Green Transformation

02INTRODUCTION

Building an R&I ERA Pilot on Green Hydrogen

  • Contribute to a new Implementation Working Group (IWG) under the revamped SET Plan. This IWG will provide a platform for frequent interaction with the EC and other stakeholders, as well as a platform for joint MS/ AC actions with or without EC topping up, contributing to the implementation of the SRIA on Green hydrogen pilot.
  • Complementary activities as prepared by the Commission Staff Working Document on R&I to implement the Hydrogen Strategy may include to contribute to:
    • The joint development of a Clean Hydrogen Observatory (EU CHO) with a view to progressively integrate national data to populate the existing data base at EU level and keeping up-to-date the database and the Observatory, for a wider public access in a long run.
    • The improvements of education and skills, based on the already agreed ERASMUS + project, developing curricula and trainings for the most relevant jobs in hydrogen (including operation and maintenance) and preparing for disseminating to education and training institutes in Member States
    • The acceleration of the pre-market step of the hydrogen value chain through completing the holes in testing infrastructures for hydrogen technologies (e.g. call on Open Innovation Test Beds for hydrogen), including systematic check of regulatory compliance and life cycle assessment;
    • and by expanding the European landscape of hydrogen valleys through regional, national, joint MS and/or MS-EU initiatives.

ERA4FutureWork

A Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) on R&I for the future of work, based on a gap analysis and a focused policy dialogue.

Human capital is a key resource of the 21st century. Economic, ecological, digital, demographic, and social transformations will drive not one but multiple futures of work.

New technologies will reshape millions of jobs in the EU. Some jobs risk being lost to these changes; others will be transformed and entirely new ones will be created, benefitting from complementarities between human workers and supporting technologies. As a result, the skills workers need will also be changing at an unprecedented speed.

At the same time, new forms of employment such as those created by the platform/gig economy are on the rise. They can create opportunities for personal growth, flexibility, or a higher income, but also increase risks associated with an unfair working environment, discrimination, lack of social protection and a difficult work-life balance. Occupational structures are shifting, often leading to polarisation in employment and wages, increasing inequalities.

Research and innovation is essential for providing a sound analytical underpinning for designing future-proof policies that fully grasp the new opportunities offered by technology, whilst successfully tackling emerging challenges.

Currently, although addressed to some extent in the European Semester, there is no convening space for EU policy makers and stakeholders to anticipate these changes, to inform policies (at EU, national, regional, and local levels) or to discuss prioritisation of research and innovation funding for the future of work.

The proposed activities under the action are:

  1. Improving the evidence base to support policymaking for R&I for the future of work.
  2. Setting up an ERA4FutureWork R&I funding & investment policy dialogue for strengthening Europe’s collective capacity in R&I for the future of work, based on the created evidence base and subsequent gap analysis (at national, regional, local and EU levels, involving social partners and, where appropriate covering transnational aspects). This policy dialogue would lead to a common understanding on future opportunities and challenges for employment in Europe and on priority areas for (joint) R&I investment at EU or national level.