Policy background
Chile is one of the EU’s key like-minded partners in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region, with a well-established economy and democracy. The 2002 general Association Agreement (AA) governs the EU-Chile relationship. Negotiations to modernise it are ongoing.
Chile and the EU signed an Agreement for Scientific and Technology Cooperation in September 2002, which entered into force in January 2007 for an initial period of 5 years (renewed by tacit agreement in January 2017 for another 5 years). Chile ranked third out of the LAC countries in terms of participation in Horizon 2020, after Brazil and Argentina. Globally it ranked 11th among all non-EU countries not associated to the programme.
At the 8th Joint Steering Committee (set up under the above-mentioned Agreement) meeting both delegations reaffirmed the importance of science, technology and innovation cooperation in addressing shared economic, environmental and societal challenges within the context of the overall EU-Chile relations.
Discussion topics covered, among others
- Mission Innovation as a strategic area for cooperation in the field of clean-energy research and innovation
- sustainable mining
- climate action and resource efficiency
- global initiatives in Health such as the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD), Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness (GloPID-R)
Clean energy, decarbonisation and Mission Innovation
Mission Innovation (MI)is an exemplar global initiative of 22 countries and the European Union, with the aim to accelerate effort in innovation in clean energy globally. The European Commission endeavours to accelerate clean energy innovation through MI – the main forum for effective international cooperation in clean energy research and innovation. MI members represent over 90% of global government investment in clean energy research and innovation.
In MI both EU and Chile are very active members, e.g. Chile co-leads with the Commission the new mission on clean hydrogen. Chile has as well as the Commission, a vice-chair to the MI Steering Committee. The second phase of Mission Innovation, launched in June 2021 at the Sixth MI Ministerial virtually hosted by Chile, will engage in a decade of action focusing on outcomes and concrete actions to maximise innovation investments and bring solutions to the market.
Chile holds the COP25 presidency until November 2021. It has set climate change mitigation through sustainable energy promotion, energy sector decarbonisation and energy transition as a priority. The country is also active on the ban on plastics and ocean management.
Chile has made green hydrogen (Innovation Challenge 2 under MI) a top priority and strives to become a world leader in its production and export. According to the National Strategy on GH2, by 2050, 21% of CO2 cuts will come from the use of green hydrogen. In parallel, the Ministry of Economy launched the Clean Energy Institute, a USD 190 million public funded R&D institute in northern Chile, which seeks to promote solar energy, low emission mining, and concrete progress in the lithium and other minerals industry. Chile has already 46% of renewable energy sources, mainly solar, in its energy mix.
All these create good prerequisites for cooperation in science, technology and innovation.
Other areas of cooperation
The National Agency for Research and Development (ANID) has identified among the main areas for international cooperation the following: open laboratories/biobanks, climate action and open science.
Chile hosts the European Southern Observatory (ESO), a 16-nation intergovernmental research organisation for ground-based astronomy, with state-of-the-art research facilities in the Atacama desert.
Bilateral science, technology and innovation cooperation should proceed primarily, but not only, on
- European Green Deal call topics
- Mission Innovation
- green hydrogen
- digital transition
- health
- marine resources’ management.
Cooperation should be aligned with objectives on combatting climate change and fostering biodiversity, and according to open science principles and practice, all of which are also leading goals of Horizon Europe, the EU research and innovation programme for 2021-2027.
Funding opportunities
Horizon Europe is the biggest EU research and innovation programme ever with €95.5 billion of funding available over 7 years (2021 to 2027). It is open to the world, which means that participants from all over the world, including entities established in Chile, can take part in most calls.
For the first time Chile, as high-income country, is not in Horizon Europe’s list of low and mid-income countries eligible for automatic EU funding, which means that the general rule is that the entities will need to fund their own participation.
They can however receive exceptional funding, if
- their country is explicitly identified in the Horizon Europe work programme and call for proposals as being eligible for funding
- the granting authority considers that their participation as a beneficiary is essential for implementing the project, for example in view of their: outstanding competence/expertise, access to particular research infrastructures, access to particular geographical environments, access to particular data
International cooperation in Horizon Europe
Agreements and arrangements
- Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperation between the European Community and Chile signed in September 2002 and entered into force in January 2007
Projects and results
Research project database (CORDIS)
EU-funded research projects involving Chile
More stories of particularly successful EU-funded research projects involving Chile
For previous framework programmes, please contact the Research enquiry service.
Contact
National Contact Points
The National Contact Points (NCPs) provide guidance, practical information and assistance on all aspects of participation in Horizon Europe.
Research enquiry service
You can contact the research enquiry service to find out more about research in Europe, the EU's research and innovation funding programmes as well as calls for proposals and project funding.