Horizon Europe: Are industrial partnerships ready for lift-off?

For nigh on twenty years, public-private partnerships (PPPs) have been a central component of the EU’s research framework programmes. From Clean Skies to the Innovative Medicines Initiative, they have been one of the most important mechanisms to get industry, science and governments to cooperate and invest in strategic high tech sectors, and to bring advanced R&D solutions closer to market.

Unsurprisingly, within Horizon Europe – the latest multi-year R&I programme – the Commission is placing big bets on the next generation of PPPs to power its attempts to tackle global challenges, increase industrial competitiveness, and accelerate the post-COVID recovery. And with a potential budget of €26.75 billion, there is plenty of attention being paid to what they will aim to deliver in the decade ahead, and who will engage.    

Yet as Horizon’s roll-out gathers momentum, significant questions remain about the objectives and modalities of the partnerships ahead of their formal launch – from the co-programmed and co-funded initiatives, to the institutional partnerships involving member states. There are also wider concerns about whether the scale of industrial investment will meet Commission expectations, given the economic impacts of COVID and a downturn in  corporate R&D spending.

In this members-only meeting, the Science|Business Network will convene with senior figures from the European Commission and Parliament to discuss latest developments in this vital area of Horizon Europe, and the future prospects for industry to contribute to its long-term goals.