UK Set to Rejoin Horizon Europe Research Programme, Opening Doors for Global Collaboration and Innovation

Horizon Europe is the European Union’s flagship funding programme aimed at boosting research and innovation across Europe. With an estimated £85 billion (€95.5 billion) budget, it was launched in 2021 to support a wide range of projects that address both global challenges and the competitiveness of European industries. The programme is a collaboration between Europe’s leading research institutes and technology companies.

The programme is structured around three main pillars: Excellent Science, Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, and Innovative Europe. These pillars aim to fund projects ranging from basic scientific research to solutions for societal and industrial challenges such as health, climate change, and digital technologies.

UK-based researchers were initially excluded from participating in Horizon Europe after Brexit due to disagreements over the Northern Ireland Protocol. However, recent reports suggest that the UK is set to rejoin the programme, allowing British researchers and innovators to apply for funding on the same terms as their EU counterparts.

Horizon Europe is open to organisations from around the world and requires collaboration between institutions across multiple countries, with many funding opportunities requiring a consortium of at least three different organisations. By the end of 2023, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) had issued over 2,000 grants, amounting to more than £1 billion.

The programme runs until 2027, providing vital support for a diverse range of research projects, from climate and energy to cultural and societal challenges, fostering innovation across Europe and beyond.