Project summary
The CARDIMED project, funded by the European Union, addresses the urgent need for coordinated climate adaptation in the Mediterranean biogeographical region. Despite numerous EU and local initiatives promoting sustainability, efforts to implement nature-based solutions (NBS) often remain fragmented. CARDIMED tackles this challenge by creating a structured framework for collaboration and knowledge exchange across regions, sectors, and stakeholder groups.
At the core of the project are 9 demonstration sites located in 10 regions and 20 locations, engaging 28 communities and implementing 19 nature-based solutions (NBS). These include interventions in urban greening, agroforestry, decentralised water systems, and circular resource use. Altogether, the demo sites support 83 targeted interventions that tackle climate change impacts, biodiversity loss, and resource inefficiencies.
To enable replication and policy impact, CARDIMED also develops a comprehensive digital infrastructure, supporting open data sharing, standardised evaluation methods, and smart modelling tools. The integration of the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus approach ensures that the complex interdependencies of socio-ecological systems are considered in both local and regional planning processes. In parallel, the project empowers communities through digital tools for citizen participation, multi-stakeholder dialogue, and capacity building.
The long-term goal is the establishment of the CARDIMED Resilience Alliance—a transnational network that will expand the impact of the project beyond the demonstration phase. Through replication and upscaling, CARDIMED will engage at least 28 regions and 70 communities by 2030, aiming to create over 8,000 jobs and mobilise more than €450 million in climate-related investment.
The role of alchemia-nova
alchemia-nova plays a central role in ensuring the replication and transferability of CARDIMED’s nature-based solutions to Central European regions, with a particular focus on Austria and neighbouring countries. This includes tailoring Mediterranean-tested solutions to the bioclimatic, social, and governance conditions of Alpine and Central European contexts together with the identification and development of feasable financing and business models options.
A key partnership in this effort is with BABEG, the Carinthian Agency for Investment Promotion and Public Shareholding, which leads the replication region in Carinthia. Together, alchemia-nova and BABEG work to assess regional needs, engage stakeholders, and prepare the ground for the adoption of suitable NBS through strategic planning and knowledge transfer.
Additionally, alchemia-nova contributes to Demo Site 1 (“Non-conventional water loops on Aegean Islands”), where it leads the implementation of agroforestry-based interventions that showcase integrated water and land management in insular, resource-scarce environments.
Through these activities, alchemia-nova ensures that CARDIMED’s innovations are not only demonstrated but also translated into real, replicable solutions across Europe’s diverse biogeographical regions.
Project coordinator:
The National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Athens, Greece
Partners:
Utrecht University Heidelberglaan, Utrecht, Netherlands
BIOAZUL, Málaga, Spain
CORE Innovation Centre, Athens, Greece
CETAQUA, Water Technology Center, Barcelona, Spain
AQUATEC, Barcelona, Spain
ICLEI EUROPEAN SECRETARIAT GMBH (ICLEI EUROPASEKRETARIAT GMBH)
Germany
CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION ECOLOGICA Y APLICACIONES FORESTALES
Spain
LIBRA AI TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE IDIOTIKI KEFALAIOUCHIKI ETAIREIA
Greece
Italy
ASOCIACION EMPRESARIAL DE INVESTIGACION CENTRO TECNOLOGICO DE LA CONSTRUCCION REGION DE MURCIA
Spain
MESOGEIAKO INSTITOUTO GIA TI FYSI KAI TON ANTHROPO – ASTIKI MI KERDOSKOPIKI ETAIREIA
Greece
Greece
Greece
ELVALHALCOR ELLINIKI VIOMIHANIA HALKOU KAI ALOUMINIOU ANONYMOS ETAIREIA
Greece
INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO DE ARAGON
Spain
PERIFEREIA STEREAS ELLADAS
Greece
GKONELAS K. – PATELIS M. O.E.
Greece
UNIVERSITA POLITECNICA DELLE MARCHE
Italy
ALMA MATER STUDIORUM – UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA
Italy
Italy
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI CATANIA
Italy
Italy
Italy
SVI.MED. – CENTRO EUROMEDITERRANEO PER LO SVILUPPO SOSTENIBILE – ETS
Italy
UNITE TECHNIQUE DU SEMIDE GEIE
France
France
France
CONSEIL REGIONAL PROVENCE ALPES COTE D’AZUR
France
FUNDACION CIRCE CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION DE RECURSOS Y CONSUMOS ENERGETICOS
Spain
Spain
DEPARTAMENTO DE MEDIO AMBIENTE Y TURISMO – GOBIERNO DE ARAGON
Spain
Portugal
CIMAC – COMUNIDADE INTERMUNICIPAL DO ALENTEJO CENTRAL
Portugal
Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus
Türkiye
Türkiye
Türkiye
Türkiye
IZMIR SU VE KANAL IDARESI GENEL MUDURLUGU
Türkiye
Malta
KÄRNTNER BETRIEBSANSIEDLUNGS- UND BETEILIGUNGSGESELLSCHAFT M.B.H.
Austria
SOCIEDAD ESPANOLA DE ORNITOLOGIA SEO
Spain
Spain
EMPRESA MUNICIPAL DE AGUAS Y SANEAMIENTO DE MURCIA SA
Spain
IRENA – ISTARSKA REGIONALNA ENERGETSKA AGENCIJA ZA ENERGETSKE DJELATNOSTI DOO
Croatia
United Kingdom
Project status
Start date: 09/202310/2022, duration: 54 months
Project website: https://www.cardimed-project.eu/
Call: HORIZON-MISS-2022-CLIMA-01
Topic: HORIZON-MISS-2022-CLIMA-01-06 – Testing and demonstrating transformative solutions on climate resilience, mainstreaming nature based solutions in the systemic transformation
Type of Action: HORIZON-IA – HORIZON Innovation Actions
Grant Agreement Number: 101112731
Overall costs: € 20 806 271,44
EU contribution: € 19 307 911,25
