UPTAKE Webinar
11 March 2026, h. 14:00 CET
To join the webinar, register here

The UPTAKE monthly webinar series returns, continuing its engaging discussions on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies and the latest research developments. The next session in the series, dedicated to recent publications on CDR research, will focus on the paper Technology, Geography and Collaboration Networks: Assessing Global Innovation and Research Funding Patterns for Carbon Removal.

Speakers:
Livia Fritz, Aarhus University (AU)
Finn Müller-Hansen, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)

Moderator: Kavita Surana, Vienna University of Economics and Business

In addition to strong global emission cuts, experts see the rapid upscaling of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) as paramount for reaching the Paris agreement target. A comprehensive view of research and innovation dynamics is crucial for the rigorous assessment of the potentials of CDR options and for guiding strategies to close knowledge gaps. Here, we investigate funding patterns in CDR research across time, geographies and fields of research and identify key organizations and actors in collaboration networks. We use comprehensive search queries and machine learning to identify more than 6000 research grants on twelve different CDR options. Research funding increased strongly over the past 30 years (21% p.a.), more than funding for climate science and technology. In comparison to carbon capture and storage, CDR receives a higher number of grants, but less total funding, estimated at 4.2 bn$. Funding is highly concentrated in Europe and North America and mostly directed towards natural, engineering and agricultural science, with little but increasing support for social science. European funding seems to encourage research in larger consortia. However, our analysis finds little funding specifically targeted at CDR, highlighting potentials for strategic initiatives for accelerating innovation in CDR.