Horizon Europe is well underway, but the world of European R&D policy goes well beyond the confines of the €95.5 billion R&D programme. EU climate, digital, agriculture and regional policies all have significant research and innovation components. National governments often come up with new R&D policies, decide to fund new research avenues, and set up international cooperation deals. This blog aims to keep you informed on all of that and more.
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Sweden aims to increase its participation in FP10, according to a new government paper on the future of the EU’s framework programme for research and innovation.
The paper also calls on the EU to allocate a "strong" budget for the European Research Council (ERC) and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).
The Swedish government also wants to keep the current structure of the programme. "The pillar structure, in its current form, should be maintained to ensure continuity and predictability, enabling participants to focus on addressing global challenges and promoting Europe’s competitiveness without needing to adapt to a new structure that may result in missed opportunities and altered participation conditions," the paper says.
The full text is available here.
A second batch of fellowships for researchers displaced from Ukraine is now available under the MSCA4Ukraine scheme.
Around 50 doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships will be supported with the additional funding of €10 million. The money comes from the EU’s Horizon Europe research programme.
Since 2023, the scheme has enabled 125 displaced researchers from Ukraine to train and work in 21 countries.
The call for proposals opened on 5 August and will close on 5 September.
You can find more information here and watch the recording of the info day here.
Eurostat published data on Tuesday showing a 5.3% increase in the EU's total government budget allocations for R&D in 2023 compared to 2022, underscoring significant growth in research funding across the EU.
In 2023, the total budget reached €123.7 billion, equivalent to 0.73% of GDP. Per capita R&D allocation was €275.6 per person at the EU level, with Luxembourg, Denmark, and Germany leading in spending, while Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary recorded the lowest allocations per person.
More information here.
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has received a €850,000 donation for five university cooperation projects with Ukraine.
The donation comes from the Harald Christ Foundation for Democracy and Diversity, of which €200,000 is contributed by Germany’s ZEIT publishing group.
The projects will be part of a programme which brings together German and Ukrainian universities to develop virtual education offers that enable students to study during the war.
The EU is looking to fund studies providing strategic insights for its €10 billion innovation fund, the European Innovation Council (EIC).
The winning contractor will provide a strategic assessment of the technologies and sectors the EIC supports as well as insights into the performance of EIC companies.
Applications are welcome until 6 September. The estimated budget is €900,000, excluding VAT.
Find the call for tenders here.
During the Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit 2024 held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between July 29 and 30, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organization (WHO) called for enhanced global research to better prepare for future pandemics.
They advocated for expanding research to cover entire families of pathogens, creating adaptable tools and countermeasures, improving surveillance, and deepening understanding of pathogen transmission and immune responses.
“History teaches us that the next pandemic is a matter of when, not if. It also teaches us the importance of science and political resolve in blunting its impact,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO. “We need that same combination of science and political resolve to come together as we prepare for the next pandemic. Advancing our knowledge of the many pathogens that surround us is a global project requiring the participation of scientists from every country.”
More details here.
On Thursday, the Irish government announced the creation of Taighde Éireann (Research Ireland), a new competitive research funding agency.
The new agency will merge the Irish Research Council and Science Foundation Ireland activities, helping in achieving the objectives of Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy.
“This agency will enhance our capacity to address the issues Irish society is facing, in particular climate change and the digital transition. It will also enable us to engage and compete with greater impact at an international level, making the most of future opportunities in research and innovation,” said Ireland’s Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Patrick O’Donovan.
Read the full announcement here.
The Commission has launched a consultation on an upcoming code of practice for general-purpose artificial intelligence (GPAI) models. It is inviting input from GPAI providers with operations in the EU, businesses, civil society representatives, rights holders and academic experts.
The code of practice is foreseen by the EU’s AI Act, and will address areas including transparency, copyright-related rules, risk identification and assessment, and risk mitigation.
The Commission expects to finalise the code of practice by April 2025 ahead of an entry into application in August 2025, with the newly-created AI Office set to oversee the enforcement of the rules.
The AI Act officially entered into force on 1 August. Its first provisions, banning AI systems judged to present unacceptable risk, will take effect in February 2025. Most of the rules though will not kick in until 2 August 2026.
The European Commission has greenlighted a €998 million Dutch state aid measure to support the production of renewable hydrogen.
The funding will be awarded through competitive bidding by the end of 2024, taking the form of a direct grant.
“This €998 million Dutch scheme will help scaling up the production of renewable hydrogen in the Netherlands by providing support to electrolysers projects of all size, while ensuring that any potential competition distortions are kept to the minimum,” said Margrethe Vestager, competition commissioner.
More details here.
A group made up of European corporate bosses has set out its recommendations for the successor to Horizon Europe, framework programme 10, arguing that it should allow for dual use research, overturning the current programme's exclusive civilian focus.
The European Round Table for Industry says that Europe "cannot afford to forego important innovation synergies" between military and civilian projects in its new position paper on FP10, which is currently being debate in Brussels.
The group, like other lobbying bodies, is shooting for a €200 billion budget, but also warns against too much tinkering with the structure. "A complete re-design would mean significant delays, disruption and uncertainty throughout the ecosystem," the paper warns.
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