Horizon Europe, the new Framework Programme for Research and Innovation of the European Union

The first details of Horizon Europe, the European Union’s new Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, are already known.

On May 2, the European Commission (EC) presented its budget proposal for the period 2021-2027 for which it intends to allocate around 114,000 million euros. Almost 86% of this investment in research and innovation, 97,600 million euros, will be allocated to the future “9th Framework Programme”, which it has called “Horizon Europe” and which will succeed the current Horizon 2020.

To date, it is the largest research and innovation programme ever launched by the European Commission, and continues to maintain the three-pillar structure inherited from H2020, albeit with major conceptual changes:

– Open Science pillar: its objective is to support researchers through grants and exchanges as well as by financing projects that have been defined and led by themselves. This pillar will include the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions and the calls belonging to the European Research Council (ERC).

– Global Challenges pillar: directly supports research related to societal challenges, setting up missions across the EU with ambitious targets around issues that concern us on a daily basis, such as the fight against cancer, clean mobility and a plastic-free ocean. Industrial leadership will be prominent within this pillar and throughout the program.

– Open Innovation pillar: The open innovation pillar aims to make Europe a benchmark in innovation aimed at creating new markets. The newly created European Innovation Council (EIC) will offer a one-stop shop for high-potential, cutting-edge technologies and innovative companies with the potential to scale.

Again and as was already done at the beginning of H2020, the European Commission emphasizes that Horizon Europe will have simpler rules of participation for beneficiaries.

What other developments does the European budget for the period 2021-2027 bring?

InvestEU provides an EU guarantee to mobilise public and private funding in the form of loans, guarantees, equity or other market instruments, to strategic investments in support of research and development through an investment window. With a contribution from the EU budget of €15.2 billion, InvestEU will mobilise more than €650 billion of additional investment across Europe.
EU cohesion policy plays an important role in European funds for research and innovation through a greater focus on innovation and smart specialisation strategies (RIS3). The “Seal of Excellence” allows projects successfully evaluated under Horizon Europe to be financed at regional level under the European Structural and Investment Funds.
The new European Defence Fund, with an overall budget of €13 billion, will boost Europe’s ability to protect and defend its citizens. It will offer EU-funded grants for collaborative projects that address emerging and future defence and security threats as well as technology gaps.
ITER, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, is the first long-term project to build and operate a reactor to test the viability of fusion as an energy source. It will be allocated 6 billion euros.
The Euratom research and training programme funds research and training on the safety of nuclear energy production.

InvestEU provides an EU guarantee to mobilise public and private funding in the form of loans, guarantees, equity or other market instruments, to strategic investments in support of research and development through an investment window. With a contribution from the EU budget of €15.2 billion, InvestEU will mobilise more than €650 billion of additional investment across Europe.
EU cohesion policy plays an important role in European funds for research and innovation through a greater focus on innovation and smart specialisation strategies (RIS3). The “Seal of Excellence” allows projects successfully evaluated under Horizon Europe to be financed at regional level under the European Structural and Investment Funds.
The new European Defence Fund, with an overall budget of €13 billion, will boost Europe’s ability to protect and defend its citizens. It will offer EU-funded grants for collaborative projects that address emerging and future defence and security threats as well as technology gaps.
ITER, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, is the first long-term project to build and operate a reactor to test the viability of fusion as an energy source. It will be allocated 6 billion euros.
The Euratom research and training programme funds research and training on the safety of nuclear energy production.
The new Digital Europe Programme, with €9.2 billion, aims to bring the benefits of digital transformation to all European citizens and businesses. The program will drive top-of-the-line investments in high performance related to computing and data management, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and advanced digital skills. It will promote on a large scale a deployment of digital technologies in all economic sectors and support the digital transformation of services and businesses.