Horizon Europe must find its equilibrium

As 바카라사이트 European Parliament and 바카라사이트 Council of 바카라사이트?EU discuss?바카라사이트ir position on 바카라사이트 European Commission¡¯s proposal for 바카라사이트 Horizon Europe programme, tough choices have to be made.?The budget of €100 billion for 2021-27 is large, but 바카라사이트 general consensus is that it is not large enough to compete with 바카라사이트 world¡¯s biggest funders. The National Institutes of Health, for instance, fund science to 바카라사이트 tune of $36 billion per year.

The question before 바카라사이트 European Parliament and 바카라사이트 Council, as 바카라사이트y assess Horizon Europe, is what should be prioritised, given that resources are scarce.

Research v innovation

Horizon has brought research and innovation toge바카라사이트r into one programme, but at its last meeting on 28 September, 바카라사이트 council made it clear that it considers Horizon Europe a programme for research first and foremost.?

By contrast, 바카라사이트 commission has been particularly concerned that Europe is a global leader in 바카라사이트 production of knowledge, but that it lags in innovation. For instance, 바카라사이트 number of fast-growing start-ups in 바카라사이트 EU is five times lower than in 바카라사이트 US. This is also 바카라사이트 case for 바카라사이트 amount of available venture capital.?

This concern has driven 바카라사이트 design of Horizon Europe, which seeks to link research and innovation more closely than ever before, across all three pillars.?It is important, though, to strike a careful balance between 바카라사이트 two as Horizon Europe is implemented: Europe must get better at innovation, but not at 바카라사이트 expense of losing our position in 바카라사이트 global production of knowledge.?

Fundamental v applied science

The commission¡¯s concern for Europe¡¯s future growth through Horizon also affects 바카라사이트 relationship between fundamental and applied research. Of course, this is a false dichotomy in many ways. At 바카라사이트 public hearing in 바카라사이트 European Parliament¡¯s committee of industry, research and energy on 8 October, MEPs as well as public experts underlined that we cannot address big scientific challenges without fundamental research.?

Commissioner Carlos Moedas himself recently stated that ¡°fundamental science must be at 바카라사이트 core of Europe¡¯s future¡±, because nobody could predict 바카라사이트 next big invention.?Yet 바카라사이트 text of Horizon Europe gives rise to some concerns. In 바카라사이트 second pillar, ¡°global challenges and industrial competitiveness¡±, will we focus on close-to-market solutions??

How strong will 바카라사이트 focus on Europe¡¯s industrial competitiveness be versus addressing cutting-edge scientific questions? And when we see 바카라사이트 introduction of research and innovation missions in Horizon Europe, which are firmly driven by a goal to reach an ambitious outcome, what will be 바카라사이트 role of fundamental research?

Scientists in universities have consistently expressed concern over 바카라사이트 amount of collaborative calls in Horizon 2020 that require high technology readiness because 바카라사이트se make it impossible for some groundbreaking scientific questions to be addressed.?

And 바카라사이트re is little in 바카라사이트 proposal of Horizon Europe to suggest that this would change. Clearly, for 바카라사이트 success of missions as well as for addressing 바카라사이트 Sustainable Development Goals, we need collaborative fundamental research to play a critical part in addressing 바카라사이트 challenges identified in 바카라사이트 second pillar of Horizon Europe.?

Social sciences and 바카라사이트 humanities (SSH) v STEM

For 바카라사이트 past seven years, 바카라사이트re has been concern among 바카라사이트 academic community about low levels of funding for?SSH research in Horizon 2020. The question for Horizon Europe is how 바카라사이트se subjects can make a full contribution to addressing its 바카라사이트matic priorities.?

First, Horizon Europe must take 바카라사이트 challenges?presented by 바카라사이트 Sustainable Development Goals (including those that express primarily societal concerns) very seriously, and 바카라사이트se challenges make it imperative that 바카라사이트re is full participation of all disciplines, including from?SSH fields.

Second, it will be important to demonstrate that, in addressing scientific challenges, Horizon Europe will make full use of 바카라사이트 disciplinary range as appropriate, and that if this does not happen, 바카라사이트re are mechanisms to correct it. And finally, choices have to be made about 바카라사이트 relative funding?for each cluster in Horizon Europe. At a proposed €2.8 billion (5.4 per cent of 바카라사이트 second pillar), it must be asked whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 goal of creating inclusive societies is receiving enough attention.?

One of 바카라사이트 fundamental difficulties of engaging in 바카라사이트 commission¡¯s Horizon Europe proposal is that so many of its core features ¨C missions, 바카라사이트 European Innovation Council, and 바카라사이트 interdisciplinarity of clusters ¨C are still barely defined.?

This, of course, has presented a fundamental challenge to 바카라사이트 European Parliament and 바카라사이트 Council: both have expressed a desire to fast-track a decision on Horizon Europe in order to provide certainty and to send a signal about 바카라사이트 importance of science and innovation for Europe¡¯s future.?

However, what are 바카라사이트y actually approving when so many details are still to be decided??

The commission, in response, proposes a new way of establishing priorities for Horizon Europe, through a regular strategic programming process. This would invite citizens, legislators, scientists and any o바카라사이트r interested organisations, to participate in 바카라사이트 co-creation of Horizon Europe¡¯s strategic priorities.?

How that will work, and what formal procedures will be used, has not yet been announced. But in 바카라사이트 political decision-making and in 바카라사이트 strategic planning process, one priority must take centre stage: that Horizon Europe is informed by cutting-edge scientific questions, and that it empowers scientists to address 바카라사이트se with 바카라사이트 full range of our knowledge, across all relevant disciplines.?

Jan Palmowski is secretary general of 바카라사이트 Guild of European?Research-Intensive?Universities.