Strategies and policies supported by EU research and innovation
Research and innovation are crucial for driving a sustainable, equitable, and prosperous transformation of industries across value chains in Europe. This transformation will help safeguard competitiveness, create jobs and improve our lives while staying within the limits of our planet's resources.
Industrial research and innovation has a direct impact on the following European Commission priorities: A European Green Deal, An Economy that works for People, A Europe fit for the digital age.
Industrial research and innovation is supported under Cluster 4 ‘Industry, Digital and Space’ in Horizon Europe.
Public research and innovation investments trigger private investments, which are monitored through the yearly Industrial Research and Development Scoreboard.
The European Commission and EU countries are jointly developing the EU valorisation policy to strengthen innovation ecosystems for knowledge circulation ensuring that research and innovation results have a positive impact on society.
Policy focus
- Advanced manufacturing
- Advanced materials and chemicals
- Artificial intelligence (AI)
- Dual-use technologies
- Energy intensive process industries
- ERA Common Industrial Technologies Roadmaps
- EU valorisation policy
- Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard
- Industry 5.0
- Metrology
- Technology Infrastructures
- The future of work
- Transitions Performance Index (TPI)
Funding opportunities
Calls for proposal in industrial research are mainly represented in cluster 4 of the programme, Digital, Industry and Space
Discover the range of EU Programmes implemented through the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework, divided by heading and cluster. Access specific information on programmes, from reference documents to eligibility criteria and guidelines for participants or projects and results.
Collaboration and jobs
Researcher jobs in related fields
Find partners for open calls for proposal and view profiles of organisations that have previously received funding through the funding and tenders portal
Projects and results
The Commission's primary portal for results of EU-funded research projects
Stories of particularly successful EU-funded research projects
Access to real-time programme data with the ability to filter by country, region, theme and more
Commission initiative to identify high potential innovations and innovators in EU-funded research and innovation framework programmes
Success stories
EU-funded researchers are testing new hydrogen-powered burners that could slash emissions from one of the world’s most carbon-intensive industries – without shutting down production.
- Project locations
- Spain, Finland, France, Germany
Living buildings, quantum computers, safety by design, home robots and AI-assisted pandemic preparedness. Europe’s researchers are reshaping how we live, work and design our cities in 2026.
- Project locations
- Belgium
Scientific publications, tools and databases
Single point of access to open data produced by the EU institutions - all data free to use for commercial and non-commercial purposes
All scientific publications from Horizon Europe and H2020 are accessible via OpenAIRE.
This factsheet provides an overview of sectoral emission sources, emissions breakdowns, decarbonisation trajectories, and estimated technology-specific CO₂ abatement costs.
Latest
The Commission published an expert study providing new insights into measuring knowledge valorisation activities across the European Research Area.
The Commission adopted today a revised recommendation on the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework, reinforcing Europe’s commitment to chemicals and materials innovation that aligns with the Clean Industrial Deal’s ambition for a toxic-free, circular, and competitive economy.
