Horizon Prize – Materials for Clean Air

Topic description

Scope:

In the European Union, the average life expectancy is estimated to be decreased by 8.6 months, because of exposure to particulate matter resulting from human activities. The inhalation of particulate matter can also lead to adverse effects in the respiratory, cardiovascular, immune, and neural systems. In addition to its effects on the human health, particulate matter can also have adverse effects on climate change and ecosystems.

The Horizon Prize on materials for clean air is a €3 million prize that will be awarded to the person or team who can most effectively meet the following challenge: develop the best innovative design-driven material solution to reduce the concentration of particulate matter in urban areas.

Objective:

The objective pursued by this inducement prize is to reduce particulate matter air pollution in urban areas through the development of innovative material solutions. These solutions should be design-driven, affordable and sustainable, and they should demonstrate that they can effectively remove and/or prevent the formation of particulate matter in the atmosphere (vehicle exhaust systems will be excluded).

Expected results:

Affordable, sustainable and innovative design-driven material solutions that can effectively remove or prevent the formation of particulate matter in the atmosphere (vehicle exhaust systems will be excluded) and works in the environment targeted for application.

Socio-economic science and humanities