The project titled Conservation and Sustainable Use of Threatened Coastal and Inland Fish Species aims to enhance the sustainable livelihood of fishing and farming communities in Cuba by addressing the conservation of threatened fish species. The project has undergone a review process by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as the executing agency. The review assesses the project's eligibility for GBFF funding, ensuring that the project objectives are clearly stated and that the components, outcomes, and outputs are sound and adequately funded. The project rationale includes a detailed description of the current conditions, the problems to be addressed, and the expected global environmental benefits, particularly in relation to biodiversity core indicators. The project description outlines a theory of change that connects project activities to objectives, identifies stakeholders, and aligns with specific action areas. It emphasizes the potential to generate global environmental benefits (GEBs) and its alignment with national biodiversity strategies. The project also aims to mobilize resources from the private sector and engage with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). The review process includes checks on project financing, endorsement by relevant authorities, and the consistency of project documentation. The GEF Secretariat has recommended the project for technical clearance, provided that certain comments are addressed, particularly regarding the accurate representation of IPLCs in project activities. The project is expected to contribute significantly to the conservation of biodiversity while supporting the livelihoods of local communities. The review dates indicate ongoing assessments to ensure compliance and effectiveness in project preparation.

The project titled empowering indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) for the sustainable management and conservation of 700,000 hectares of critical ecosystems in three highland provinces of Papua New Guinea aims to enhance biodiversity through the active involvement of local communities. The project has undergone a thorough review process, confirming its eligibility for GBFF funding and ensuring that all project information is accurately populated. The project objectives are clearly defined, with sound components and expected outcomes that align with the goals of biodiversity conservation. The project rationale effectively outlines the current conditions, the problems to be addressed, and the anticipated global environmental benefits, including contributions to biodiversity core indicators. The project description includes a concise theory of change, detailing how various design elements will contribute to the overall objectives, and identifies key stakeholders involved in the project. It also emphasizes the potential for generating global environmental benefits (GEBs) and aligns with national biodiversity strategies. The financing tables have been correctly populated, ensuring that co-financing sources meet the necessary guidelines. The project has received endorsement from the relevant authorities, although a minor discrepancy in the project title was noted and subsequently corrected. The GEFSEC decision recommends the project preparation grant (PPG) for technical clearance, with additional comments for the agency to consider during project preparation. These include ensuring that the reported amounts supporting IPLCs correspond to actual project activities, establishing targets related to Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs), and accurately measuring anticipated climate mitigation co-benefits. The project is also advised to develop a policy framework for biodiversity offsets that ensures net biodiversity gains. Overall, the project is positioned to significantly contribute to the sustainable management of biodiversity in Papua New Guinea while empowering local communities.

The project titled Conservation of Biodiversity, Its Sustainable Use, Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits in India (Conserve), with GEF ID 11784, aims to address biodiversity conservation in India through a collaborative effort involving UNDP and the World Bank. The project has undergone a review process, with comments and recommendations provided by the secretariat and agencies involved. The project is evaluated for its eligibility for GBFF funding, clarity of objectives, adequacy of funding, and alignment with national biodiversity strategies. The project rationale includes a description of the current conditions, problems to be addressed, and expected results, emphasizing the generation of global environmental benefits (GEBs). The project description outlines a theory of change that connects project activities to objectives, identifies stakeholders, and aligns with specific action areas. The proposal is assessed for its potential to generate GEBs, policy coherence, resource mobilization from the private sector, and engagement with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). The project results indicators and financing tables are reviewed for accuracy and consistency. The GEFSEC decision recommends the project for technical clearance, with specific comments for project preparation, including the need for clear implementation arrangements between UNDP and the World Bank, justification for monitoring activities, and a thorough baseline analysis. The project is expected to allocate significant resources to support IPLCs, ensuring that the funds directly benefit these communities. Additionally, the project aims to achieve substantial impacts on biodiversity, with a focus on cost-efficiency and measurable outcomes related to biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation. Overall, the project seeks to enhance biodiversity conservation efforts in India while ensuring fair and equitable benefit-sharing among stakeholders.

Government entities, local community groups and indigenous peoples effectively and sustainably create and manage a marine corridor between Cahuita National Park (NP) and the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge (WR) to improve the restoration and connectivity of key ecosystems in Costa Rica's southern Caribbean and diversify the income of local communities and indigenous peoples in the area.

The project titled Mainstreaming Biodiversity into Botswana's Financial Sector (MBBF) aims to integrate biodiversity considerations into the financial sector of Botswana. The project has been reviewed for eligibility for GEF-8 funding, with the review process completed by the program manager, Jurgis Sapijanskas, on December 6, 2024. The project objectives are clearly stated, and the components, outcomes, and outputs are deemed appropriate to achieve these objectives. The project rationale effectively describes the current conditions, the problems to be addressed, and the expected results, including contributions to global environmental benefits and biodiversity core indicators. The project includes a concise theory of change that outlines the project logic and expected causal pathways. Stakeholder involvement is identified, and the project aligns with specific action areas to support their objectives. It is noted that the project has the potential to generate significant global environmental benefits and aligns with national biodiversity strategies. The project aims to enhance policy coherence and coordination among various sectors and mobilize resources from the private sector and philanthropies. The project financing tables have been correctly populated, and the endorsement process has been verified, ensuring that the project has the necessary support from the relevant authorities. The project is recommended for technical clearance, with suggestions for ensuring the participation of the Ministry of Finance and the financial regulator. It is emphasized that the contributions to support Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) must be clearly defined and aligned with project activities. The project should also clarify the scope of "green finance" and ensure that funding is directed towards aligning financial flows with biodiversity goals. Overall, the project is positioned to make significant contributions to biodiversity conservation in Botswana.

The CPPR aims to monitor the implementation of Bank-financed projects and programmes, evaluate the quality and performance of the country portfolio, draw lessons from the implementation of Country Portfolio Improvement Plans (CPIPs)

