Interreg Grande Région

The Interreg Grande Région program is a cross-border cooperation initiative which supports projects between local and regional players in Germany, Belgium, France and Luxembourg for over 30 years. With a budget of almost 182 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the period 2021-2027, this program aims to strengthen the territorial, social and economic cohesion of Europe's central area.

Through Interreg GR, the University of Liège is actively involved in projects aimed at making the Greater Region greener, more social, closer to citizens and equipped with better cross-border governance.

Under the 1st interreg VI GR call, 10 research projects are being funded at ULiège. Three of them are coordinated by our researchers.

Interreg VI GR projects coordinated by ULiège

Acronym	Title & Abstract	Coordinator ULiège
CERTEB-OPT	Let's understand the CERTificats Energétiques des Bâtiments scolaires et résidentiels en Grande Région and OPTimize energy management together with our teenagers: This project aims to make energy certificates transparent and reduce energy consumption in buildings. Pilot high schools involve teenagers in understanding and optimizing energy management.	Philippe André
Polyras	Optimization of aquaculture production in RAS (Recirculation Aquaculture System) and reduction of its ecological footprint through polyculture in the Greater Region: This project aims to improve fish production in RAS (Recirculating Aquaculture System) using polyculture, including various multi-species and multi-trophic approaches. It seeks to optimize systems, reduce inputs and innovate to improve production performance while reducing environmental impacts and promoting the well-being of the species concerned.	Carole Rougeot
UniGR-CIRKLA	UniGR's interdisciplinary center of expertise "Circular economy of metals and materials": This project aims to create a center of expertise to foster the transition to a circular economy, with a focus on materials and metals. It aims to make the Greater Region a European model for the efficient management of resources and technological waste.	Eric Pirard

Interreg VI GR projects in which ULiège is a partner

Acronym	Title & Abstract	Coordinator & Partner ULiège
Adapt	Overheating and heat stress - mitigation and adaptation strategies: The residential building stock must evolve to cope with heat waves caused by climate change. In the 4 countries of the Greater Region and beyond, data show an increase in deaths during heat waves. It is essential to put measures in place to deal with these warning signs, especially as the projected rise in temperatures will only increase this phenomenon and make buildings even more uncomfortable. The overall aim of the project is, on the one hand, to promote sustainable construction through initial and ongoing training for professionals and, on the other, to protect vulnerable people through targeted monitoring, warning and countermeasures during heatwaves. Innovative teaching methods will be developed for different target groups, which will only be possible thanks to the networking of the climate laboratories of the four partners.	RPTU Kaiserslauterne-Landau ; Philippe André (ULiège)
Capaciti	PartiCipation, plAce and Pouvoir d'ACtIon des enfants dans la promoTion de leurs droits: This project aims to promote the active participation and inclusion of children in the defense and exercise of their rights in GR. Territorial challenges hamper access to and exercise of these rights, such as lack of knowledge, socio-economic inequalities, cultural and linguistic barriers, insufficient coordination between different institutions and sectors, etc. To (re)give a voice to children, we need to raise their awareness and provide them with training, while at the same time reinforcing the training of (future) professionals. Building on the achievements of the Eur&Qua project, which led to the creation of a cross-border collaborative platform for child protection, the proposed strong cross-border interdisciplinary partnership is fundamental to achieving this.	HENALUX ; Laurent Nisen (ULiège)
ExtraBark	Towards a reinforced circular economy for the valorization of wood industry bark by-products through the extraction of molecules of interest as an alternative to synthetic products in agronomy: To provide industrial players in the wood and chemical sectors of the Greater Region with the elements enabling them to develop a complete valorization chain, via the extraction of molecules of interest, from bark by-products generated by the wood industry. The project also targets the final recovery of extraction residues. The priority application sector is that of biocontrol products and biostimulation of crops and foodstuffs.	Valbiom ; Marie-Laure Fauconnier (ULiège)
GRACE	An innovative collective to extend art education to all citizens of the Greater Region: 21 cultural institutions, local authorities and universities are cooperating to extend art education to all citizens of the Greater Region. They see it as a vector for social inclusion, heritage appropriation and a sense of belonging to this shared territory. They are acting on 3 levers: artistic creation; cultural action; skills development.	City of Metz ; Stéphane Gretry (ULiège)
Greater Green +	To make the Greater Region a leader in the ecological transition towards a circular economy and sustainable development, focusing on 5 themes: energy, sustainable construction and renovation, recycling technologies, water and the environment, and the bioeconomy. Through a program of dedicated actions, Greater Green+ is implementing a genuine gas pedal for cross-border cooperation and technology transfer projects in the field of GreenTech, in support of the circular economy, resilience and resource frugality (critical raw materials, water, energy). A digital GreenTech platform will promote GreenTech solutions and training available throughout the Greater Region, and provide GreenTech players with a community platform for collaboration, information sharing and opportunities. This project will strengthen the influence of the Grande Région in the field of GreenTech, with expected spin-offs in terms of innovation and talent attraction.	Grand E-Nov+ ; Cécile CAULIER (ULiège)
PAE-e-Green	Pôle Automobile Européen-e-Green: Contribute to the decarbonization of the electromobility value chain in the Greater Region, while creating new sustainable development opportunities for the players in this supply chain (companies, research centers, universities, etc.), moving towards a circular economy.	CCI Grand Est ; Pierre Duysinx (ULiège)
W.A.V.E	Wood Added Value Enabler: More than a third of the Grande Région's territory is covered by forests, which represent a major source of wood material and are home to many key players in its transformation. In the face of climate change, the face of the forest is changing, and so is the resource available for processing. How will this resource change? What uses can be made of it? What measures can be put in place to interconnect producers and processors? How can we maintain the development of economic activities in which the conservation of the GR resource is a priority? The various entities of the GR share a common desire to support the development of a high-performance local wood industry based on maintaining and relocating the value chain within the region, while at the same time strengthening the use of wood as a material with an excellent ecological balance sheet and significant carbon storage capacity, particularly in construction.	RND asbl ; Philippe Lejeune (ULiège)

