Article

Peer review process completed

How to prevent technological issues and maximise technologies acceptance by users before implementing large-scale pilots: Pre-validation within the Horizon 2020 Pharaon project

Authors: Isabelle Lesterpt, Erika Rovini, Filippo Cavallo, Mateja Erce Paoli, Maria-Victoria Bueno-Delgado, Francisco José Melero-Muñoz, Elisabete Pitarma, Femke Nijboer, Mariana Camacho, Ana Perandrés-Gòmez, Eva Siderakis, Laura Fiorini

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Dimitrios Panagoulias, Mark Anthony Camilleri, Yongliang Wang

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

Detection of abortifacient agents in domestic ruminants, with a specific focus on Coxiella burnetii

Authors: René van den Brom, Susan Neale, Elsa Jourdain, Anneleen Matthijs, Marcella Mori, Elodie Rousset, Katja Mertens-Scholz, Tom N. McNeilly, Ana Hurtado

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: George Semango, Richard Nyamota

Published: June 30, 2025
Case Study

Peer review process completed

Data sharing in child and adolescent psychiatry research: Key challenges (and some potential solutions)

Authors: Beth Oakley, Alexandra Lautarescu, Tony Charman, Christopher Chatham, Eva Loth, Christian Beckmann, Thomas Bourgeron, Florence Campana, Rosie Holt, Eliza Eaton, Pierre Violland, Katrien Van den Bosch, Siofra Heraty, Scott Wagers, Jan K. Buitelaar, Declan Murphy, Amy Goodwin, Emily Jones, The AIMS LEAP Group

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Elizabeth Kirkham

Published: March 31, 2025
Software Tool Article
Revised
Peer review process completed

APOLLO-Live: A multi-criteria-based webtool for synchronous group decision making and consensus support in energy and climate policy deliberations

Authors: Konstantinos Koasidis, Anastasios Soursos, Georgios Xexakis, Álvaro Labella, Anastasios Karamaneas, Alexandros Nikas

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges, Horizon Europe, Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area

Peer reviewers: George Tsihrintzis, Nebiyu Girgibo, Phoebe Koundouri, Tuhibur Rahman

Published: August 15, 2025
Research Article
Revised
Peer review process completed

Connecting complex and simplified models of tipping elements: a nonlinear two-forcing emulator for the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation

Authors: Amaury Laridon, Victor Couplet, Justin Gérard, Wim Thiery, Michel Crucifix

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges, Horizon Europe

Peer reviewers: Dipti Hingmire, Valérian Jacques-Dumas

Published: October 31, 2025
Research Article

Peer review process completed

Analysing stakeholder perceptions in organic farming using fuzzy cognitive maps

Authors: Marco Ciolfi, Alba Alonso Adame, Lisa Arguile, Robert Borek, Claudia Consalvo, Michael den Herder, Rowan Dumper-Pollard, Siavash Farahbakhsh, Adrian Eugen Gliga, Valerie Holzner, Deborah Lorenzoni, Rosario Michel-Villarreal, Sandor Mignon, Nicola Louise Noble, Timokleia Orfanidou, Enrico Petrangeli, Pawel Radzikowski, Nicklas Riekötter, Giuseppe Russo, Laurence Graham Smith, Alina Syp, Sally Westaway, Hilde Wustenberghs, Tomasz Żyłowski, Marco Lauteri

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Paul Mansingh J, sule onsel ekici

Published: March 31, 2025
Research Article
Revised
Peer review process completed

Evaluating the solar energy potential for Positive Energy Districts (PED) through advanced 3D Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis

Authors: Hande Demirel, Ayşenur Koçyiğit, Ben Alpagut, Damla Muhcu

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Gokhan Sahin, Mert KOMPIL, Rovick Tarife, Sassi Rekik

Published: July 14, 2025
Research Article

Peer review process completed

Capturing attention: media and institutional narratives on carbon capture, utilisation, and storage in three EU countries

Authors: Luciana Miu, Daniela Panica, Ana-Maria Niculicea

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Paola Massyel García Meneses, Sebastien Chailleux

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

Copilot in service: Exploring the potential of the large language model-based chatbots for fostering evaluation culture in preventing and countering violent extremism

Authors: Irina van der Vet, Leena Malkki

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: James Chow, Krithi Pushpanathan

Published: April 17, 2025
Research Article

Peer review process completed

Solvolytic recycling of unsaturated polyester resin-based sheet moulding composites

Authors: John van de Moosdijk, Annemieke van de Runstraat, Richard van Someren, Mark Roelands

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Andrejs Krauklis, Farshid Nazemi, Norshah Aizat Shuaib, Roksana Muzyka

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

A smart energy service for the commercial rented sector: decision making points and business model considering the learnings from the pilot sites of the SmartSPIN project in Ireland, Spain and Greece

Authors: Luciano De Tommasi, Ruchi Agrawal, Padraig Lyons

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Charalampos ALEXOPOULOS, Marcele Elisa Fontana, Paulina Golinska-Dawson, Robert Moehler