OBJECTIVE To increase the renewable energy generation capacity through the construction of a 200MW wind power plant and 100MWhr Battery Energy Storage System in the Republic of Uzbekistan. DESCRIPTION The project involves the development, construction, and operation of a wind power plant of 200MW capacity, a 100MWhr Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), expansion of a 220kV switching station and 2x42 km double circuit 220kV Overhead Transmission Line (OHTL) connecting to an existing grid substation. The proposed project site is in the Karatau mountain region in Beruniy and Qorao'zak Districts in Karakalpakstan, Northwestern Uzbekistan. A 25-year PPPA has been awarded to ACWA through a competitive tender and signed on March 28, 2024, with the National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan (NEGU) as the Public Partner (off taker). A project SPV – Private Partner (ACWA Power Beruniy Wind FE LLC) has been established and will serve as the borrower for the respective plant. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION Applicable Policy and Categorization.  AIIB’s Environmental and Social Policy (ESP), including the Environment and Social Standards (ESSs) and the Environmental and Social Exclusion List (ESEL), will apply to this Project. ESS 1 (Environmental and Social Assessment and Management) and ESS 2 (Involuntary Resettlement) are applicable to the ES aspects of the Project. The Project includes development of wind turbines, battery energy storage system and 220 kV overhead transmission line (OHTL), Category B is assigned as the Project will have a limited number of potentially adverse environmental and social impacts during construction and operation phases. Asian Development Bank (ADB) is considering participating in the financing as a senior lender (project finance) and they have categorized as B for environment and B for involuntary resettlement. Environmental and Social Instruments: The client has prepared an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) including Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP), non-technical summary of the ESIA (NTS), stakeholder engagement plan (SEP) and is currently finalizing the Land Acquisition and Livelihood Restoration Plan (LALRP). Critical Habitat Assessment (CHA) for the Project has been carried out and biodiversity management measures have been prepared. Lenders’ Environmental and Social Advisor (LESA) hired by the Project carried out environmental and social due diligence (ESDD) and reviewed the project ES documents as well as the client’s ES management capacity. The ESDD report and draft environmental and social action plan (ESAP) prepared for the Project will be finalized before the Project approval. Environmental Aspects: The environmental impacts linked with the construction phase include increased dust levels, gaseous emissions, noise and vibration, generation of solid waste and hazardous waste, wastewater, soil contamination, traffic impacts and occupational health and safety impacts. The mitigations measures have been prepared and will be implemented to manage the construction phase impacts. CHA concluded that critical habitat (CH) is triggered for Bukhara Red Deer and Common Crane. The Lower Amu Darya State Biosphere Reserve (LADSBR) is known to hold the largest remaining concentration of this endangered subspecies. The Common Crane was not observed during the spring, 2024 vantage point (VP) surveys conducted along the Project’s OHTL route. However, notable sightings of these species were recorded at the Nukus I wind farm. Therefore, a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) will be developed prior to the start of construction activities to achieve net gains for biodiversity values for which CH was identified. During the assessment 36 species were identified as Priority Biodiversity Features (PBFs), for which mitigation measures were also developed to attain No Net Loss (NNL) of biodiversity. Detailed biodiversity management measures are included in the ESIA.  The environmental impacts during the operational phase of the wind project include bird and bat collision-related fatalities, noise, electrocution of birds within the overhead transmission line footprint, generation of waste, and spills and leaks during maintenance activities. The mitigations measures are included in the ESIA and detailed plans to manage operational phase impacts will be prepared as part of the operational phase ESMP. Social Aspects: The entire land in Uzbekistan as per the country law belongs to the government. The Wind Farm (WF) and the OHTL will require land acquisition of around 103 Ha. According to the census conducted in 2024, the Wind farm and OHTL will impact a total of 39 households, 6 will be impacted by the WF and 33 by the OHTL. The project will not cause any physical displacement. These land users include 6 state organizations (e.g., Beruniy district Municipality), agricultural enterprises, individual farmers, owners of commercial and residential land plots as well as informal herders. The project will result in the impact of two commercial and 7 residential plots. ESIA assessed loss of wages by the agriculture farm workers. The number of workers on the impacted agricultural farms varies depending on the season, such as during harvesting or planting periods. However, the livelihoods of engaged workers are not expected to be impacted, as the impacts on those lands are anticipated to be low. There are only 3 females headed HH within the impacted land plots. A total of 25 households have been categorized as vulnerable as per the definition agreed for vulnerable households. As part of the LALRP, a comprehensive Livelihood Restoration Program has been developed. Under this program, affected households, severely impacted PAPs, and vulnerable groups including women, youth, and persons with disabilities will be eligible for livelihood restoration support in addition to the compensation they receive. Gender Aspects.  The Project provides an opportunity to advance gender equality by promoting women’s employment and empowerment. The SPV and EPC contractor are committed to hiring local workers, including individuals from vulnerable groups. Additionally, a Women’s Talent Development Program will be established to support at least 20 women with training and counseling aimed at advancing their professional careers, particularly in supervisory and managerial roles. The ESIA study identified several potential impacts of the Project that may disproportionately affect women and has proposed mitigation measures to address those impacts. These mitigation measures, along with other actions to address gender-related risks, will be detailed in the Gender Action Plan (GAP) and incorporated into other environmental and social management plans. Occupational Health and Safety, Labor and Working Conditions: The construction workforce will consist of both skilled and semi-skilled laborers, with the EPC contractor required to prioritize local employment opportunities to promote community involvement and economic benefits. The project will involve occupational health and safety (OHS) risks typically associated with construction activities. These include, but are not limited to, collisions with moving machinery and vehicles, Hazards related to the use of explosives and hazardous chemicals, Risks of electric shock, mechanical and load-handling accidents, Exposure to noise, dust, and chemical vapors. To address these risks, mitigation measures have been outlined in the ESMP. Additionally, the SPV, EPC contractor, and O&M contractor will be required to prepare and implement a comprehensive LWCMP. This plan will ensure non-discrimination and equal opportunities in employment, GBVH risk management, provisions for managing migrant labor safety protocols are in place to protect workers and minimize risks during construction and operational phases. The plan will also include training, monitoring, and emergency response measures to promote a safe and healthy working environment. Stakeholder Engagement, Consultation and Information Disclosure: As part of the scoping phase and the preparation of the ESIA and the LALRP, a SEP was developed. This plan includes a detailed mapping of relevant primary and secondary stakeholders, such as individuals, groups, and institutions impacted by or interested in the project. Additionally, a final consultation with affected households will be conducted with the specific objective of disclosing and gathering feedback on the LALRP entitlement matrix to ensure it adequately addresses community needs and concerns. The SEP will need to be updated to address stakeholder engagement requirements during the construction and operational phases of the project. All relevant ES documents, prepared in both English and summaries in the local language will be disclosed in-country via ACWA Power and on AIIB’s website, hard copies of the documents in the vernacular language will be made available at the project site for the benefit of local communities and stakeholders, ensuring ease of access and informed participation in the process. Project Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM). A GRM has been established for the scoping and preparation phase of the project. GRM includes key principles, scope and detailed procedures along with a process flow and timeline for addressing grievances promptly. The GRM also allows for anonymous grievances to be processed and facilitates the Project-affected peoples (PAPs) to submit their grievances arising from the land and other asset compensation or any other issues in relation to the Project. During the construction and operational phases of the project, the SPV, EPC contractor, and O&M company will be required to develop and implement a Project-specific Workers’ Grievance Mechanism. The information of established GRMs and Bank’s Project-affected Peoples Mechanism (PPM) will be timely disclosed in an appropriate manner. Monitoring and Supervision Arrangements: The SPV will hire qualified ES staff to monitor the implementation of ES management plans. EPC contractors will also deploy ES staff to implement the ES management plans at the Project sites. LESA will be engaged to monitor the ESAP implementation during the construction and operation stages of the Project. Monitoring report will be prepared based on agreed format semi-annually during construction and operational phases and will be submitted to AIIB for review by the client and LESA. The Bank’s ES Specialists will join the lenders’ group’s field-based ES monitoring missions, as necessary.

The objective of this Technical Cooperation TC is to support the implementation of the Systematic Observations Financing Facility SOFF program in Belize, enhancing the country's capacity for collecting and exchanging essential weather and climate observation data, thereby contributing to national and global efforts to improve climate resilience and adaptation.

Increasing producing communities' income through improved production practices and marketing of sugarcane, honey, and pepper in the municipalities of Puerto Asis, Puerto Leguizamo and Valle del Guamuez in the department of Putumayo.

