Horizon Europe is a monumental step forward in the mobilisation of research and innovation across Europe and the Western Balkans are no exception. Tasked with a budget of €95.5 billion, Horizon Europe is the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation aimed at tackling climate change, helping achieve the UN’s sustainability goals and boosting the EU’s competitiveness and growth.
Horizon Europe is fully open to participation from the associated Wester Balkan economies. It facilitates collaboration and strengthens the impact of research and innovation in developing, supporting and implementing EU policies while tackling global challenges. It creates jobs, boosts economic growth, promotes industrial competitiveness and optimises investment impact.
The first Horizon Europe calls available to the Western Balkans for cooperation with partners in the EU and beyond have been recently published:
Twinning Western Balkans Special (HORIZON-WIDERA-2021-ACCESS-02-01, 05 Oct 2021)
Support for R&I policy making in the Western Balkans (HORIZON-WIDERA-2021- ACCESS-06-01, 29 Sep 2021)
Support to the implementation of inclusive gender equality plans (including countries from the Western Balkans) (HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-ERA-01-81)
European
Horizon Europe’s programme includes the European Research Council (ERC) and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). In addition, Horizon Europe benefits from various research infrastructures that encompass a wide array of facilities designed to provide resources and services to the research communities to produce excellent science.
The European Research Council, established in 2007, is the premier European funding organisation for excellent scientific and frontier research. By providing attractive and flexible funding for talented and creative researchers and innovators the ERC has a proven track record of its grantees being at the forefront of their respective fields. Such opportunities are open to the Western Balkan region and a fantastic opportunity to seek new and exciting avenues for scientific collaboration, funding, and discovery.
Alongside the ERC, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions make up the EU’s flagship programme for doctoral and postdoctoral training. The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions equip researchers and innovators with new skills and knowledge through mobility across borders, different sectors, and disciplines. The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions fund the development of excellent doctoral and postdoctoral training programmes not only across the European Research Area, but also worldwide.
Currently the following MSCA calls available to the Western Balkans for cooperation with partners in the EU and beyond are under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions:
MSCA International Cooperation 2021 (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-INCO-01-01, 5 October 2021)
MSCA Doctoral Networks 2021 (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-DN-01, 16 Nov 2021)
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021 (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01, 12 Oct 2021)
MSCA and Citizens 2022 (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-CITIZENS-01, 7 Oct 2021)
MSCA International Cooperation 2021 (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-INCO-01, 5 Oct 2021)
As the EU’s new funding programme for research and innovation, Horizon Europe is tasked with providing support and funding for research infrastructures across Europe, including the Western Balkans region.
These include major equipment, knowledge related facilities (such as collections), archives or scientific databases, computing systems and communication networks. By doing so, Horizon Europe is enhancing the potential for significant scientific advances and international scientific collaboration.
Investing in research and innovation is investing in Europe’s future. Horizon Europe is the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation with a budget of €95.5 billion. It tackles climate change, helps to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and boosts the EU’s competitiveness and growth. The programme facilitates collaboration and strengthens the impact of research and innovation in developing, supporting and implementing EU policies while tackling global challenges.
It supports creating and better dispersing of excellent knowledge and technologies. It creates jobs, fully engages the EU’s talent pool, boosts economic growth, promotes industrial competitiveness and optimises investment impact within a strengthened European Research Area. Horizon Europe is fully open to participation from the associated Wester Balkan partners.
Scholz & Friends Berlin GmbH