JEWEL EU project : Joint nEtWork for European net-zero manufacturing Leadership

Project overal objectives 

The general ambition of JEWEL is to mobilise the European manufacturing sector, particularly innovative SMEs, regarding the challenges of net-zero manufacturing, and to contribute to the emergence of structuring innovation projects. The project aims to support innovation within the framework of the Twin Transition, promoting the adoption of advanced technologies to combat the environmental impacts of industrial production. 

The project is built around three fundamental pillars: 

1. Acquisition of resources and knowledge on net-zero technologies and virtuous economic models. 
2. Support for innovation projects with personalised and qualified assistance "from idea to project". 
3. Financing of projects offering the most innovative solutions for European industrial ecosystems.

Key Objectives 

JEWEL defines specific Project Objectives (PO) to provide relevant solutions for SMEs in the context of net-zero manufacturing. 

These include: 

• Strengthening industrial competitiveness by supporting the development and uptake of green and digital solutions, especially Net-Zero Technologies (NZT), through collaborative innovative projects (PO1). 
• Familiarising manufacturing companies with NZT and their industrial applications, particularly those improving resource efficiency and reducing energy consumption (PO2). 
• Encouraging the adoption of differentiating economic models and tools such as the circular economy to generate innovative industrial projects (PO3). 
• Promoting collaboration between tech-savvy SMEs and end-user manufacturing companies for the use of advanced digital technologies to develop new-to-firm processes (PO4). 
• Leading and strengthening the European Cluster Alliance for Green Manufacturing as a long-term metacluster network (PO5). 
• Ensuring monitoring of international markets to encourage manufacturing companies to develop internationalisation strategies and build partnerships with third countries (PO6). 
• Defining an effective communication strategy to ensure the intelligent dissemination of project results (PO7)

Key Activities (methodology)

The work is formalised around three main blocks which feed into a virtuous dynamic: 

1. Net-Zero Knowledge (WP2 & WP3): The consortium consolidates support by developing a Knowledge Hub on NZT and their industrial applications (WP2), and net-zero manufacturing methods and environmentally virtuous business models (WP3). This involves awareness-raising activities and personalised mentoring. 
2. Project Factory (WP4): This is the core of JEWEL, supporting the emergence of collaborative innovation projects, including support for Flagship Projects. This process aims to secure funding for promising initiatives at regional, national, and EU level. 
3. Funding Window (WP5): JEWEL’s main tool of attractiveness is open calls for direct financing (Financial Support to Third Parties - FSTP) aimed at European manufacturing SMEs. This mechanism is designed to finance the 25 best innovative projects through 3 funding opportunities

Target sectors and Technologies

The JEWEL partnership covers a large number of industrial ecosystems. The project focuses its action primarily on the following ecosystems: 

• Energy-Intensive Industries, 
• Mobility-Transport-Automotive, 
• Aerospace & Defence. 

JEWEL addresses four categories of NZTs as a priority, based on their strategic nature for decarbonisation: 

• Battery and energy storage technologies. 
• Hydrogen technologies, including electrolysers and fuel cells. 
• Electricity grid technologies. 
• Transformative industrial technologies for decarbonisation (including Renewable energy technologies).

Project partners

The JEWEL consortium brings together 8 partners from 7 European countries. The consortium benefits from significant experience in collaborative projects and strong knowledge of European industrial ecosystems.

Coordinator : Pôle MecaTech (MECATECH, Belgium).

List of Project Partners :

1. Pôle MecaTech, Belgium
2. CENTRUM PROMOCJI INNOWACJI I ROZWOJU, Poland
3. Associaçao POOL-NET – Portuguese Tooling & Plastics Network, Portugal
4. GreenTech Latvia, Latvia
5. Clust-ER MECH, Italy
6. CIMES Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
7. OY Merinova, Finland
8. Pôle EMC2, France

Budget 

Total Budget: €2,696,627.91 

EU Grant Amount: €2,624,965.04 

Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) dedicated to SMEs: €1,980,000.00 (75.43% of the grant amount)

Duration

The JEWEL project was launched on October 1st 2025. 

Duration : 36 months.

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Disclaimer Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. The mandatory European flag and funding statement will be used in all public communication, including for beneficiaries of the FSTP.