Horizon Europe is the European Union’s Research & Innovation Investment Programme for 7 years (2021 to 2027), also referred to as the 9th Framework Programme (FP 9). It is the EU’s flagship programme to support research and innovation (R&I) all the way from fundamental concept to market uptake. It builds synergies with national and regional funding. Horizon Europe has a budget of €80.9 BEUR (in 2018 prices), of which €5 BEUR come from the Next Generation EU programme.
Horizon Europe is organised around three pillars:
- Pillar 1 – Excellent Science
- Pillar 2 – Global challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
- Pillar 3 – Innovative Europe
The three pillars will be underpinned by activities aimed at Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area. This includes, in particular, sharing excellence to fully exploit the potential in less R&I-performing countries so that they attain high Union standards of excellence; and reforming and enhancing the European R&I system. The Horizon Europe Pillar structure is complemented by partnerships and missions.
New elements in Horizon Europe
European Innovation Council: Support for innovations with potential breakthrough and disruptive nature with scale-up potential that may be too risky for private investors. This is 70% of the budget earmarked for SMEs.
Missions: Sets of measures to achieve bold, inspirational and measurable goals within a set timeframe. There are 5 main mission areas as part of Horizon Europe.
Open science policy: Mandatory open access to publications and open science principles are applied throughout the programme Factsheet: Open science in Horizon Europe
New approach to partnerships: Objective-driven and more ambitious partnerships with industry in support of EU policy objectives
LATEST NEWS FROM HORIZON EUROPE
- Results of 26-01-2026 auction (EU-Bonds)Auction results EU-Bonds
- The EU-India trade agreementThe EU-India trade agreement is the largest trade agreement that both the EU and India have ever concluded and will give the EU a significant competitive advantage in key industrial and agri-food sectors.
- The EU-Mercosur trade agreementThe EU-Mercosur trade deal creates the world's biggest trading zone, with 700 million people altogether. Agreed between the EU and the South American trading bloc, the deal aims to boost Europe’s economy and global partnerships while protecting EU farmers, consumers and environmental standards.
- International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Statement by President von der Leyen"We mark the 81st anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. We remember and pay tribute to the six million Jewish women, men and children murdered in the Holocaust, as well as all the other innocent victims of the Nazi regime."
- Commission investigates Grok and X's recommender systemsThe new investigation will assess whether X properly assessed and mitigated risks associated with the deployment of Grok's functionalities into X in the EU, including the dissemination of illegal content, such as manipulated sexually explicit images and child sexual abuse material.