Interreg V GR projects

Acronym	Title & Abstract	Coordinator ULiège
AGRETA	Ardenne Grande Région, Eco-Tourism and Attractiveness	Marc DUFRÊNE
APPS	Patient Care Partner approach in the Greater Region	Benoît PÉTRÉ
ASKAFOR		Gauthier LIGOT
BIOVAL	Establishment of a value chain for brewery waste in a circular economy context	Aurore RICHEL
CBS - Border Studies	UniGR Center for Border Studies # European Center for Border Studies emerging in the Greater Region	Jean-Henri GATHON
CO2REDRES	Thermal treatment of secondary raw materials for reducing CO2 emission in construction industry	Luc COURARD
EUR&QUA	Development of a transborder space of international protection of childhood	Laurent NISEN
FAFIL	Additiion Manufacturing using wire deposition	Pierre DUYSINX
GREATER GREEN	Establishment of a meta-network Environmental technologies of the Greater Region	Philippe ANDRE
GRoNE	Aerial Robotics Greater Region	Anne-Claude ROMAIN
IMPROVE-STEM	Interreg project developing new bioMaterials for PROliferation and in vitro Expansion of STEM cells	Dominique TOYE
MMUST	MUltimodal Model and Cross-border Mobility Scenarios	Mario COOLS
MobiPro.GR	Mobility through the cross-border project in the Greater Region	Stéphane HOUBION
NHL-ChirEx	Program of excellence in surgery / radiotherapy at the faculties of medicine of Nancy, Hombourg / Saarland and Liège	Alexandre Emmanuel GHUYSEN
NOE-NOAH	A shared network of innovative and socially responsible ecological reconnections in the Greater Region	Jean WINAND
PAE	European Automotive Division	Pierre DUYSINX
PERCIPONIE		Michaël OVIDIO
Perséphone	Integration of the Biogas industry into the new Bioeconomy	Anne-Claude ROMAIN
PowderReg	Transport, storage and shaping of powders of industrial interest	Nicolas VANDEWALLE
PRODPILOT	Productivity management for SMEs in the Greater Region	Olivier LISEIN
Pth4GR²ID	Power to Heat for the Greater Region's Renewables Integration and Development	Philippe ANDRÉ
PULSATEC	Applications of pulsed plasma surface treatment technologies on complex 3D surfaces/forms	Grégoire LÉONARD
PUSH.GR	Platform for entrepreneurs and students from higher education institutions in the Grande Région	Michel MORANT
PV follow function		Haissam JIJAKLI
RCC/KN	Network of climatic chambers	Philippe ANDRÉ
Regiowood II	This project aims to strengthen sustainable management in private forest for the benefit of the whole Big Region and its natural heritage	Philippe LEJEUNE
Robotix-Academy	Cross-border teaching and research center in industrial robotics	Olivier BRULS
SDTGR / REKGR	Territorial development plan of the Greater Region	Henri-Jean GATHON
SLH	Smart Light Hub	Jean Winand