The Commission today approved the Horizon Europe main work program for 2023-24, with around €13.5 billion to support researchers and innovators in Europe
The Commission today approved the main work program of the Horizon Europe program for 2023-24, with around €13.5 billion to support researchers and innovators in Europe in their quest to find breakthrough solutions in the environmental, energy, digital and geopolitical challenges.
As part of the EU’s wider €95.5 billion research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe, this funding will help meet the EU’s climate targets, increase energy resilience and develop key digital technologies. It will also consider targeted actions to support Ukraine, boost economic resilience and foster sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. It will contribute to a stronger European research and innovation ecosystem, including through the wider participation of researchers and innovators across Europe, increasing mobility and funding world-class research infrastructure.
Implementation of climate action and digital transformation EUR 5.67 billion (over 42 % of the work program budget) to achieve key climate action objectives, to find innovative solutions to reduce emissions greenhouse gases and to adapt to climate change. An amount of €1.67 billion contributes to supporting biodiversity.
Over €4.5 billion will support the EU’s digital transition, including to develop key digital technologies and promote their integration into our lives.
Extensive support will also be provided to the New European Bauhaus, which aims to demonstrate the benefits of the green transition in people’s everyday lives and living spaces.
Supporting a safe, secure and resilient Europe
Almost €970 million will be invested to accelerate the transition to clean energy, under the REPowerEU plan, and to increase Europe’s energy independence from unreliable suppliers and unstable fossil fuels.
In 2023, the work program will direct investments of more than €1 billion from NextGeneration EU to Europe’s recovery from the economic and social damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, it will support research and innovation with €336 million to strengthen pandemic preparedness and respond to health emergencies. This is in line with the objectives of the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA).
It will also support critical infrastructure to deal with physical and cyber threats to strengthen the EU’s resilience.
Targeted support to Ukraine
Targeted support is provided to Ukraine in addition to the EUR 70 million of special measures already launched in 2022. New actions include strengthening the access of researchers from Ukraine to European research infrastructures, continuing support for health scientists from Ukraine and supporting of the climate neutral reconstruction of several Ukrainian cities through the EU mission for climate neutral and smart cities.
Global challenges require global solutions
The Horizon Europe work program for the period 2023-2024 covers actions to support and strengthen international initiatives in the fields of, in particular, renewable energy, food systems, global health and environmental observations. It builds on the Africa initiative and introduces the new Mediterranean initiative, responding to the new research and innovation agenda developed with the Union for the Mediterranean.
Regarding cooperation with China, the work program will focus on addressing global challenges through two flagship research initiatives on food, agriculture and biotechnology, as well as climate change and biodiversity.
Openness to international cooperation is balanced with the need to safeguard the EU’s interests in strategic areas, in particular to promote the EU’s open strategic autonomy and its technological superiority and competitiveness.
EU Missions
More than €600 million will be invested in the five EU missions in 2023. This will support research and innovation, which is expected to lead, for example, to local and regional authorities better prepared to deal with climate-related risks , in the restoration of at least 25 000 km of free-flowing rivers, in “climate city contracts” with 100 cities, in the development of soil monitoring programs or in the optimization of minimally invasive methods for the diagnosis of cancer. The Commission expects the Missions to leverage contributions from other funding sources so that, at the end of 2023, a total level of investment is achieved that exceeds the investment made by the Horizon Europe programme.
Next steps
The first calls for proposals will open on the EU funding and calls for tenders portal on 7 December 2022. Horizon Europe information days for potential applicants will be held between 6 December 2022 and 16 February 2023.
Record
The Horizon Europe Work Program 2023-2024 is based on the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2021-2024, adopted in March 2021. Created together with stakeholders, Member States members and the European Parliament. On 1 December, the Commission launched its largest ever public consultation on the past, present and future of the EU’s Horizon research and innovation programs for 2014-2027. Open for 12 weeks, this consultation contributes to the final evaluation of Horizon 2020, the mid-term evaluation of Horizon Europe, as well as forming the basis for the preparation of the Horizon Europe strategic plan for the period 2025-2027.
Athena Papakosta
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