The document defines the fundamental strategic orientations for EU R&I investments in the last three years of HE
On 20 March, coinciding with the Research and Innovation Day "R&IDays", the European Commission approved the new strategic plan for Horizon Europe, outlining the European Union's investment priorities in research and innovation for the three-year period 2025- 2027.
This strategic plan establishes three main orientations for the allocation of EU funds for research and innovation:
- The transition towards a green Europe;
- The digital transition;
- A more resilient, competitive, inclusive and democratic Europe.
These directions intend to respond to critical global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, digitalisation and demographic ageing, while promoting open strategic autonomy and consolidating European leadership in the development and implementation of key technologies.
Among the innovations introduced by the plan, we note an increase in Horizon Europe's commitment to biodiversity, with the allocation of 10% of its total budget for the period 2025-2027 to initiatives related to this theme. This comes alongside the targets already established for climate-related spending (35%) and key digital initiatives (13 billion in the same period).
The document also presents nine new European partnerships in areas such as brain health, sustainable forest management, innovative materials for the EU, raw materials for the green and digital transition, resilient cultural heritage, social transformations and resilience, solar photovoltaics, fabrics of the future and virtual worlds.
Particular attention is given to the New European Bauhaus (NEB), a pioneering initiative that aims to reinvent a sustainable and inclusive way of life, involving a variety of social actors. The NEB will transversally influence Horizon Europe's work programs in the period 2025-2027.
The plan also touches on specific themes such as the balance between research and innovation and the integration of social sciences and humanities, underlining the importance of balanced support for projects of varying technological maturity and the integration of social sciences and humanities in all relevant initiatives.
The key principles outlined in this second strategic plan will guide Horizon Europe's activities until 2027, with detailed Work Programs defining future funding opportunities for research and innovation. In April 2024, the Commission will invite feedback on these programmes, opening the consultation to all interested stakeholders.
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Horizon Europe strategic plan 2025-2027
The second strategic plan 2025-2027 sets direction to the future of R&I