OBJECTIVE To support access to affordable housing for low-income households and promote green affordable housing in India. DESCRIPTION The project proposes to provide debt financing of up to USD100 million or its equivalent in INR to IIFL Home Finance (IIFLHF) for on-lending to support acquisition or construction of affordable housing in India. Out of the total proceeds, a part will be allocated to financing the acquisition of affordable housing for households in the Economically Weaker Segment (EWS) and Low-Income Group (LIG). Additionally, a certain percentage will be directed towards loans for acquisition or construction of green affordable housing. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION Applicable Policy and Categorization: AIIB’s Environmental and Social Policy (ESP), including the Environmental and Social Standards (ESS) and the Environmental and Social Exclusion List (ESEL) is applicable to this Project. The Project is expected to have minimal adverse environmental and social (ES) impacts as the loan proceeds will be used for (i) lending to individual borrowers for the construction and acquisition of residential property units or (ii) to private residential property developers for financing the construction of small-scale residential developments (one to few apartment blocks) in line with the housing construction regulations in India. Therefore, the Project is placed in Category FI and is expected to have limited adverse ES impacts which are reversible and can be successfully managed using known good practices. Environment and Social Instruments: To manage ES impacts and in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations of the Government of India and AIIB’s ESP, IIFLHF has established an ESG Policy and Sustainable Finance Framework (SFF) in addition to a set of internal policies, including Health and Safety Policy, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, among others. IIFLHF has also established a Fair Practices Code (FPC) to ensure responsible lending conduct and disclosures. These policies are complemented with practical tools such as Kutumb. Environmental and Social Aspects: The main environmental aspects related to provision of loans to homeowners for purchase of green and/or affordable homes are related to occupational health and safety of using home appliances and use of building services. For loans related to builders for housing development, environmental aspects are extended to health and safety at construction and operation of the buildings, waste management, and resource efficiency during construction and operation. Land shall be acquired following market principles and a willing seller, willing buyer model. The Project will exclude sub-projects that involve properties built on land with legacy issues and disputes, land resulting from unlawful forced evictions, having adverse impacts on indigenous peoples and vulnerable groups, negative impacts on essential cultural heritage, significant degradation or conversion of critical habitats, and illegal construction that does not comply with applicable national and local laws and regulations. The ES risks and impacts are therefore expected to be limited to labor and working conditions, occupational health and safety aspects of using domestic home appliances and building services. AIIB will conduct prior review and approval of the first three sub-loans to corporate developers and all high-risk sub-loans. Gender aspects: IIFLHF has adopted gender sensitive and inclusive corporate policies which are applied internally. IIFLHF has also established a policy on Prevention of Sexual Harassment and an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in accordance with the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. IIFLHF has adopted several gender sensitive initiatives such as gender inclusion indicators, and prioritization of loans disbursed to women homeowners/ co-owners. Occupational Health and Safety, Labor and Employment Conditions. ES policies applied by IIFLHF as part of their ESG policy and SFF incorporate provisions for application of national Health & Safety and Labor and employment legislation across all the investments supported. Most project’s proceeds (in terms of number of sub-loans) will be used for acquisition of affordable housing dwelling by individual homeowners of disadvantaged social groups. Health and safety risks for that use of proceeds are of limited scale and limited to health and safety considerations of using domestic home appliances and building services. These projects, undertaken by private developers are typically of limited size with minimal adverse impacts, with most of financing is sought at advanced stage of development process when all the ES risks are already fully addressed. Stakeholder Engagement, Consultation and Information Disclosure. IIFLHF has a strong stakeholder matrix and engagement plan. The identified stakeholders include (i) the customers, including women, from EWS and LIG category; (ii) civil societies / NGOs (iii) media; (iv) vendors and contractors; and (v) Regulators / Government. The ESG policy, SFF and other policy documents1 are available on IIFLHF’s website. Project Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM): IIFLHF has a well-established multi-pronged GRM that can be accessed via its website, physical branches, helpline number and dedicated call center. IIFLHF will require its corporate sub-borrowers to establish appropriate GRM at the sub-project level. Provision will also be made to inform Project-affected Persons (PAPs) and workers of the GRM’s availability, and AIIB's Project-Affected Peoples' Mechanism (PPM). Monitoring and reporting arrangement: IIFLHF will regularly monitor ES performance of financed projects using agreed checklists and provide ES reports on the AIIB-financed portfolio annually based on agreed format. AIIB will supervise IIFLHF’s ES performance on a regular basis, including site visits to selected affordable housing sub-projects, as needed.

Sustainably intensify the agricultural systems of the Dry Corridor of Central America by incorporating sorghum genotypes and other forage cereals adapted to each environment in order to increase the productivity, sustainability, and resilience of the production systems.

L'objectif global du PADSP-AI est de renforcer la résilience économique du Tchad en soutenant le développement du secteur privé, afin de contribuer efficacement à la diversification de l'économie et à sa transformation structurelle.

The project development objective is to strengthen state and local government Public Financial Management (PFM) capacity for managing local revenues and auditing public resources.

The main programme objective is to strengthen food security and sovereignty in West Africa by promoting public and private investments in rice value chains (RVCs) to increase rice self-sufficiency and reduce the region's rice import bill by 2030.

This Country Portfolio Performance Review (CPPR) report assesses the performance of Bank-funded operations in the United Republic of Tanzania (URT) as of December 2024

The overall scope of the project will include undertaking a comprehensive feasibility study for the development of the Techobanine port and railway project as part of a broader development corridor linking Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.

