Projects

The main goal of this project is to provide a scientific basis for the transition from the current centralised and organised high-temperature DHC networks to an integrated and highly efficient system with much lower system temperatures at different levels (energy cascades). The idea behind this project is that several decentralised low-temperature (4th and 5th generation) district heating and cooling networks, spread all over the city, are connected to the general DHC network as a backbone, as well as to the overarching electric power system, including local PV generation. The key element of this concept is a multi-level heat cascade, where each non-fuel renewable or waste heat source is used according to its temperature level, and the return flow of each network can be used to supply the corresponding lower temperature level, considering the required temperature level of individual buildings and urban structures.

The project will develop, over the course of two years, a knowledge base and a scenario tool adapted to Estonia in order to understand the impact of artificial intelligence and automation on jobs, skills, work organization, and well-being, and to support effective and fair policymaking. The research takes into account Estonia’s specific features: the structure of small and medium-sized enterprises, regional differences, the quality of AI solutions based on the Estonian language, and the strengths of the digital state. The project will map the impact of AI on occupations and sectors, assess job transitions and the need for reskilling, examine organizational changes that enable productivity growth while maintaining work quality, and analyze policy priorities that support economic growth, the creation of new jobs, and a just transition. The methodology includes case study reviews, policy and document analysis, NLP analysis of job postings, expert, employer, and employee interviews, as well as a representative survey. The outputs will include an AI impact taxonomy, occupation-specific impact indices, task and skill maps with training pathways, labor transition matrices, a work organization maturity model for companies, SME checklists, and policy options. Scenarios will also be developed to illustrate workforce and skills development trajectories. The project results will support the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, as well as education policy, employment, and regional policy makers. The scientific contribution lies in task-based calibration specific to Estonia, the development of impact indices, and the creation of scenarios.

This Action will integrate cutting-edge analytic developments involving innovative sources of information, such as text, functions, perceptions or imprecise data, in econometrics. High-dimensional, complex and unstructured economic datasets cannot be fully exploited hitherto by the existing methodologies. An international network of experts, spanning the disciplines of econometrics, mathematics, statistics and computer science, will be created, with the aim of establishing and implementing new efficient inferential procedures for using such information in econometric modelling and forecasting. User-friendly and freely available software will be produced. These results will enable applied econometricians to mine textual information gathered from newspapers, articles, opinions and sentiments recorded by poles, in combination with other complex and traditional data. New techniques for analyzing the evolution of economic indicators will help to improve forecasting. Valuable insights into economic issues will provide ample prospects for further research, as vast sources of data are still noticeably under-exploited. The potential to enhance economic data analysis will be fostered by a training programme for Early Career Investigators, and by intensifying connections among academics, stakeholders, and policy- makers. The impact will not be limited to economics and finance. The interaction with experts in other areas, such as environmental sciences or health, will facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technology. Emphasis will be given to sensor data and indicators that will alert to the vulnerability of commercial enterprises and social groups to extreme events associated with environmental hazards. Such indicators will include those relating to mortality risks.

Innosteps roadmap concept analysis and compliance evaluation to innovation management quality standard ISO56001.

Innovation ladder