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Horizon Europe in Brief

Horizon Europe is the European Union’s Research & Innovation Investment Programme for 7 years (2021 to 2027), also referred to as the 9th Framework Programme (FP 9). It is the EU’s flagship programme to support research and innovation (R&I) all the way from fundamental concept to market uptake. It builds synergies with national and regional funding. Horizon Europe has a budget of €80.9 billion (in 2018 prices), of which €5 billion come from the Next Generation EU programme.

Horizon Europe Objectives

Horizon Europe aims at strengthening the scientific and technological base of EU economies in order to help tackle major global challenges and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The programme will also strengthen the European Research Area (ERA).

At the same time, the programme aims to boost the EU’s innovation capacity and competitiveness, including that of its industries and jobs.

Horizon Europe will deliver on citizens’ priorities and sustain Europe’s socioeconomic model and values. It will also deliver on the EU strategic priorities and support the development and implementation of Union policies.

To achieve this aim and build on the success of its predecessor, Horizon 2020 (2014 – 2020), Horizon Europe continues to support the whole R&I cycle in an integrated manner.

Horizon Europe structure

Horizon Europe follows a global approach. It supports R&I from concept, fundamental research and applied research to market uptake. Horizon Europe is organised around three pillars:

Pillar 1 - Excellent Science

builds on the successes of Horizon 2020 and will reinforce the European Union’s scientific leadership and capacity, high-quality knowledge and skills development, through strengthening research infrastructures and the bottom-up European Research Council and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.

Pillar 2 - Global challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness

will take forward the societal challenges and industrial technologies in a top-down directed approach. It will address the EU and global policy and competitiveness challenges and opportunities and be organised around 6 thematic Clusters (Health; Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society; Digital, Industry and Space; Climate, Energy and Mobility; Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment).
Pillar 2 will also provide scientific evidence and technical support to EU policies, including through the activities of the Joint Research Centre.

Pillar 3 - Innovative Europe

will support the scaling up of breakthrough and market-creating innovation through the European Innovation Council, the enhancement of the European Innovation Ecosystem, and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).

The three pillars will be underpinned by activities aimed at Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area. This includes, in particular, sharing excellence to fully exploit the potential in less R&I-performing countries so that they attain high Union standards of excellence; and reforming and enhancing the European R&I system.

Horizon Europe Pillars

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