These sectors provide good quality jobs, tackle major challenges that can’t be solved by individual countries or companies alone, and are key to Europe’s competitiveness. The research is long-term, large-scale and often high-risk.Under the proposal, funding from the next EU research programme, Horizon 2020, would be boosted by some €10bn from industry and €4bn from national governments.
In addition, the EU funding will support public-public partnerships (Commission and EU countries) addressing treatment for poverty-related diseases, industrial measurement technologies, help for small high-tech companies, and tools to help the elderly and disabled live safely in their own homes. Three of the public-private partnerships are already in place, and have had impressive results:
- a hydrogen-powered fork lift truck
- new types of hydrogen-powered buses
- more efficient electric vehicles
- a lighter aircraft wing, able to reduce aviation CO2 emissions by more than 20%
- discoveries on diabetes treatments
The partnerships work by making public calls for project proposals – to which small and large companies, universities, research organisations or other bodies respond. Proposals go through a peer review before selection for funding.
This funding will come from the EU budget for research in 2014-20 – the Horizon 2020 programme – amounting to some €79bn (the exact figure is still under discussion between the Commission, MEPs and national governments).
