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Research and innovation
News article27 September 2019Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

European Research and Innovation Days: Europe needs an ambitious Horizon Europe programme

Europe must take the lead and use its unlimited creativity to achieve solutions for sustainable growth. This was one of the recurrent themes of the first European Research and Innovation Days in Brussels this week. Its participants also agreed that the structure and priorities for the first years of Horizon Europe, the EU’s next research and innovation programme, are well defined to support this ambition.

At the three-day event, researchers, academics, businesses, decision-makers and parliament representatives from Europe and beyond took part in an unprecedented co-design process to shape the priorities and strategic plan for the first four years of Horizon Europe, due to start in 2021.

Carlos Moedas, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, said:

The dedication, energy and creativity of the participants in the European Research and Innovation Days are truly inspirational. Their contributions are invaluable for securing the success of Horizon Europe.

Notable points that were raised at the event’s co-design sessions and meetings include:

  • Broad support for the orientations for strategic planning for Horizon Europe’s first four years, which have been co-designed in the run-up to the Research and Innovation Days;
  • A strong call to Europe to take the lead on creating solutions for sustainability;
  • Transform Europe’s unlimited creativity into solutions and marketable products and services, which can be shared with the rest of the world.

These and other key points, together with more than 6000 responses from the ongoing Horizon Europe online co-design consultation, will feed directly into Horizon Europe’s strategic planning process. This process, focused in particular on Horizon Europe’s second pillar: 'Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness', will create the first ‘Horizon Europe Strategic Plan (2021-2024)’. The plan will identify major policy drivers, strategic policy priorities, and targeted impacts to be achieved as well as identify missions and European Partnerships.

Background

The European Parliament and the Council reached a political agreement on Horizon Europe in April 2019, on the basis of which the Commission has started to prepare for the programme’s implementation, including through the strategic planning process. The legal bases for Horizon Europe are still to be settled by the co-legislators, the European Parliament and Council, first of all the EU’s long-term budget (2021-2027).  Following progress of the inter-institutional path, the Commission can finalise the first ‘Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2021-24’.

More information

Horizon Europe

European Research and Innovation Days

Share your views:
Horizon Europe co-design online survey
Horizon Europe implementation online survey
Horizon Europe research and innovation partnerships consultation

Details

Publication date
27 September 2019
Author
Directorate-General for Research and Innovation