OBJECTIVE Multi-phase Program (MPP): To improve the climate resilience, operational efficiency, and road safety in selected critical sections of the National Highway N-5 in Pakistan. Phase 1A: To contribute to the improvements of climate resilience, operational efficiency, and road safety in selected critical sections of the National Highway N-5 in Pakistan. DESCRIPTION The Reconstruction of National Highway N-5 under Pakistan’s Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Framework Project aims to enhance the climate resilience, operational efficiency, and road safety by reconstructing and upgrading critical four-lane segments into a climate-resilient six-lane dual carriageway. AIIB’s financing (referred as the “Multi-phase Program” or “MPP”) encompasses the reconstruction of four sections of N-5, totaling 213 kilometers (km) across Islamabad Capital Territory, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Sindh provinces, and the reconstruction of two 1-kilometer-long bridges in Sindh province. The MPP aligns with the Phase 1 of the National Highway Authority (NHA) of Pakistan’s 20-year, four-phase plan to rebuild and expand this critical national infrastructure. Within this broader MPP framework, the Phase 1A Project (the “Project”) focuses on two key sections of N-5, covering a total of 75 km: Rawalpindi to Burhan (44 km) and Nowshera to Peshawar (31 km), alongside the reconstruction of the Nai Baran Bridge located southwest of Hyderabad in Sindh province. The Phase 1B project will focus on another two key sections of N-5, covering a total of 138 km: Lahore to Gujranwala (68 km) in Punjab province and Ranipur to Rohri (70 km) in Sindh province, alongside the reconstruction of the Indus River Bridge at Hyderabad in Sindh province. The Phase 1B project will be prepared and approved later than the Phase 1A Project after meeting certain criteria. The Phase 1A Project consists of three components: (1) civil works to reconstruct two sections of N-5 (Rawalpindi – Burhan, and Nowshera - Peshawar) and the Nai Baran Bridge; (2) design review and construction supervision consultant; and (3) baseline cost such as resettlement of informal users, environmental and social (ES) management, and government fees and permits. The AIIB has mobilized a USD2 million Project Preparation Special Fund (PPSF) grant to strengthen the preparation of the Project and the MPP by enhancing climate resilience, safety, ES assessments, and digital project management capabilities. This Project represents the Bank’s first standalone project in Pakistan’s transport sector. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION Applicable Policy and Categorization: AIIB’s Environmental and Social Policy (ESP), including the Environmental and Social Standards (ESSs) and the Environmental and Social Exclusion List (ESEL), applies to the both the MPP and the Phase 1A Project. The Project triggers ESS 1 (Environmental and Social Assessment and Management) and ESS 2 (Involuntary Resettlement). ESS 3 (Indigenous Peoples) is not applicable, as no indigenous peoples are present or have a collective attachment to the Project area. The Project is classified as Environmental and Social (ES) Category A, reflecting significant ES risks due to large-scale construction activities, including the widening, and upgrading of an existing highway from four lanes to six lanes and the construction of bridges. These activities span a large geographic area, with the potential to generate substantial ES impacts. Environmental and Social Instruments: The Project adopts a Multi-phase Program (MPP) approach, where only the first two priority N-5 sections and a bridge (Phase 1A) will undergo detailed engineering design prior to Project Appraisal. As a result, both a framework approach and site-specific ES assessments are necessary. These instruments include: (a) Framework-level instruments: Environmental and Social Management Planning Framework (ESMPF), Resettlement Planning Framework (RPF), Labor Management Plan (LMP), and Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), covering both Phase 1A and Phase 1B; and (b) Site-specific instruments for Phase 1A: Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP), and Resettlement Action Plan (RAP). Environment Aspects: The MPP and Project scope involves the widening and upgrading of the existing highway from four lanes to six, along with the construction of bridges. Although many environmental risks and impacts are already present due to the highway’s current state, the proposed upgrades could introduce new impacts. Initial ES screening and reconnaissance site visits have identified several key environmental concerns, including sensitive receptors such as nearby forests and national parks, water bodies, traffic congestion, accidents, drainage issues, waterlogging, and the presence of trees and vegetation within the right-of-way (ROW) of N-5. Potential environmental risks identified include: (i) construction waste management; (ii) air and noise pollution due to dust, noise, and vibration; (iii) the risk of operational or accidental spills, particularly from fuel and lubricants used in construction machinery; (iv) biodiversity risks and damage to aquatic ecology, changes in hydrological conditions, obstruction of animal migration, and water pollution; and (v) improper site reinstatement, where construction sites are inadequately restored post-project. The ESMPF will address these risks with generic mitigation measures. A more detailed, site-specific assessment of these risks will be carried out during the ESIA and ESMP processes, with appropriate mitigation measures developed during the road planning and design phases to minimize potential impacts. Social Aspects: The MPP and the Project are expected to generate positive social benefits for the local population, including enhanced climate resilience, improved travel conditions, better road safety, reduced transportation costs, shorter travel times, and alleviated congestion. However, there are potential social risks and impacts that need to be addressed. These include the potential lack of inclusion of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups to share the Project benefits, inadequate and ineffective stakeholder engagement, large resettlement and relocation (R&R), restrictions on land use, and economic displacement caused by civil works. Additionally, risks are associated with labor and working conditions, including occupational health and safety (OHS), community health and safety related to potential labor influx. The livelihood impacts related to R&R primarily concern the economic displacement of informal businesses, such as shops and stalls, due to road widening. The extent and severity of these impacts will be evaluated and mitigated in the RAP. Furthermore, the potential impact of Project activities on women will be assessed in the gender assessment and ESIA. Measures to address the potential negative impacts, particularly from the migrant workers’ influx and the associated risks of gender-based violence, will be included in the ESMP and the Gender Action Plan (GAP). Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), Labor and Working Conditions (LWC): The MPP and the Project will involve typical construction work-related OHS risks such as work-related accidents, hazards associated with the use of explosives and hazardous chemicals, electric shock, mechanical and load handling hazards, health issues from work environment, and traffic and road safety. Relevant mitigation measures will be formulated in the ESMP. Construction-specific risks and impacts considered under the MPP and the Project are further related to significant labor influx and potential social tensions with the host communities. The ESMP and the Labor Working Plan (LMP) prepared for the Project will include relevant procedures to manage LWC risks and impacts during both the construction and operational phases. The EMSP/LMP will be implemented, monitored, and reported to address these OHS/LWC risks and impacts. Stakeholder Consultation, and Information Disclosure: Preliminary consultations with key stakeholders, including relevant national and state departments, have been carried out by the Client and their consultant as part of site reconnaissance process. An SEP will be prepared to identify stakeholders, including Project affected people, and build and maintain a constructive relationship with them. The SEP will assess stakeholders’ interests and support of the Project and take their views and feedback into account in Project design and in the management of ES risks and impacts, through meaningful and inclusive consultations with potentially affected and interested stakeholders throughout the Project cycle. In terms of information disclosure, the draft ES documentation will be disclosed in English and the local languages on both the Borrower’s and AIIB’s websites in a timely and appropriate manner. Project Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM): The specific arrangements for the Project GRM will be discussed and agreed with the Client prior to the Appraisal Review. Given the Project geographical scope and associated ES risks, a two-tier GRM will be proposed, with the first tier at Project site level, and the second tier at the Project Management Unit (PMU) level. A worker specific GRM will also be established to manage specific risks and impacts related to OHS/LWC. The Project GRM will be established and operational prior to the commencement of any project activities, construction work, or R&R, and will be maintained throughout Project Implementation. The information of established GRMs and Bank’s Project-affected People’s Mechanism (PPM) will be timely disclosed in an appropriate manner. Monitoring and Reporting Arrangement. The NHA will oversee the overall implementation of the Project. To support this, the NHA plans to engage a design review and construction supervision consultant to assist in implementing civil works, as well as in monitoring and evaluation. Project progress will also be jointly monitored by the Bank through semi-annual progress reports prepared by the NHA based on agreed format. AIIB will conduct supervision missions semi-annually to extend comprehensive implementation support. In addition, AIIB requires the NHA to engage third-party monitoring consultants, and the Bank team will assist the NHA with stakeholder engagement if necessary. More details of those arrangement will be further discussion and determined with NHA during the appraisal review.

OBJECTIVE To promote infrastructure investment in Bangladesh through the provision of private sector financing solution. DESCRIPTION The Project is a senior unsecured term loan of up to USD 50 million to Eastern Bank Limited (EBL) to finance multi-sector infrastructure projects in Bangladesh. As a Borrower of the facility, EBL will utilize the loan proceeds to onlend to sub-borrowers engaged in infrastructure development activities in the country. Established in 1992, EBL is a private commercial bank that provides a full range of banking products and services and operates through three core businesses segments comprising of corporate, retail and small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), and treasury. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION AIIB’s Environmental and Social Policy (ESP) including the Environmental and Social Exclusion List (ESEL) and relevant Environmental and Social Standards (ESSs) apply to this FI Project. The Project has been placed in Category FI, since it is an on-lending operation through EBL. The Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) of EBL, will be updated to comply with the ESP and will be used as the Project’s environmental and social (ES) instrument. Coal mining, coal transportation and coal-fired power plants, as well as infrastructure services exclusively dedicated to support any of these activities and gas-related sub-projects or investments will be excluded. Environmental and Social. EBL will expand its financing footprint in multiple infrastructure sub-sectors including energy, transport, water, digital infrastructure, social infrastructure etc. to be finalized in the next stage of diligence. The environmental and social impacts of these activities are dependent on the location, scale and nature of the sub-project. This will be elaborated further during the ESDD. EBL discloses key elements of its Environmental and Social Risk Management Framework (ESRMF) and ES performance on its website. The same channel will be used to disclose the required ES information of the project. An overview of updated ESMS will be disclosed in a timely and appropriate manner. In addition, for all higher ES risk sub-projects, EBL will be required to disclose annually, a summary of the ES documentation of the preceding 12 months. This includes ES documentation on specific sub-projects written in local language and disclosed in a timely, accessible, gender sensitive, inclusive, and culturally appropriate manner. The requirement for proportionate Stakeholder consultation and disclosure by the sub-borrowers will be assessed during the appraisal process. During project implementation, EBL will be required submission of relevant ES documentation and annual ES monitoring reports in an agreed format providing an update on the implementation of the enhanced ESMS, and a summary of the ES performance of each selected sub-project. AIIB will conduct post-reviews on the selection and implementation of sub-projects as part of its regular supervision, This includes potential site visits and detailed review of the ES documentation of selected sub-projects. Project Level External Communication Mechanism (ECM). The service quality team manages grievances received by the Bank. E&S complaints received by this grievance redress mechanism (GRM) will be forwarded to the Credit Risk Management Team (CRM) for time bound action and remediation. As project-level GRM, the external communication mechanism (ECM) can be accessed via website/email, express hotlines, and physical visit to the branches. The ECM will be reviewed during the appraisal stage to identify gaps and propose gap filling measures to bring it in line with AIIB's ESF. In addition to this, project-level GRM will be required of each selected sub-project. The information of ECM and subproject-level GRM including AIIB’s project-affected people’s mechanism (PPM) will be disseminated to the relevant stakeholders in a timely and appropriate manner.

