Overview
Horizon 2020 is the financial instrument implementing the Innovation Union, a Europe 2020 flagship initiative aimed at securing Europe's global competitiveness. Running from 2014 to 2020 with an € 80 billion budget, the EU's new programme for research and innovation is part of the drive to create new growth and jobs in Europe.
Horizon 2020 provides major simplification through a single set of rules. It will combine all research and innovation funding currently provided through the Framework Programmes for Research and Technical Development, the innovation related activities of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).
Excellent Science
Horizon 2020 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.
Horizon 2020 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 (ERC);
- 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 Curie Actions;
- ensure Europe has world-class research infrastructures (including e-infrastructures) accessible to all researchers in Europe and beyond.
Competitive Industries
The Competitive Industries objective aims at making Europe a more attractive location to invest in research and 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.
Horizon 2020 will:
- build leadership in enabling and industrial technologies, with dedicated support for ICT, nano-technologies, 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.
Better Society
Horizon 2020 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 m
Horizon 2020 is a key tool in implementing the Innovation Union flagship initiative, in delivering on the commitments made therein and in responding to the conclusions of the 4 February 2011 European Council and to the European Parliament's Resolution of 12 May 2011 on the Innovation Union.
Horizon 2020 brings together all existing Union research and innovation funding, including
the Framework Programme for Research, the innovation related activities of the
Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)