Horizon 2020: EU framework programme for research and innovation

Citation

(2014), "Horizon 2020: EU framework programme for research and innovation", International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, Vol. 5 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJDRBE-03-2014-0023

Horizon 2020: EU framework programme for research and innovation

Article Type: News articles From: International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, Volume 5, Issue 2

“Horizon 2020” is the European Union (EU) flagship programme for research and technological development. With an overall budget of €80 billion (LKR 14,000 billion) over the period 2014-2020, the programme is one of the most significant of its kind. This is in addition to the private investment that this money will attract.

It is also most open to international cooperation. It aims to boost knowledge-driven economies through research and innovation and promises new breakthroughs, discoveries and world-firsts by taking great ideas “from the laboratory to the market”. By coupling research and innovation, Horizon 2020 is helping to achieve the aim of securing Europe’s global competitiveness with its emphasis on excellent science, industrial leadership and tackling societal challenges. Accordingly, the programme consists of three separate pillars, addressing key priorities where there is clear EU added value.

By 2050, the world population may reach nine billion people, and two-fifths of that population will be > 50 years old. Three quarters of the global population will live in cities, and > 60 per cent will live in small households – alone or with just one other person. These profound demographic changes will take place in the course of just a few decades. How can we find sustainable solutions to problems such as energy supplies, global warming, public health, security or water and food resources?

Investing in quality and relevant research and technological development is the key to supporting resource efficiency and diversity, protecting the environment, combating poverty and social exclusion, in short, to creating a better society for citizens.

Horizon 2020 reflects these 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.

Priorities for funding include sciences, industrial leadership and global challenges.

Horizon 2020 aims to solve some of society’s biggest challenges, from ageing populations to the need for clean energy, and keep Europe’s economy competitive over the long term. It provides €31.5 billion of research funding under societal challenges. Accordingly, the third pillar of Horizon 2020 is built upon the concerns of citizens and society combined with EU policy objectives. Funding focuses upon seven societal challenges:

• health, demographic change and well-being;

• food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research and bioeconomy;

• secure, clean and efficient energy;

• smart, green and integrated transport;

• climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials;

• Europe in a changing world – inclusive, innovative and reflective societies; and

• secure societies – protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens.

The new international cooperation strategy focuses on research in areas of common interest and mutual benefit to achieve these objectives. It is based on the principle of general openness: the programme will remain to be the most open funding programme in the world with the need to join forces globally to tackle global challenges.

Horizon 2020 provides opportunities for scientists and researchers in the field of disaster resilience. The European Commission website contains detailed information about Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges:

http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/h2020-section/societal-challenges