In pursuit of offering solutions that are respectful of both human health and the environment, and supporting the resilience of the European economy, Michelin Engineered Polymers and its partners join their forces to launch the CERISEA Flagship. This initiative aims to produce, for the very first time on an industrial large scale, the highly important bio-based chemical platform: 5-HMF (5-Hydroxymethylfurfural), from fructose and advanced fructose from non-food side streams.HMF is a key intermediate between biomass and biochemicals and is known as the Sleeping Giant due to its versatility and ability to replace a broad range of conventionally produced building blocks. However, today, there are no large scale industrial and profitable processes to produce HMF. CERISEA aims to be the first to awaken the Sleeping Giant.The project will demonstrate the broad range of bio-based sustainable applications for HMF, including: Araminolic resins Crop science Functionalised bio-polymers (modified starch) Functionalised compounds Polyesters Polyamides Polyurethanes PlasticizersCERISEA bio-based products will meet market and technical performance requirements, facilitating the adoption of these solutions in the market. The project will be fully circular, with the valorisation of by-products called humins in two applications: araminolic resins and crop science.Additionally, the integration of HMF and humins (produced using a process involving fructose from wheat crops) in crop science, specifically in biostimulants tested on grains, including wheat, will demonstrate the creation of a truly circular system from grain to grain.The consortium includes 15 partners, of which 9 are members of the Bio-based Industry Consortium (BIC) and 5 are brand owners. It covers the entire value chain, from feedstock supply up to the end-users who have provided Letters of Intent.CERISEA will also implement synergies with the CBE Flagship PEFerence, which is producing FDCA from a blend made of HMF.

Engaging primary producers (PP) in RDI programs remains a significant challenge across Europe. This challenge is driven by factors such as limited access to information, low awareness of bio-based solutions, and various structural, financial, and regulatory barriers.These obstacles hinder PP integration into emerging circular bio-based value chains, despite the potential to introduce new business models that offer environmental benefits, including energy and nutrient recycling, sustainable production systems, and new revenue streams in rural areas.The CBE JU is committed to enhancing the involvement of primary producers within its funding schemes and the resulting innovative solutions. To this end, a Working Group on Primary Producers (WGPP) will be established, bringing together sector representatives from agriculture, forestry, and the blue economy.This group will develop an Action Plan aimed at strengthening the role of PPs in future CBE JU-funded projects and beyond. RootLinks will support and facilitate the efforts of the WGPP in co-creating and implementing this Action Plan.It includes horizontal and sector-specific actions designed to improve the role of primary producers in CBE JU programming, increase their participation in calls, and enhance their ability to exploit new value chains.The focus will be on generating direct, tangible, and measurable benefits for PP, empowering them to become strong partners in cross-disciplinary bio-based research and innovation projects across Europe.Furthermore, RootLinks actions will enhance the roles of PP in exploiting innovations and related value chains, fostering improved collaboration between PPs and the bio-based industry.RootLinks offers a unique portfolio of sector expertise and competencies, implementing a comprehensive set of activities at the European, national, and regional levels, including knowledge and awareness-raising, capacity building and training, partnership development, and networking.

EiCLaR, as a EU/China consortium, will develop scientific and technical innovations for in situ bioremediation technologies that will be directly developed into industrial processes for the rapid efficient cost-effective treatment of a range of environmental pollutants such as chlorinated solvents, heavy metals, pesticides, etc.These technologies will enable bioremediation approaches to expand their range of applications to industrial sites and waters that contain complex, high concentration pollutant mixtures. The project will move proof-of-concept level advances to industrial commercial processes through laboratory studies to refine the processes and to explore the scientific base and scale-up techniques and field demonstrations.Our recent advances in nanobioremediation will be enhanced by studies of the critical microbial component and the use of electrochemical processes to increase the degradation rate and biocatalyst lifetime.The innovative bioaugmentation is based on a recently discovered bacteria capable of degrading some chlorinated solvents efficiently under aerobic conditions. The Bioelectrochemical system will speed up the anaerobic degradation of pollutants when aeration is not feasible.The enhanced phytoremediation will benefit from the synergistic effect of fungi and electrokinetic nutrient dispersion. These environmentally sustainable and low impact depollution methods will provide service companies with the tools to manage contaminated soil and water and improve environmental quality at over a million sites throughout Europe and China.These companies will be able to grow by increased personnel and revenue while improving biodiversity and reducing environmental risks.

Successful drug approvals on Precision Oncology (PO) using basket studies have uncovered new challenges. Research in small patient populations suffers from sustainability and logistical issues.Platform trials are flexible solutions to test different drugs in different populations but encompass management issues that compromise flow and translational research. This is detrimental to patients and researchers; thus, new technological and methodological concepts must be urgently implemented.To overcome these limitations, Cancer Core Europe (CCE) has developed the Basket of Basket (BoB) study to provide personalized treatment to a larger number of patients by incorporating a multi-tiered molecular profiling platform, flexible modules targeting different molecular alterations, and a data and sample collection plan to enable translational research.The CCE-DART model, here proposed, is conceived to address other limitations of PO and platform trials identified by our multi-disciplinary team. With a new design, we aim to improve efficiencies and transform platform trials in data-rich translational research programs by: Developing digital systems (information-technology solutions) facilitating data management and clinical decision-making; Integrating accurate, dynamic imaging and molecular markers of tumor progression and drug response; Using more efficient, adaptive clinical trial methodology; Increasing patient engagement.To achieve this, we will use harmonized data-sharing, technological, legal, and clinical infrastructure developed in CCE and the BoB trial that will be leveraged as a use case for testing the new model.The new concept will impact the design of new clinical trials, consolidating a self-sustainable, data-rich, multi-endpoint global platform for clinical and translational research, encompassed by a pharmacoeconomics assessment that will prove the sustainability of the model for its implementation in the Health System and as a return of the investment to society.

BackgroundOptimal care for older patients with complex chronic conditions (CCC) is challenging. Not only do older patients with CCC present with multiple conditions and functional impairments, these often interact with each other, as well as with their treatments. Patients with CCC are concentrated in home care and nursing home settings. Professionals working in these settings often lack appropriate decision support that mirrors the medical and functional complexity of these persons.AimTo improve prognoses and estimation of treatment impact for older care recipients with CCC in home care and nursing homes settings, and develop, validate, and test next generation individualised decision support.ImpactBetter informed decision making for clinical management of older care recipients with CCC in home care and nursing homes, through: High quality internationally validated predictive algorithms on disease trajectories and treatment outcomes; A multi-nationally tested e-platform for health professionals to receive predictive scenarios on course and treatment outcomes of newly assessed care recipients at point of care; Dissemination among health professionals working in nursing homes and home care.ApproachWe collated longitudinal data from 52 million older recipients of home care and nursing home care from eight countries including: Highly reliable, valid and harmonised comprehensive assessments of functional capacities, diseases, and treatments, linked with Administrative repositories on mortality and care use.We develop and validate decision support algorithms using a variety of techniques including machine learning to better predict: Outcomes (e.g., death, acute admissions, quality of life) and the modifying impact of Pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments.We co-create decision support output with health professionals and patients and pilot its applicability at point of care with an e-platform.

Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of hospitalization in people over the age of 65 and carries a high cost to healthcare systems. It also exerts a significant economic toll on patients, their families, and society in general; more than 15 million people are living with HF in Europe.Despite the considerable burden to human life and healthcare costs, there has been scarce innovation in treatments in the past several decades. HF occurs mainly in the older population, who may mistake symptoms as being the natural result of aging and therefore not recognized until the condition has reached a severe stage.Poor management of HF increases the risk and frequency of acute episodes, resulting in hospitalizations, poor quality of life, and a high burden on healthcare systems. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has evidenced that fearing infection, cardiovascular patients delay care.A state-of-the-art search indicated that integrated care is crucial for improving healthcare services, wellbeing, and engagement through shared decision-making, education, and support for self-management. Existing solutions are local, and there is no common effective solution available in the market.Public procurers cannot go to open tender to deploy effective solutions for advanced heart failure. The TIQUE Consortium recognized Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) as the only way to stimulate the market to find a solution to this common problem.TIQUE will bring to the market new integrated care solutions implementing a predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory model of healthcare services for patients with heart failure. TIQUE will stimulate European industry to become a global leader in this innovative field.The use of PCP is of particular interest to the consortium members; some of them are familiar with PCP and PPI and are using them strategically, while others are new adopters. The consortium will proactively share PCP knowledge with the PiPPI and EURIPHI communities of practice.

