Horizon Europe Cluster 5

The cluster focuses on three core research areas: climate action, energy, and mobility, with the overarching aim of understanding and mitigating climate change while promoting sustainable, secure, and competitive energy and transport solutions.

Key Objectives

• Combat Climate Change: Cluster 5 seeks to deepen understanding of climate change causes, evolution, risks, and opportunities. It aims to enable better prediction and projection of Earth system changes and to design effective mitigation and adaptation strategies.

• Energy Transition: The cluster supports research and innovation in renewable energy, energy storage, smart grids, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). It also addresses energy efficiency in buildings and industry.

• Sustainable Mobility: It fosters the development of clean, safe, accessible, and smart transport and mobility solutions for all modes of transport, including road, rail, water, and air.

• Societal Transformation: Activities under Cluster 5 also target behavioral changes, citizen engagement, and social innovation to support the broader green and digital transitions.

Structure and Funding

• Budget: The total budget for Cluster 5 over the Horizon Europe period (2021–2027) is approximately €15 billion, with significant annual allocations. For 2025, over €1.2 billion is available, with more than €630 million specifically allocated for new climate, energy, and mobility research projects in the current call cycle.

• Destinations: Cluster 5 is organized into several thematic “destinations,” each grouping related topics and challenges:

  -Cross-sectoral solutions for the climate transition.

  -Climate sciences and responses for the transformation towards climate neutrality.

  -Sustainable, secure, and competitive energy supply.

  -Clean and competitive solutions for all transport modes.

  -Safe, resilient transport and smart mobility services for passengers and goods.

• European Partnerships: Cluster 5 supports a variety of institutional, co-funded, and co-programmed European Partnerships, such as Clean Hydrogen, Clean Aviation, Transforming Europe’s Rail System, and the Clean Energy Transition Partnership.

Eligibility and Participation

• Eligible Countries: The cluster is open to organizations from EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, and a range of third countries, including the United Kingdom, Norway, Israel, and others.

• Eligible Entities: Public bodies, private companies (including SMEs), universities, research institutions, NGOs, and other organizations can participate.

• Mandatory Partnership: Projects require at least three independent legal entities from three different countries, with specific conditions outlined in each call.

Expected Impacts and Outcomes

• Climate Neutrality: Projects are expected to contribute significantly to the EU’s goal of becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

• Economic and Social Benefits: Cluster 5 aims to make energy and transport sectors more climate-friendly, efficient, competitive, resilient, smarter, and safer, with positive impacts on jobs, innovation, and quality of life.

• Alignment with SDGs: Activities under Cluster 5 directly support several UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Additional Features

• Missions and Open Science: Cluster 5 is integrated with the Horizon Europe Missions initiative and promotes open science and citizen engagement.

• Cross-cutting Themes: The cluster addresses key cross-cutting areas such as batteries, hydrogen, smart cities, early-stage breakthrough technologies, and citizen engagement.

• Work Programme: The annual work programme details the specific calls, topics, and funding opportunities, with regular updates and information events for applicants.