HORIZON 2020 & HORIZON EUROPE

Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU research and innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020)
Horizon Europe - the next research and innovation framework programme that will succeed Horizon 2020 is being developed now (see for more detail below the Horizon 2020 info)

For more information and help, please visit the NCP Flanders website

Horizon 2020 sections

Work programme general introduction, including focus area

• Excellent Science
  • European Research Council
  • Future and Emerging Technologies
    • FET Open
    • FET Proactive
    • FET Flagships
  • Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
  • Research Infrastructures, including e-Infrastructures
    • e-infrastructures
• Industrial Leadership
  •  Leadership in Enabling and Industrial Technologies
    • Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Advanced Manufacturing and Processing, and Biotechnology
      • Nanotechnologies
    • Information and Communication Technologies
      • Photonics
      • Micro- and Nanoelectronics
      • Content Technologies and Information Management
      • Advanced Computing
      • Robotics
      • Future Internet
      • A new generation of components and systems
    • Space
  • Access to risk finance
  • Innovation in SMEs
    • The Eurostars programme
• Societal Challenges
  • Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing
    • Scientific Panel for Health (SPH)
  • Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Marine, Maritime and Inland Water Research and the Bioeconomy
    • Bioeconomy
  • Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy
  • Smart, Green and Integrated Transport
  • Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials
    • Water innovation
    • Fighting and adapting to climate change
    • Waste
  • Europe in a changing world - Inclusive, innovative and reflective societies
  • Secure societies – Protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens
• Science with and for Society
  • Promoting Gender Equality in Research and Innovation
  • Public Engagement in Responsible Research and Innovation
  • Responsible research & innovation
  • Ethics
  • Open Science (Open Access)
  • Science Education
• Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation
  • Teaming
  • Twinning
  • Era Chairs
• Enhanced European Innovation Council (EIC) pilot
  • EIC Accelerator Pilot
  • Fast Track to Innovation
  • Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) Open
  • Horizon Prizes
• Focus areas
• European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
• Euratom
  • Nuclear fusion

Horizon Europe - the next research and innovation framework programme

The Commission's proposal for Horizon Europe, strategic planning, implementation, news, related links.

Developing Horizon Europe

The Commission's proposal for Horizon Europe is an ambitious €100 billion research and innovation programme to succeed Horizon 2020.

Read about the proposal and what shaped it

The European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached in March and April 2019 a provisional agreement on Horizon Europe. The European Parliament endorsed the provisional agreement on 17 April 2019.

Presentation outlining Horizon Europe in 23 languages.

Implementing Horizon Europe - strategic planning

Following the political agreement, the Commission has begun a strategic planning process.

The result of the process will be set out in a multiannual Strategic Plan to prepare the content in the work programmes and calls for proposal for the first 4 years of Horizon Europe.

The strategic planning process will focus in particular on the Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness pillar of Horizon Europe. It will also cover the Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area part of the programme as well as relevant activities in other pillars.

Preliminary structure of Horizon Europe

The process will identify, among other things

• key areas for research and innovation support and their targeted impact
• European partnerships
• missions
• areas of international cooperation

The strategic planning process includes a co-design process that took place over the summer and autumn 2019 in view of preparing the first Strategic Plan for Horizon Europe.

The views and ideas of more than 7,000 respondents were collected through web-based surveys and close to 4,000 participants engaged in in-depth debates at the European Research and Innovation Days, which took place in Brussels on 24 - 26 September 2019.

The results of the co-design process are summarised in the document Orientations towards the first Strategic Plan for Horizon Europe.

Missions in Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe will incorporate research and innovation missions to increase the effectiveness of funding by pursuing clearly defined targets. 

The Commission has engaged policy experts to develop studies, case studies and reports on how a mission-oriented policy approach will work.

Read more about the Commission's mission-oriented approach and download the studies that shaped it

Mission areas

5 mission areas have been identified, each with a dedicated mission board and assembly. They will help specify, design and implement specific missions in Horizon Europe. 

Mission area: Adaptation to climate change including societal transformation

Mission area: Cancer

Mission area: Climate-neutral and smart cities

Mission area: Healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters

Mission area: Soil health and food

European partnerships in Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe will support European partnerships with EU countries, the private sector, foundations and other stakeholders. The aim is to deliver on global challenges and industrial modernisation through concerted research and innovation efforts.

The Horizon Europe proposal lays down the conditions and principles for establishing European Partnerships. 

Full information on European Partnerships including candidates and contact details

Adoption timeline

• 2 May 2018 The Commission adopts its proposal for the next EU long-term budget (MFF)
• 7 June 2018 The Commission adopts its proposal for Horizon Europe
• 2019-2020 The Council and European Parliament negotiate and subsequently adopt the programme
• 1 January 2021 Horizon Europe is launched