The European Commission is opening tenders as part of its Horizon Europe 2025 work programme with €7.3 billion allocated to support innovation and talents to work within the bloc and strengthen its technological and competitive profile.
The programme is structured in different areas, covering academia and industry with a focus on automotive, urbanism, the environment and digitalisation. Each area has some funding ready for 2025, and the Commission is already at work to secure further funding until 2027, when the 2021-2017 Horizon Europe framework will end and the next budget cycle will start. The three priorities identified by the Commission are science, investing in talent, and accelerating innovation.
“With this €7.3 billion investment through Horizon Europe for 2025, we will boost European prosperity and competitiveness, address key challenges in security and defence, and facilitate the clean transition,” said Stéphane Séjourné, Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy.
A big part of the funding will go to research and innovation on digital and space technologies and sustainable projects, for €663 million in 2025 alone.
“With 36% of funding for digital innovation and €1.6 billion for AI, and a strong focus on climate, security, and industry, it will drive real results on the ground,” commented Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation.
However, roughly a third of the budget will be allocated for green projects to help the EU achieve its climate goals. Another third will foster digitalisation projects in the bloc, aiming to simplify bureaucracy and save money for both the public and private sectors.
Programmes like Choose Europe for Science will focus on giving working paths to researchers across the continent, and linked with them, the Commission is funding projects for both Ukrainian and Palestinian researchers who have been displaced due to war.
