29/11/24 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 29 November, the European Commission announced that negotiations had begun between the EU and Japan to bring Tokyo into the Horizon Europe programme. These discussions mark a milestone in cooperation between the two parties in the field of research and innovation. If the agreement is successful, Japan would be the first Asian country to participate in the Horizon Europe initiative, joining non-EU partners such as Canada and New Zealand. The association would mainly concern ’Pillar II’ of the programme, focusing on societal challenges, enabling Japanese researchers to coordinate projects with their EU counterparts and gain access to European funding. The aim of this collaboration is to accelerate “the green and digital transitions (...) and find solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges”, according to the European Commission’s press release. (IS)