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Statement by Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for
Research, Innovation and Science, on the conclusion of negotiations on Horizon
2020
Brussels, 25 June 2013
“After many hours of
intense talks, the Irish Presidency, the European Parliament's negotiators and
the European Commission have concluded negotiations on the Horizon 2020
package. The package will now be submitted to both the Council and to the
European Parliament, where it will be brought forward to a plenary session of
the European Parliament. This is a very important step that will help ensure
that Horizon 2020 can launch as planned next year.
That is good news for
researchers, for universities, for SMEs, and for all other future participants
in the programme.
It is also good news
for the many more that stand to benefit from the breakthroughs and innovations
the programme will bring, providing solutions for societal challenges and
strengthening industrial competitiveness.
Due credit must go to
the European Parliament's negotiators and the Irish Presidency. Together we
have worked hard to reach this point. We now have within reach what the
European Parliament, EU Member States and European Commission all envisaged
from the start: a research and innovation programme that will make a real
difference for jobs and growth in Europe.”
Focusing Resources on Key Priorities
- Excellent Science.
This will raise the level of excellence in Europe's science base and
ensure a steady stream of world-class research to secure Europe's
long-term competitiveness. It will support the best ideas, develop talent
within Europe, provide researchers with access to priority research
infrastructure, and make Europe an attractive location for the world's
best researchers.
This will:
- support the most talented and creative individuals and their teams to carry out frontier research of the highest quality by building on the success of the European Research Council;
- fund collaborative research to open up new and promising fields of research and innovation through support for Future and Emerging Technologies (FET);
- provide researchers with excellent training and career development opportunities through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions ('Marie Curie actions');
- ensure Europe has world-class research infrastructures (including e-infrastructures) accessible to all researchers in Europe and beyond. - Industrial Leadership.
This will aim at making Europe a more attractive location to invest in
research and innovation (including eco-innovation), by promoting
activities where businesses set the agenda. It will provide major
investment in key industrial technologies, maximise the growth potential
of European companies by providing them with adequate levels of finance
and help innovative SMEs to grow into world-leading companies.
This will: build leadership in enabling and industrial technologies, with dedicated support for ICT, nanotechnologies, advanced materials, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing and processing, and space, while also providing support for cross-cutting actions to capture the accumulated benefits from combining several Key Enabling Technologies; facilitate access to risk finance; provide Union wide support for innovation in SMEs. - Societal Challenges. This reflects the policy priorities of the Europe 2020 strategy and addresses major concerns shared by citizens in Europe and elsewhere. A challenge-based approach will bring together resources and knowledge across different fields, technologies and disciplines, including social sciences and the humanities. This will cover activities from research to market with a new focus on innovation-related activities, such as piloting, demonstration, test-beds, and support for public procurement and market uptake. It will include establishing links with the activities of the European Innovation Partnerships.
Funding will be
focussed on the following challenges:
- Health, demographic change and well-being;
- Food security, sustainable agriculture, marine and maritime research and the
- bio-economy;
- Secure, clean and efficient energy;
- Smart, green and integrated transport;
- Climate action, resource efficiency and raw materials;
- Inclusive, innovative and secure societies.
Status
With agreement on the
H2020 package by the Commission and Parliament, work is now underway on
formalising the structures, budgets, work programmes etc.
More information related to Horizon 2020 can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/research/horizon2020/index_en.cfm?pg=home
