EU invests € 80 billion of funding in research and innovation

Source: European Commission

09.12.11

Photonics21

The European Commission held a press conference on the “Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL establishing Horizon 2020 - The Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020)”. The “Horizon 2020” proposal from the EU Commission will now be discussed with the Council, the European Parliament and the Committee of the Regions. Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn has announced Horizon 2020, an € 80 billion programme for investment in research and innovation. Horizon 2020 will focus its funds on three key objectives “Excellent Science”, “Industrial Leadership” and “Societal Challenges”.

The Key Enabling Technologies (KET) play a major role in the Horizon 2020 programme to achieve “Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies”. The European Commission is asking for an integrated approach to Key Enabling Technologies which will contribute to future growth and jobs. Photonics is mentioned in the “Industrial Leadership Section” in the session “Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies”, which in total shall receive a € 15.580 mio. funding. The ICT sector (Information & Communication Technologies) thereof foresees a support of € 8.975 million of which € 1.795 million are assigned for photonics and micro-and nanoelectronics, € 4.293 million for nanotechnologies, advanced materials and advanced manufacturing and processing, € 575 million for biotechnology and € 1.737 million for space. As a result, € 6.663 million will be available to support Key Enabling Technologies. Furthermore, dedicated support will be provided for larger-scale pilot line and demonstrator projects to exploit the accumulated benefits from combining different KETs.

In their “Proposal for a Council Decision establishing the Specific Programme Implementing Horizon 2020 -The Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020)” the EU Commission also refers to the Public Private Partnerships and their essential role in the future framework programme. Photonics and Robotics are mentioned as potential new PPPs.

Further information
http://ec.europa.eu/research/horizon2020/index_en.cfm?pg=home