Cluster 4: Digital, Industry and Space

‘Digital, Industry and Space’ is the fourth cluster under the Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness Pillar of the Horizon Europe Work Programme.

Digital, Industry and Space

The vision behind the proposed investments under Cluster ‘Digital, Industry and Space’ is to shape competitive and trusted technologies for a European Union industry with global leadership in key areas; to enable production and consumption respecting the boundaries of our planet; and to maximise the benefits for all parts of society in the variety of social, economic and territorial contexts in Europe.

Under Cluster 4 the actions will aim to deliver on 6 expected impacts:

1. Lead globally in clean industrial value chains and climate-neutral digital systems via innovative processes, sustainable materials, and circular economy principles.
2. Attain industrial autonomy and security in strategic value chains through breakthrough technologies and circular economy solutions.
3. Ensure sovereignty in digital and emerging technologies by bolstering European capacities and investing in early adoption.
4. Foster a dynamic data-agile economy by advancing computing and data technologies, establishing European data spaces, and nurturing trustworthy AI ecosystems.
5. Achieve open strategic autonomy in space infrastructure, services, and data, bolstering EU’s independent access and competitiveness in the sector.
6. Promote human-centric and ethical development of digital and industrial technologies, empowering users and workers while fostering social innovation.

General funding information for Cluster 4 calls

Total budget: €15.4 billion

Funding rate: up to 60% of eligible costs

Scope: 

• Transition manufacturing and construction sectors to climate neutrality, circularity, and digitalization
• Focus on green, flexible, and digital production methods Enhance autonomy in strategic value chains for industry resilience
• Research on raw materials, advanced materials, and circular value chains
• Develop world-leading data and computing technologies, including high-performance computing and cloud technology R&D on emerging technologies like quantum computing, graphene, and robotics
• Align with the European Green Deal objectives Advocate for open strategic autonomy in space-based infrastructures and services
• Promote human-centered and ethical development of digital and industrial technologies Foster trust in AI, establish an Internet of Trust, advance Extended Reality, and adopt systemic approaches for societal and industrial integration

Horizon Europe Cluster 4 – Destinations

Cluster 4 Digital, Industry and Space will contribute to the expected impacts through the following six destinations:

Destination 1 – Climate neutral, Circular and Digitised Production

Proposals should work towards the expected impact: Global leadership in clean, climate-neutral and resilient industrial value chains, circular economy and climate-neutral and human-centric digital systems and infrastructures, through innovative production and manufacturing processes and their digitisation, new business models, sustainable-by-design advanced materials and technologies enabling the switch to decarbonisation in all major emitting industrial sectors, including green digital technologies.

Destination 2 – Increased Autonomy in Key Strategic Value Chains for Resilient Industry

Proposals should work towards the expected impact: Industrial leadership and increased autonomy in key strategic value chains with security of supply in raw materials, achieved through breakthrough technologies in areas of industrial alliances, dynamic industrial innovation ecosystems and advanced solutions for substitution, resource and energy efficiency, effective reuse and recycling and clean primary production of raw materials, including critical raw materials, and leadership in the circular economy.

Destination 3 – World-leading Data and Computing Technologies

Proposals should work towards the expected impact: Globally attractive, secure and dynamic data-agile economy, by developing and enabling the uptake of the next-generation computing and data technologies and infrastructures (including space infrastructure and data), enabling the European single market for data with the corresponding data spaces and a trustworthy artificial intelligence ecosystem.

Destination 4 – Digital & Emerging Technologies for Competitiveness and Fit for the Green Deal

Proposals should work towards the expected impact: Open strategic autonomy in digital technologies and in future emerging enabling technologies, by strengthening European capacities in key parts of digital and future supply chains, allowing agile responses to urgent needs, and by investing in early discovery and industrial uptake of new technologies.

Destination 5 – Open Strategic Autonomy in Developing, Deploying and Using Global Space-Based Infrastructures, Services, Applications and Data

Proposals should work towards the expected impact: Open strategic autonomy in developing, deploying and using global space-based infrastructures, services applications and data, including by reinforcing European independent capacity to access space, securing the autonomy of supply for critical technologies and equipment, and fostering the EU’s space sector competitiveness.

Destination 6 – A human-centred and ethical development of digital and industrial technologies

Proposals should work towards the expected impact: A human-centred and ethical development of digital and industrial technologies, through a two-way engagement in the development of technologies, empowering endusers and workers, and supporting social innovation.

Further reading

• Horizon Europe Cluster 4 Work Programme 2023-2024
• Horizon Europe Overview
• Horizon Europe Missions