Brussels, 13/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission will boost competitiveness by investing almost €16 billion in research and innovation in the next two years under Horizon 2020, the EU's research and innovation funding scheme. On Tuesday, 13 October, it adopted its new 2016-17 work programme, which includes this investment.
Carlos Moedas, commissioner for research, science and innovation, said: “Research and innovation are the engines of Europe's progress and vital to addressing today's new pressing challenges like immigration, climate change, clean energy and healthy societies. Over the next two years, €16 billion…will support Europe's top scientific efforts, making the difference to citizens' lives”. The new Work Programme 2016-17 offers funding opportunities through a range of calls for proposals, public procurements and other actions like the Horizon 2020. The programme will support a range of cross-cutting initiatives: the modernisation of Europe's manufacturing industry (€1 billion); technologies and standards for automatic driving (over €100 million); the Internet of Things (€139 million); Industry 2020 in the Circular Economy (€670 million) to develop strong and sustainable economies and Smart and Sustainable Cities (€232 million). In addition, at least €8 million in funding will be available for research on security of EU's external borders to help identify and prevent human trafficking and smuggling; €27 million for the new technologies to help prevent crime and terrorism as well as €15 million for research into the origin and impact of migration flows in Europe.
The new Work Programme will also build on successes in health research, such as the Ebola-related “breakthrough discoveries” already supported by Horizon 2020, by investing €5 million to respond to the critical outbreak of the damaging olive-tree pest Xylella fastidiosa. Horizon 2020 was launched on 1 January 2014 and over the 2014-20 period €77 billion is being invested in research and innovation projects to support Europe's economic competitiveness and extend the frontiers of human knowledge. (Original version in French by Isabelle Lamberty)