ICTA-UAB researcher Andre Colonese and Adam Ranson, researcher from the UAB Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Health Sciences, are two of the 182 top-tier researchers who will receive an ERC Proof of Concept 2026 grant. With a total budget of €27.3 million, each project receives €150,000. This grant aims to help explore the commercial potential or social impact of research findings.
Andre Colonese is working on the NAIVE project, which will identify animal species from fragmented biological remains using artificial intelligence, with the aim of improving biodiversity conservation and combating the illegal wildlife trade.
Adam Ranson has received a grant for the NEURODOCK project, which involves working on a neural interface that allows for the recording of animal brain activity using optical techniques. Furthermore, Ranson was recently awarded a Leonardo Grant for Scientific Research and Cultural Creation from the BBVA Foundation in the field of artificial intelligence and cognitive science.
ERC Proof of Concept grants are part of the EU's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. The 182 projects selected for funding involve researchers working in 14 countries. The highest number of grants will be awarded to Germany (31 grants), the Netherlands (27), Italy and France (18 each), and Spain (13). Among the Spanish recipients is researcher Marcos Fernández from CREAF, recognised for his eMINING project, which studies how to recover heavy metals from wastewater treatment plants and reuse them in industry.
