The green light has now been given by the European Parliament for the formal go-ahead of Horizon Europe.
Members of the European Parliament voted yesterday (April 27th 2021) to approve the new Horizon Europe research, innovation and science programme 2021-2027. This followed an extensive and exhaustive analysis by the Industry, Technology, Research and Energy (ITRE) committee in the European Parliament into all the proposed Horizon Europe actions. MEPS have now given the formal go ahead for the roll out of the different collaborative research initiatives that are going to be supported under Horizon Europe valued at €95.5 billion.
A key policy priority for MEPS, the 27 member states of the EU and the European Commission is to strengthen EU industrial competitiveness. Investing in the research, innovation and science sectors are central elements in the implementation of the strategy to support stronger economic growth in Europe. Horizon Europe is not an isolated EU policy instrument and it supports other key EU priorities including the EU Green Deal, the EU-Africa strategy, climate change actions and the 17 UN Sustainability Goals. In fact, 35% of research funding under Horizon Europe will support the building of a cleaner, more environmentally friendly and energy efficient society. The building of a more innovative society is a pre-requisite if the European Union is to cut by 2030 CO2 emissions by 55% compared to 1990 levels.
The EU institutions are rightly seeking to fully align how a variety of different EU initiatives and frameworks are going to operate over the coming seven years. Aspects of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and the Digital Europe programmes will support the upgrading of key telecom infrastructures across Europe. Innovations in the fields of artificial intelligence, big data and high performance computing (HPC) will help modernise the development of the digital economy in Europe. 20% of the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility is being allocated for measures that will ensure that Europe becomes a world leader within the digital economic space. Digitalisation is now an ever increasing driver for economic growth. It is moving at a very fast pace indeed. ICT innovation is bringing to fruition new business processes and models within the energy, transport, manufacturing, smart city, agriculture, health and education sectors.
The European Commissioner for innovation, research and education Mariya Gabriel has recently made the point that the EU must reach an investment target of 3% GDP in the research and science sectors. To achieve this target over the next few years will require higher levels of investment from both the private and public sectors into a host of evolving research disciplines. Horizon Europe is setting up many public private partnerships within the strategic research domain. Such collaborative partnerships include the health, automotive, aviation, clean energy, food, batteries, robotics and smart network sectors. Moreover, the European Commission must fully realize the potential that the completion of the objectives of the European Research Area (ERA) offers to our society. This will avoid to a greater extent the duplication of scientific effort and it will promote the free movement of scientists within and into Europe.
The best way to ensure that excellence in science is secured under Horizon Europe is by guaranteeing that international cooperation is promoted at all times. Devising vaccinations to combat Covid-19 has been built on the solid foundation of international collaboration. The policy objectives of Horizon Europe will be best served by the stated objective of widespread research engagement across the length and breadth of the world. This is the best way to achieve the delivery of the most innovative products and services into the marketplace and to tackle our social challenges.
David Harmon is the director of EU Public Affairs at Huawei Technologies and he is a former member in the cabinet of the European Commissioner for research, innovation and science 2010-2014.