The goals of this inter-disciplinary project are to: Gain understanding of the mechanisms causing chemoresistance in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) patients. Deliver tools that enable effective and cost-efficient personalised treatment options for HGSOC patients. Commercialise predictive kits & software for treatment response prediction and finding the right therapeutic regimen to the right patient.This project takes advantage of prospectively and longitudinally collected fresh and blood specimens of HGSOC patients. Longitudinal, multi-layer data are analysed with ML and AI methods to predict patient treatment response and identify the most effective treatment options.Drug screening with patient-derived 3D ex vivo cell models is used to identify drug combination options. Key results will be validated with retrospective cohorts, and in vitro, ex vivo & in vivo models.We will develop an open-source software to visualise all relevant patient-specific data to guide clinical decision-making. Clinically most actionable treatment suggestions will be evaluated in a virtual molecular tumour board and translated to patient care.Ovarian cancer kills more than 44,000 women in Europe every year due to lack of effective and long-lasting therapeutic regimens. DECIDER presents an innovative strategy to suggest effective treatments that lead to a marked decrease in ovarian cancer deaths and reduce the number of expensive but inefficient treatments.Our approach paves the way to move beyond the current trial-and-error clinical assessment of drug combinations toward more systematic prediction of the most effective treatments for each patient. The proposed concept will be a major breakthrough in personalised medicine and will benefit individual patients and the health-care system through more effective treatments, and the diagnostic and pharmaceutical industry through tools for better stratified clinical trials, and novel treatment and diagnostic modalities.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke are major health care problems in Europe. They are most often the clinical expression of atrial cardiomyopathy, which is under-recognised due to the lack of specific diagnostic tools.Multidisciplinary research and stratified approaches are urgently needed to prevent, diagnose, and treat AF and stroke and preempt the AF-related threat to healthy ageing in Europe.MAESTRIA is a European consortium of 18 clinicians, scientists, and Pharma industrials who are at the forefront of research and medical care of AF and stroke patients. It will create multi-parametric digital tools based on a new generation of biomarkers that integrate artificial intelligence (AI) processing and big data from cutting-edge imaging, electrocardiography, and omics technologies.It will develop novel biomarkers, diagnostic tools, and personalized therapies for atrial cardiomyopathy. Digital Twin technologies, a rich data integrator combining biophysics and AI, will be used to generate virtual twins of the human atria using patient-specific data.Unique experimental large-animal models, ongoing patient cohorts, and a prospective MAESTRIA cohort of patients will provide rigorous validation for new biomarkers and newly developed tools. A dedicated core lab will collect and homogenize clinical data.MAESTRIA will be organized as a user-centered platform, easily accessible via clinical parameters routinely used in European hospitals. A Scientific Advisory Board comprising potential clinician users will help MAESTRIA meet clinical and market needs.Dissemination and visibility of the MAESTRIA consortium mission will benefit from participation of the German Competence Network on Atrial Fibrillation (AFNET), and support from the European Society of Cardiology, clinicians, scientists, and other professional societies.MAESTRIA will be ready to tackle the major challenges of data integration and personalized medicine focused on atrial cardiomyopathy, AF, and stroke.

CORE–MD will translate expert scientific and clinical evidence on study designs for evaluating high-risk medical devices into advice for EU regulators, to achieve an appropriate balance between innovation, safety, and effectiveness.A unique collaboration between medical associations, regulatory agencies, notified bodies, academic institutions, patients’ groups, and health technology assessment agencies will systematically review methodologies for the clinical investigation of high-risk medical devices (Work Package 1), recommend how new trial designs can contribute (Work Package 2), and advise on methods for aggregating real-world data from medical device registries with experience from clinical practice (Work Package 3).Multidisciplinary workshops will propose a hierarchy of levels of evidence from clinical investigations; educational and training objectives for all stakeholders, to build expertise in regulatory science in Europe; and an ethics charter for medical device innovation (Work Package 4).Industry participation will be invited. Specific CORE–MD tasks will advise on: Optimal statistical methods The utility of patient-reported outcomes The conduct of registry trials Clinical criteria for evaluating artificial intelligence as a medical device How to evaluate medical devices used in childrenThe essential principles of medical device trials will be considered jointly with the Good Clinical Trials Collaborative. Links between CORE–MD partners will catalyse sustainable networks for research.The consortium is led by the European Society of Cardiology and the European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, and involves all 33 specialist medical associations that are members of the Biomedical Alliance in Europe.Final recommendations will be submitted to the Working Group on Clinical Investigation and Evaluation of the European Commission to be considered when developing EU guidance or common specifications.

The extraordinary ability of the coronavirus to spread in the environment has established the Covid-19 pandemic as the biggest challenge humanity faces in the XXI century.Covid-19 attacks humans regardless of age, claiming the life of over 8,000 people in a single day, with a devastating death toll exceeding 350,000 in just a few months.The virus is likely to survive for the foreseeable future and disperse further, requiring long-term planning and investment in developing means of detection, protection, and cure.Protective measures based on monitoring the dispersion of the coronavirus in the environment and fast screening of individuals have become paramount for ensuring the safety of our ageing population and restarting/supporting the worldwide economy.The objective of the ARIADNE project is to develop a multiple-stage analytical platform based on multi-dimensional mass spectrometry instrumentation.Performing direct and instant detection of intact virus particles in breath and in water, and going far beyond that task, this unique analytical platform will push the scientific boundaries in all aspects of analytical sciences centered on mass spectrometry.ARIADNE integrates state-of-the-art technological advancements in breath sampling and post-ionization methods, new analytical tools for characterization of the protein content of viruses by top-down mass spectrometry, non-destructive ultra-high mass analysis of single particles followed by their soft landing and further processing based on advanced single proteomic workflows.A compact and simplified version of this versatile and powerful analytical platform is also envisaged for advancing the field of real-time breath analytics.Applications extending the analytical capabilities of the system to new viruses, intact bacteria as well as whole human cells will also become accessible.

The EU and the rest of the world increasingly rely on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for everyday functioning. Applications range from decision making in areas such as health and finance, face recognition, autonomous vehicle control, speech recognition and interaction with the internet and social media platforms.Estimated annual global spend on ML and AI is $77.6B in 2022 with a business value of $3.9T. However, current deep-learning machines suffer from inherent and difficult limitations: architectures not adaptable, ineffective learning rules, long training times and computing power, making advances unsustainable.The NeuChiP project will tackle this issue. We will use emerging stem cell technology to make human neuronal networks that self-organise developmentally using the rules that form the brain. Networks will be made of layered cortical structures and hubs, with guided directional network connections and housed in a fabricated assembly.Input will be by patterned light at cells expressing optogenetic actuators, and output recorded via high resolution 3D multielectrode arrays. Intrinsic physiological mechanisms will enable them to undergo plasticity to designated input patterns.NeuChip will surpass the abilities of conventional artificial neural networks by conducting tasks in dynamically changing environments, exploiting the adaptive, complex and exploratory nature of biological human neural systems.To achieve this we have assembled a cross-disciplinary consortium of neuroscientists, stem cell biologists, bioelectronics developers, statistical physicists, together with machine learning and neuromorphic computing experts.We expect that within 15 years NeuChiP technology, using biological learning rules and powerful human-brain-based circuits will lead to novel and widespread advances in machine learning abilities and beyond, leading to a paradigm-shift in AI technology and applications to benefit society.

