Horizon Impact Award honours EU-funded projects impacting society in Europe and beyond
A new drug for a rare disease, prevention of child abuse, increased security of web browsing and protection of coastal areas against climate change impact were the outcomes of the research and innovation (R&I) projects that won the Horizon Impact Award 2019. The winners were announced at the European Research and Innovation Days event in Brussels. There were 10 finalists and an independent jury selected the 4 winning projects. “This award is the European Commission’s initiative to recognise and celebrate outstanding projects that have used their results to provide value for society,” as stated on the European Commission website. The award was launched in March 2019 to highlight the socioeconomic benefits of EU investment in R&I. The eligible projects had received EU funding under Horizon 2020 and its predecessor, the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).
Winning projects
The winners included a team that created the first long-term drug therapy for a rare disease, alpha-mannosidosis, under the project MANNO-CURE (Germany). The researchers’ solution helped improve the quality of life of patients suffering from the disease, as explained in a video. The disorder is associated with an impaired breakdown of polysaccharides. A polysaccharide is a large molecule made of monosaccharides, simple sugars like glucose. Special enzymes bind these small monomers together creating large sugar polymers, or polysaccharides, that have several functions such as storing energy, sending cellular messages, and providing support to cells and tissues. Alpha-mannosidosis refers to an inherited lysosomal storage disorder characterised by immune deficiency, facial and skeletal abnormalities, hearing impairment and mental retardation. Clinicians and researchers from different European countries involved with the ALPHA-MAN project contributed to MANNO-CURE. The ALPHA-MAN (Clinical development of Enzyme Replacement Therapy in alpha-Mannosidosis patients using recombinant human enzyme) project ended in 2014. Another winner, CRYSP (France), has provided web users with an improved Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol that ensures digital security. The CRYSP (CRYSP: A Novel Framework for Collaboratively Building Cryptographically Secure Programs and their Proofs) project helped design the Internet Engineering Task Force’s 1.3 version of the TLS. Thanks to this protocol, citizens can check emails, make online purchases or even pay taxes using a reliable web browser that’s more secure than ever. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and other major web browsers currently deploy the TLS 1.3 as stated in a video. The SAFE (United Kingdom) project developed a free child abuse prevention programme that reached over 600 000 families in 22 countries. The project’s training programme was delivered across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and eastern Europe. Its global outreach is also highlighted in a video. The initial studies that contributed to the award-winning SAFE project were supported by PACCASA (Preventing Abuse of Children in the Context of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa). This EU-funded project expanded beyond its original aims of a single programme and has partnered with several child abuse prevention programmes for various age groups. Finally, the SMART-COASTS (Italy) project established a systematic approach in risk assessment and coastal management. It provided innovative solutions aimed at protecting coastal areas from erosion, floods and climate change effects. A video summarises the results of the THESEUS (Innovative coastal technologies for safer European coasts in a changing climate) project that provided the basis for SMART-COASTS’ strategies. For more information, please see: ALPHA-MAN project CRYSP project PACCASA project THESEUS project
Countries
Germany