European UnionDeadline PassedNon-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution, Other
Soft Robotics for Advanced physical capabilities (IA) (AI/Data/Robotics Partnership)
Horizon Europe Cluster 4 Digital, Industry and Space – Digital and Emerging Enabling Technologies
Funding Amount
€10.0M - €10.0M
Deadline
02/10/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution, Other
Trusted by
What is the Soft Robotics for Advanced physical capabilities (IA) (AI/Data/Robotics Partnership) Call?
Grant Description
This call supports the development and exploitation of soft robotic systems through novel materials, non-rigid design methods and advanced control techniques. Funded projects must deliver at least three demonstrators in different sectors, include mechanisms for qualitative and quantitative progress assessment, reuse existing public results, and share outcomes via the AI-on-demand platform. The aim is to create general-purpose, inherently safe and versatile soft robots for applications in healthc...
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
Increased exploitation of novel materials, design methods and control techniques for soft robotics, enabling the development of inherently safe, adaptive and versatile robotic systems. Demonstrated advances will lead to general-purpose soft robotic tools and platforms with intrinsic and functional safety, capable of secure human-robot interaction across diverse industries (healthcare, maintenance, manufacturing, transportation). The call will strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy and competitiveness in digital and emerging enabling technologies by fostering reusable system architectures, open-source tools, best practices and disseminated knowledge within the European AI, Data and Robotics ecosystem.
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
Proposals must address soft robotics by (i) exploiting novel materials (passive, active or hybrid) for compliant non-rigid structures, manipulators and end-effectors; (ii) developing design methods for deformable physical architectures with integrated position sensing beyond fixed link paradigms; (iii) creating control techniques for robots built from soft materials or for emulating rigid structures via compliant elements. Each proposal must include at least three demonstrators from different sectors to illustrate the technical advantages and application potential of the developed tools and systems. Results must generalise beyond the demonstration cases, delivering reusable, open and extensible solutions. Proposals must implement progress assessment mechanisms—qualitative and quantitative KPIs, benchmarking and monitoring—and, where possible, build upon and reuse publicly available results from prior EU-funded projects. Communicable outcomes must be shared with the European R&D community through the AI-on-demand platform (and other relevant platforms) to strengthen the European AI, Data and Robotics ecosystem. All proposals must allocate tasks for cohesion activities under the ADRA partnership and seek collaborations and synergies with existing relevant projects and initiatives.
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
Type of Action: Horizon Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) under Horizon Europe. Model Grant Agreement: HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG]. Single-stage submission. Opening date: 10 June 2025. Deadline: 2 October 2025, 17:00 Brussels time. Proposals must comply with admissibility conditions (page limit and layout per Annex A/E), eligibility of countries (Annex B), financial and operational capacity, exclusion criteria (Annex C), evaluation criteria and thresholds (Annex D), submission and evaluation procedures (Annex F), and legal and financial rules (Annex G) of the Horizon Europe General Annexes. Subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks. Proposals must consider Destination 4 (“Achieving open strategic autonomy in digital and emerging enabling technologies”) of the 2025 Work Programme—aligning with the European Chips Act priorities, energy efficiency, circularity, AI Apply Strategy and Gen AI 4 EU initiative where relevant. Results must adhere to EU open access, data management and IPR policies. Tasks for ADRA cohesion activities are mandatory, and proposals must seek collaboration with existing international, European, national or regional initiatives. Application and evaluation templates provided in the Submission System must be used.
Important dates
Open from: 10/06/2025
Deadline:02/10/2025
Application period has ended
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