INTERFAST will develop a novel technological platform for the voltage control of interfacial magnetism. The key idea is to manipulate, via a gate, the hybrid states at the interface between a magnetic material and an organic layer, in a way to affect the effective spin-orbit coupling at such interface.This will allow us to actively control the interfacial magnetism of a wide range of magnetic and supporting compounds, thus providing a universal platform, which is not specific to the rare magnets having massive voltage-control magneto-crystalline anisotropy coefficients.INTERFAST will demonstrate the applicability of this technology to a range of key spintronic functions, encompassing: Voltage control of magnetisation reversal at fJ/bit energy cost Drastic reduction of the spin-orbit-torque switching currents Ultrafast THz information processing in all-metallic spintronic devices aided by gateable hybridisation unit

Proteins—the building blocks of natural systems—offer advantageous structural properties for the design of functional materials and present rare and modest but appealing electrical conduction features.The e-Prot project vision encompasses the rational design of efficient conductive protein systems (e-Ps), and the fabrication of all-protein based conductive structures and materials, targeting a radical change in the design of green electronic and energy storage devices.This breakthrough relies on a multidisciplinary scientific approach that combines: A profound understanding of protein building blocks, biomolecular design principles, state-of-the-art synthetic biology, and chemical tools, to systematically fabricate new protein materials; Cutting-edge characterization techniques and computational models that will provide an unprecedented fundamental understanding of protein conduction, thus building a solid foundation for their technological implementation.Selected engineered conductive proteins will be upscaled and implemented as smart ink-based conductors and ionic electrolytes in energy storage devices, as a first demonstration of the feasibility of an inherently biocompatible and fully sustainable all-protein (e-Prot) bioelectronics platform.This groundbreaking approach surpasses current bio-inspired technologies, transforming the emerging research field of protein-based bioelectronics, currently still limited to basic research, to a new level of sophistication facilitating real-world applications.

Our goal with this project is to develop a ground-breaking technology to virtually eliminate one of the most labour-intensive and frustrating steps in archaeological research, namely the physical reconstruction of shattered artworks. Indeed, countless vases, amphoras, frescos and other ancient artefacts, all over the world, have not survived intact and were dug out from excavation sites as large collections of fragments, many of which are damaged, worn out or missing altogether.Reconstruction of small artefacts is typically done by experienced operators, possibly with the assistance of dedicated software, but when the number of fragments is large (say, of the order of thousands) manual or computer-assisted restoration is simply hopeless. This prevents a large fraction of the world’s cultural heritage from being openly accessible to scholars as well as the general public.By developing and integrating novel technologies in the fields of robotics, computer vision and artificial intelligence, we envisage a future where archaeology can deal effectively with reconstruction problems at an unprecedented scale and be able to bring back to life ancient artworks and masterpieces which would otherwise remain broken into pieces forever.Specifically, we aim to develop an intelligent robotic system which will autonomously process, match and physically assemble large fractured artefacts at a fraction of the time it takes humans to do. The level of ambition of our proposal poses several challenges that cannot be satisfactorily addressed with off-the-shelf technologies, and hence we shall develop brand-new solutions that will push the boundaries of research in the fields of robotics and computer vision.Our system will be tested over iconic case studies from the UNESCO World Heritage site of Pompeii, and one tangible outcome of the project will be to restore two world-renowned frescos which are now shattered into thousands of fragments and forgotten in storerooms.

Conventional climate change mitigation alone will not be able to stabilize atmospheric CO2 concentrations at a level compatible with the 2°C warming limit of the Paris Agreement. Safe and scalable negative emission technologies (NETs), which actively remove CO2 from the atmosphere and ensure long-term carbon (C) sequestration, will be needed.Fast progress in NET-development is needed if NETs are to serve as a risk-hedging mechanism for unexpected geopolitical events and for the transgression of tipping points in the Earth system. Still, no NETs are even on the verge of achieving a substantial contribution to the climate crisis in a sustainable, energy-efficient, and cost-effective manner.BAM! develops ‘super bio-accelerated mineral weathering’ (BAM) as a radical, innovative solution to the NET challenge. While enhanced silicate weathering (ESW) was put forward as a potential NET earlier, we argue that current research focus on either: ex natura carbonation slow in natura ecosystem-based ESW...hampers the potential of the technology to provide a substantial contribution to negative emissions within the next two decades.BAM! focuses on an unparalleled reactor effort to maximize biotic weathering stimulation at low resource inputs, and implementation of an automated, rapid-learning process that allows to fast-adopt and improve on critical weathering rate breakthroughs.The direct transformational impact of BAM! lies in its ambition to develop a NET that serves as a climate risk hedging tool on the short term (within 10-20 years). BAM! builds on the natural powers that have triggered dramatic changes in the Earth’s weathering environment, embedding them into a novel, reactor-based technology.The ambitious end-result is the development of an indispensable environmental remediation solution that transforms large industrial CO2 emitters into no-net CO2 emitters.

The potential of personalised medicine (PM) is to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases by taking into account individuals' genotypes and phenotypes as well as other biomedical, lifestyle and environmental data.However, with some exceptions in cancer and rare diseases, PM has not yet arrived in clinical practice due to fragmentation, undefined legal and regulatory frameworks and its unclear economic value.To overcome these hurdles, ICPerMed was founded to initiate and support communication and exchange on PM research, funding and implementation.ICPerMed provides a platform to identify the requirements for a suitable framework in terms of infrastructures, resources and regulatory procedures to foster the development and implementation of PM.The ICPerMed Secretariat will continue to substantially contribute to the success of ICPerMed by efficiently coordinating all consortium activities. This includes supporting the ICPerMed governance and working groups as well as organising ICPerMed internal meetings and thematic events.A further important task of the ICPerMed Secretariat will be the implementation of an effective dissemination plan and the assistance in the development of a sustainability strategy.By monitoring ongoing research funding activities and collecting “Best Practice Examples”, the secretariat will provide the basis for evidence informed allocation of research funding and regulatory framework and standard development.The ICPerMed Secretariat will guide the dialogue with relevant stakeholders and initiatives. It will support training measures in PM in order to facilitate implementation of PM into practice.The organisational and logistical support of a secretariat will maximise the unique and long-term impact of ICPerMed by strengthening Europe's leading role in the successful implementation of PM in the global context.

Vaccine hesitancy—the delay or refusal of vaccination without medical indication—has been cited as a serious threat to global health by the World Health Organization (WHO), attributing it to misinformation on the internet. The WHO has also identified Health Care Professionals (HCPs) as the most trusted influencers of vaccination decisions.JITSUVAX leverages those insights to turn toxic misinformation into a potential asset based on two premises: The best way to acquire knowledge and to combat misperceptions is by employing misinformation itself, either in weakened doses as a cognitive “vaccine”, or through thorough analysis of misinformation during “refutational learning”. HCPs form the critical link between vaccination policies and vaccine uptake.The principal objective of JITSUVAX is to leverage misinformation about vaccinations into an opportunity by training HCPs through inoculation and refutational learning, thereby neutralizing misinformation among HCPs and enabling them to communicate more effectively with patients.JITSUVAX comprises 4 scientific work packages (WPs 1-4), plus one Management WP (WP0): WP1 will systematically measure HCP attitudes towards vaccinations across participating countries. WP2 will analyse argumentation by anti-vaccination activists to provide material for inoculation and refutational learning. WP2 will also develop novel tools that improve public resilience to misinformation and HCP’s knowledge and attitudes concerning vaccinations. WP3 will translate the findings from WP1 and WP2 into practice, by exploring several new tools, ranging from a new “empathic refutational interview” to interventions in the training of HCPs. WP4 focuses on impact and dissemination. WP4 will design and develop a guidance document for HCPs and public health bodies.Through the team’s contacts and previous collaborations with WHO and UNICEF, we will disseminate and leverage our new knowledge for global impact.

