Horizon 2020 is the new Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. It will run between the
2014 and the 2020. Its main goal it the implementation of the Innovation Union, a Europe 20201 flagship
initiative aimed at securing Europe’s global competitiveness. With a budget just over €70 billion, this new
programme for research and innovation is part of the drive to create new growth and jobs in Europe.
The proposed support for research and innovation under Horizon 2020 is divided into 3 three pillars
corresponding to its main priorities:
o Strengthen the EU’s position in science with a dedicated budget of € 24 341 million. This will
provide a boost to top-level research in Europe, including the very successful European Research
Council (ERC).
o Strengthen industrial leadership in innovation € 17 015 million. This includes major investment in
key technologies, greater access to capital and support for SMEs.
o Provide € 30 956 million to help address major concerns shared by all Europeans such as climate
change, developing sustainable transport and mobility, making renewable energy more
affordable, ensuring food safety and security, or coping with the challenge of an ageing
population.
Horizon 2020 will tackle societal challenges by helping to bridge the gap between research and the
market by, for example, helping innovative enterprise to develop their technological breakthroughs into
viable products with real commercial potential. This market-driven approach will include creating
partnerships with the private sector and Member States to bring together the resources needed.
International cooperation will be an important cross-cutting priority of Horizon 2020. In addition to
Horizon 2020 being fully open to international participation, targeted actions with key partner countries
and regions will focus on the EU’s strategic priorities. Through a new strategy, a strategic and coherent
approach to international cooperation will be ensured across Horizon 2020.
Horizon 2020 will be complemented by further measures to complete and further develop the European
Research Area by 2014. These measures will aim at breaking down barriers to create a genuine single
market for knowledge, research and innovation
Pillar 1: Excellent Science
The Excellent Science part of H2020 supports the world-class science in Europe, by developing, attracting
and retaining research talent and supporting the development of the best research infrastructures.
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,
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Europe 2020 is the EU's growth strategy for the coming decade: In a changing world, we want the EU to become a
smart, sustainable and inclusive economy. These three mutually reinforcing priorities should help the EU and the
Member States deliver high levels of employment, productivity and social cohesion. Concretely, the Union has set
five ambitious objectives - on employment, innovation, education, social inclusion and climate/energy - to be
reached by 2020. Each Member State has adopted its own national targets in each of these areas. Concrete actions
at EU and national levels underpin the strategy.
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:
o 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);
o fund collaborative research to open up new and promising fields of research and innovation
through support for Future and Emerging Technologies (FET);
o provide researchers with excellent training and career development opportunities through the
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions;
o ensure Europe has world-class research infrastructures (including e-infrastructures) accessible to
all researchers in Europe and beyond
Total funding for 2014-2020
European Research Council (ERC)
Frontier research by the best individual teams: Starting,
Consolidator & Advanced Grants
Future & emerging technologies
Collaborative research to open new fields of innovation
Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions (MSCA)
Opportunities for training and career development: Innovative
Training Networks, Individual Fellowships, RISE & COFUND
Research infrastructures (including e-infrastructure)
Ensuring access to world-class facilities
€ million
13.095
2.696
6.162
2.488
Pillar 2: 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:
o 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;
o Facilitate access to risk finance;
o Provide Union wide support for innovation in SMEs.
Pillar 3: Tackling Societal Challenges
The pillar of Societal Challenges supports R&I that target society and citizens (climate, environment,
energy, transport, etc.). It supports the development of breakthrough solutions coming from multidisciplinary collaborations, which include social sciences and humanities in a transversal way.
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 market
uptake. It will include establishing links with the activities of the European Innovation Partnerships (EIP).
Funding will be focussed on the following challenges:
o Health, demographic change and well-being (7 472 € million);
o Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water
research, and the bioeconomy (3 851 € million);
o Secure, clean and efficient energy (5 931 € million);
o Smart, green and integrated transport (6 339 € million);
o Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials (3 081 € million);
o Europe in a changing world - inclusive, innovative and reflective societies (1 309 € million);
o Secure societies - protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens (1 695 € million);
o Science with and for society (462 € million);
o Spreading excellence & widening participation (816 € million).