September 30 marked the end of the Horizon Europe MAGICA Project, concluding four years of successful collaboration dedicated to fostering connections between scientific research and policy-making to support knowledge transfer and accelerate climate action.
Launched in June 2022, MAGICA has served as the Coordination and Support Action for the Joint Programming Initiative “Connecting Climate Knowledge for Europe” (JPI Climate), by bringing together 24 organisations from 13 European countries working together on 5 intertwined Work Packages.
Throughout its lifetime, the MAGICA project has successfully advanced the science-policy interface through knowledge brokerage and strategic dialogue. It has developed and supported a series of flagship events, such as the Equinox Summit, the European Climate Change Adaptation Conference (ECCA), the Climate Neutrality Forum, and the JPI Climate Knowledge Hubs, including on Sea Level Rise. The events, convening decision-makers and practitioners as well as members of the scientific community, provided a platform to facilitate knowledge exchange on urgent needs for climate action.
Through the Equinox Process, MAGICA supported JPI Climate in establishing a mechanism for accelerating the development and transfer of climate knowledge to policy and action. The first Equinox Summit in 2023 brought together representatives from European research & climate ministries and senior officials to strengthen the science-policy interface. This was followed by further activities including the Equinox Summit II in 2024 to re-state the importance of knowledge to policy transfer for Europe, and a stocktake in 2026 on global climate observation systems.
The Climate Neutrality Forum provided another important platform for science-policy-practice dialogue. The 2024 and 2026 editions brought together researchers, policymakers and practitioners to examine the latest evidence on emissions reduction & removal, climate policy, carbon dioxide removal and the transformations needed to achieve climate neutrality.
MAGICA also supported knowledge exchange and capacity building through ECCA2023 and ECCA2025, summer schools and thematic workshops covering areas including climate adaptation, open science, carbon dioxide removal, Earth-system modelling, and climate change law and science. The project further supported the AMOC in Focus assessment through two international writing workshops in 2026, bringing together experts to advance the assessment of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.
MAGICA held its final event on September 25, 2026, in Brussels, Belgium. In conjunction with the event, the project launched the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for Climate Change Science (2026-2035), one of MAGICA’s major final outcomes. The Agenda translates the project’s work into a strategic reference intended to last beyond its lifetime. Identifying four strategic research challenges, it provides a shared framework and outlines the research and innovation priorities for climate action across the European Research Area (ERA) for the next decade.
From convening Europe’s climate research community to identifying priorities for research and funding, MAGICA has helped strengthen the coordination and impact of the climate research landscape in Europe over the past four years. With the implementation of the SRIA by JPI Climate, its members and partners, and the European Commission, along with the consolidation of the Equinox Process, the project will continue to guide climate research over the next decade, building a lasting legacy for the years to come.
