Horizon Europe: next EU Framework Programme for Innovation

Background

EU Framework Programmes (FP) for Research and Innovation (R&I) are unique instruments for boosting European competitiveness. The current EU Framework Programme, Horizon 2020, runs until the end of 2020. The goal is to ensure Europe produces world-class science, removes barriers to innovation and makes it easier for the public and private sectors to work together in delivering innovation.

Industry stepping up to provide solutions

Increasing R&I investments is crucial for the future of Europe in a rapidly globalising world, where success depends ever more on the production and conversion of knowledge into innovation. The EU should do a lot more to achieve its own ambition of investing at least 3% of GDP in R&I by 2020.

Industry will play an increasing role in providing solutions. Europe’s competitiveness and welfare rely on the economic and innovative strengths of its enterprises. The chemical industry has a strong and enabling position in multiple value chains and holds a pivotal position in R&I and the market introduction of innovative solutions.

Cefic’s Position

EU’s R&I policy should focus on areas which cannot be sufficiently tackled by individual member states. These areas include big challenges such as energy, climate, mobility, health and digitalisation. To address such challenges, we will need an innovation ecosystem that fosters the growth of impact driven partnerships, accelerates the development of breakthroughs technologies and shortens their time-to-market.

As an instrument for driving innovation and competiveness, Cefic supports EU Framework Programmes and calls on Horizon Europe to ensure:

• A competitive innovation ecosystem: Engaging all actors in the research and innovation ecosystem is a key to Europe’s long-term innovation leadership and to the delivery of impact for society’s benefit. Industry plays a leading role in Europe’s innovation ecosystem and makes a significant contribution to the success of the Framework Programmes.
• A competitive European manufacturing base: Key enabling technologies (KETs), including advanced process technologies and advanced materials, provide the backbone to boost manufacturing and digitalisation in Europe.
• Sustainable development & impact: Results should be measured in terms of their replication potential and benefits to society, as well as their impact on the environment, the economy, growth and jobs creation.