For Europe to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, H2 has been identified as one of the priority areas for clean, affordable and secure energy to replace oil and gas, in accordance with the European Green Deal.Water electrolysis using renewable energy is the leading energy storage contender as a clean H2 source to establish a sustainable H2 economy. However, the necessity of using rare and expensive platinum groups metals (PGMs) to catalyse the cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) hinders the wide implementation of water electrolysis.Therefore, the development of efficient PGM-free catalysts is of utmost importance for Europe to reach its decarbonization objectives. SpinCat addresses this need by realizing a new class of magnetic earth-abundant catalysts that, through spin polarization, will boost catalytic activity towards OER by a factor of three as compared to state-of-the-art catalysts.Further enhancements to catalytic activity will be obtained through the use of an external magnetic field during catalysis. Through an interplay of experiment and theory, we will design and prepare catalyst materials featuring optimal spin polarization effects, gain fundamental knowledge on the parameters affecting the OER activity of magnetic materials, and develop a general theoretical model for the overall description of the influence of the electron spin in electrocatalysis.The technology will be demonstrated in a magnetically enhanced anion-exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyser prototype, which merges the benefits of both internal and external magnetic effects.The long-term vision of SpinCat is to establish cost-effective H2 production via reducing the cost of membrane-based electrolyser technology by omitting the need for PGMs. This project will contribute to establishing Europe as the world leader in electrolyser technology for renewable H2 production.

There remain urgent and unmet needs for the treatment of neurological diseases. Epilepsy is a serious, chronic brain disease characterized by recurrent seizures.Closed-loop, implanted devices offer ways to reduce seizures in drug-resistant patients, but their efficacy is poor and they interrupt seizures only after they begin. PRIME capitalizes on a breakthrough discovery that transfer RNA (tRNA) fragments, a novel class of noncoding RNA, increase in patients in advance of when a seizure occurs.We propose to engineer human cells to respond to tRNA fragment elevations as the trigger for pre-emptive release of glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), a seizure-suppressing and disease-modifying treatment.Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms will be used to integrate OR or AND logic gate functions in the switching process, depending on the quantity and type of tRNA fragments and timing of their release in a given epileptic network. A second, fail-safe calcium-dependent pathway will allow GDNF release in the event of a breakthrough seizure.This enables a precise level of personalization in the design of the bio-computing cells, which will be encapsulated into a membrane device within the microenvironment scaffold, enabling the engineered cells to co-exist with natural brain tissue.Validation of the bio-computing cells will be tested in both in vitro microfluidic organ-on-a-chip as well as in vivo tests for effects on spontaneous seizures in rodents with epilepsy.PRIME’s results will provide a transformational diagnostic-therapeutic treatment for epilepsy and other neurological diseases that feature disrupted neuronal network function.

In the last decade, basic and translational research dramatically expanded the development of new drug and regenerative therapies. Nevertheless, numerous potential therapies end up in the “valley of death” due to high attrition rates of preclinical development.More cost-effective preclinical research is needed to support radically new therapeutic interventions (e.g. regenerative medicine). Yet, preclinical research still lacks adequate models of human organs. Even though human organoid approaches are a major step forward in mimicking physiological conditions, they fail to reflect the overall tissue physiology and complexity.To address this demand, we aim to develop a revolutionary platform, the ECaBox (Eyes in a Care Box), to resuscitate the human cadaveric eye while ensuring eye function and structure ex vivo for an unmatched time period. This new technology will challenge current paradigms of testing the efficacy and safety of regenerative therapies ex vivo.We will therefore explore the potential of this forefront technology by testing a regenerative therapy approach for retina degeneration. Currently, human eyes can be kept at 4ºC for 2 days before experiencing massive and irreversible cell and tissue damage. Human dissected retinae from cadaveric eyes can be preserved for a maximum of 1 week, and non-vascularised human eye organoids fail to recapitulate the vascular and tissue systems.Hence, ECaBox will be a disruptive technology with a tremendous impact allowing to: Resuscitate human eyes to test human eye therapies ex vivo, Bypass major ethical restrictions of human experimentation, Serve as a proof of concept to develop therapies also in other organs preserved ex vivo, and Transform the existing organ transplantation field.This is a highly interdisciplinary project that integrates expertise in biology, biotechnology, modelling, engineering, and physics.

The objective of technical cooperation TC is to support the preparation of the program Support for the Development of Agricultural Public Services in Ecuador EC-L1303, which will be co-executed by INIAP and AGROCALIDAD, hereinafter referred to as the Program, and has been agreed upon with the Government of Ecuador through the Ministry of Economy and Finance MEF. The program aims to support the development of Ecuador's agricultural public services to improve the sector's competitiveness and agricultural exports. The TC will support the completion of studies diagnostics and evaluations, action plans, training, and consultancies that will help define priority investments and create the necessary capacities for the monitoring and evaluation of the main results of the Program, as well as the preparation of the annexes required for the loan document. Additionally, it will finance actions to launch the implementation of the loan operation with both institutions.

The objective of the emergency assistance proposed by this Technical Evaluation Committee CTE is to support the efforts of the Municipality of Bahia Blanca to mitigate the impact of the flood emergency on the population and to address the resulting needs related to humanitarian aid.

Support the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in strengthening and harmonizing the ecosystem of planning instruments within the education sector, as well as in the successful implementation of the operation Program for the Consolidation of Complete Educational Pathways and their Resilience to Climate Change ES-L1167.

The Technical Cooperation's overall goal is to contribute to the improvement of the quality and sustainability of the urban water and sanitation services through the consolidation of the corporate development results in the water and sanitation sector in Colombia fostered by the operation Comprehensive development Urban Water and Sewerage Companies in Colombia CO-T1457.

General objective: Contribute to soften the impact that a natural disaster or a public health event of severe or catastrophic magnitude could have on the country's public finances. Specific objective: Improve the financial management of natural disaster and public health risks by increasing stable, cost-efficient, and rapidly accessible contingent financing to cover extraordinary public expenditures to aid the population affected by natural disaster and public health emergencies.

The objective of this Technical Cooperation TC is to pilot an AI course in Brazil's public schools, especially in full-time education. The TC will finance the first pilot in the state of Para, developing specific materials for teacher training and an evaluation tool to measure students' development, and then scale it to two other statesmunicipalities.

Strengthen the preparation of the loan operation 'Program for the Modernization and Strengthening of Primary Care in EsSalud' PE-L1296. Specifically, the Technical Cooperation will support the execution of pre-investment and diagnostic studies necessary to advance the preparation of the operation under the Invierte.PE regulations.

The objective of the Technical Cooperation TC is to support the preparation and initial execution of the Territorial Connectivity and Integration Program for the western region of Paraguay: the Bioceanic Route, as well as to strengthen public governance in the country by incorporating best practices aligned with OECD standards.

The overall objective of this project is to develop new commercial food products, increase sales, and enhance farmer capacity in order to boost purchases of macambo, cassava, and other products from farmers.

Promote productive development in the Autonomous Decentralized Governments GAD through increasing the added value of local production and integrating into local and global value chains, incorporating environmental sustainability criteria.

Tipo: Incentivi per le impreseTematicaRicerca e innovazioneTerritorioTarantoEntitàEnte di pianificazione: MIMIT - Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in ItalyEnte attuatore: MIMIT - Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in ItalyBeneficiario: Acciaierie d'Italia S.p.A.Esecutore: Acciaierie d'Italia S.p.A.Area di programmazioneProgramma: FSC Anticipazioni Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy 2021-2027Fondo Nazionale per lo Sviluppo e la Coesione: 2021-2027Fondi di coesioneImporto: € 157.850.000,00Pagamenti sui fondi di coesione: € 0,00Area politicaCompetitività delle impreseSettore di interventoIndustria e servizi

Tipo: Incentivi per le impreseNuova RealizzazioneTema: Ricerca e innovazioneTerritorio: PozzilliEntità Ente di pianificazione: MIMIT - Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy Ente attuatore: MIMIT - Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy Beneficiario: Packaging to Polymers S.R.L. Esecutore: Packaging to Polymers S.R.L.Area di programmazioneProgramma: FSC Anticipazioni Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy 2021-2027Fondi Fondo Nazionale di Sviluppo e Coesione 2021-2027 Importo Fondi di coesione € 30,005,038.00 Pagamenti su fondi di coesione € 0.00 Area PoliticaCompetitività: ImpreseSettore di intervento: Industria e servizi