Published: December 16, 2025
Research Article

Peer review process completed

Barriers to women’s employment in the transport sector in Europe

Authors: Andree Woodcock, Stefan Roseanu, Isolda Constantin, Christiana Damboianu

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Amira Kaddour, Cristina FIGUEROA-DOMECQ, Paula Carroll

Published: January 31, 2025
Open Letter
Revised
Peer review process completed

Achieving reproducibility in the innovation process

Authors: Maurice Whelan, Eann Patterson

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges, Joint Research Centre

Peer reviewers: Joris Frese, Timothy Booth, Yibei Chen, benjamin antunes

Published: June 30, 2025
Research Article
Revised
Peer review process completed

Services for Connected, Cooperated, and Automated Mobility based on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence: The SHOW project paradigm

Authors: Georgios Spanos, Alexandros Siomos, Carolin Schmidt, Mathias Tygesen, Josep Maria Salanova, Filipe Rodrigues, Alexandros Papadopoulos, Evangelos Antypas, Athanasios Sersemis, Maria Gkemou, Antonios Lalas, Konstantinos Votis, Georgia Ayfantopoulou, Evangelos Bekiaris, Dimitrios Tzovaras

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Abhishek Thakur, Dr Rajkumar Singh Rathore

Published: November 27, 2025
Research Article
Revised
Peer review process completed

Exploring MAR perceptions in Kosovo – disparities in knowledge about MAR among young people

Authors: Vera Dimitrievska, Jana Meloska, Virginie Rozée, Manon Vialle, Kristien Hens, Joke Struyf, Anna De Bayas Sanchez, Michaela Fuller Fuller, Francisco Güell, María López-Toribio, José Miguel Carrasco

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges, Science with and for Society

Peer reviewers: Catarina Delaunay, Ivett Szalma, Karen Phillips

Published: April 2, 2026
Research Article

Peer review process completed

Determining the emergency medical services innovation needs through a coordination and support action

Authors: Zeynep Sofuoglu, Bernhard Jaeger, Turhan Sofuoglu, Leyla Kamyabi, Serena Bianchi

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Krzysztof Goniewicz

Published: December 16, 2024
Case Study
Revised
Peer review process completed

EU geographical islands as leaders of green energy transition

Authors: Giorgio Bonvicini, Fabiola Roccatagliata, Mario Cortese, Kostas Karanasios, Panos Kotsampopoulos, Fausto Sainz, Nora Ganzinelli, Alessandra Montanelli, Francesca Battistelli, Cristina Barbero, Emilio Ghiani, Sara Ruffini, Alessandra Cuneo

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

Peer reviewers: Avraam Kartalidis, Gabriel Winter, Romain Mauger, Siamak Hosseinzadeh

Published: July 4, 2025
Brief Report

Peer review process completed

Recovery and potential use for non-polyolefin materials after physical recycling of complex multilayers

Authors: Vanessa Gutiérrez, Miguel Mafé, Lucie Prins, Annemieke van de Runstraat

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Zahid Iqbal Khan, giusy santomasi

Published: November 27, 2024
Essay
Revised
Peer review process completed

Instrumentalized migration: avoiding the trap

Authors: Maxime Lebrun, Tanja Ellingsen, Hanne Dumur-Laanila, Sophie Bujold, Annabel Miller, Beth James, Gordan Akrap, Josip Mandić

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Ayhan KAYA, Federica Zardo, Luisa Marin, Natalia Letk, Sofia Galani

Published: April 29, 2025
Research Article

Peer review process completed

Numerical model of aluminothermic reduction vessel preheating and charge heating with graphite heating rods

Authors: Sergey Semenov, Patrick Namy, Aditya Kale, Sello Tsebe

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Kagan Benzesik, Mickael ANTONI

Published: November 22, 2024
Research Article
Revised
Peer review process completed

Separation Time of Aluminothermic Reduction Products for Sustainable Silicon Production

Authors: Javier Bullón, Óscar Crego, José Luis Ferrín, Dolores Gómez, Iván Martínez, Luis Javier Pérez-Pérez

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Mita Dasog, Navneet Randhawa, Zulfiadi zulhan

Published: January 3, 2025
Research Article
Revised
Peer review process completed

Numerical model of a top-blown rotary converter preheating and charge heating with an oxy-fuel burner

Authors: Sergey Semenov, Patrick Namy, Aditya Kale, Sello Tsebe

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Laura Donato, Neeraj Kumar Bhoi, Theresa Coetsee, shibo kuang kuang

Published: July 4, 2025
Software Tool Article

Peer review process completed

Data analytics for research on complex brain disorders

Authors: Michail Kontoulis, George Doukas, Theodosios Pountridis, Loukas Ilias, George Ladikos, Vaggelis Lamrpou, Kostantinos Alexakis, Dimitris Askounis, Christos Ntanos

Funders: Horizon 2020, Societal Challenges

Peer reviewers: Ali Husnain, Yu-Fang Yang

Published: November 8, 2024