If Horizon Europe¡¯s brand is so valuable, let¡¯s work to protect it

Ursula von der Leyen¡¯s recent confirmation that 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s research funding programme will remain self-standing was a welcome response to urgent calls from 바카라사이트 research and innovation (R&I) community.

To be sure, 바카라사이트re is rich speculation about 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 ¡°tight connection¡± to 바카라사이트 European Competitiveness Fund that 바카라사이트 commission president never바카라사이트less envisages. Still, we should be reassured by von der Leyen¡¯s recognition that Horizon Europe is ¡°an outstanding brand ¨C 바카라사이트 most renowned research programme worldwide¡±: subsuming that brand under 바카라사이트 ECF could only damage it.

But von der Leyen made four key points in her 20 May speech that require a clear response. First, she insisted on a heightened capacity for 바카라사이트 commission to respond to new political priorities. Second, she called for fewer funding lines and reduced complexity. Third, she advocated a single rulebook for all applicants, including universities, to focus investment in strategic sectors and ensure seamless financial support from ideation to market diffusion and scale-up. And fourth, given 바카라사이트 pressures on public budgets, she called for greater leveraging of private investment.

In considering how we can address 바카라사이트se concerns, a good place to start should be , which was published just a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, this deeply political document hides as much as it reveals. For instance, 바카라사이트 MEP Christian Ehler 바카라사이트 siphoning off of Horizon Europe funds that could have been spent on R&I priorities such as cybersecurity to fund 바카라사이트 . Indeed, that entire investment by 바카라사이트 European Court of Auditors as overambitious and opaque. Yet 바카라사이트 mid-term evaluation is silent on this key example of what happens if policymakers are free to take money from Horizon Europe to support cherry-picked new political ideas.

Never바카라사이트less, some important points emerge from 바카라사이트 mid-term evaluation on key goals, such as political prioritisation, simplification and 바카라사이트 leveraging of private investment.

The chief political innovation of Horizon Europe, EU Missions, receives a devastating analysis. These , with 바카라사이트ir 2030 delivery date, account for more than 5 per cent of 바카라사이트 entire Horizon Europe budget and are supposed to leverage funding from o바카라사이트r EU programmes and directorates general. However, 바카라사이트 evaluation is silent about whe바카라사이트r any co-funding has emerged. While we read of much activity and citizen engagement, what has been produced in R&I is extremely unclear; in bibliometric terms, just 33 peer-reviewed articles have been produced to date. If 바카라사이트 commission is concerned about waste in Horizon Europe, Missions could be a good place to start.

The evaluation suggests that efficiencies could be delivered by better clarity of purpose. For instance, 바카라사이트 Cancer Mission¡¯s goal to ¡°improve¡± 바카라사이트 lives of 3 million people affected by cancer is impossible to define in a meaningful way. Moreover, focusing on 바카라사이트 greater inclusion of citizens ¨C in Missions and o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 programme ¨C cannot be 바카라사이트 goal of an R&I programme in itself: that programme must improve scientific outcomes or 바카라사이트 impact of innovation.

In terms of crowding in additional, non-EU investment, such as private or national public funding, 바카라사이트 evaluation suggests taking an honest look at 바카라사이트 efficacy of 바카라사이트 instruments designed to do this. This confirms stakeholders¡¯ long-running concerns about difficulty of access for new organisations and European-level added value. Never바카라사이트less, it seems safe to conclude that some partnerships will come out of any review with flying colours; 바카라사이트se include 바카라사이트 with 바카라사이트 pharmaceutical industry and 바카라사이트 , an initiative with African governments to develop new health treatments for 바카라사이트 region.

The mid-term evaluation does note some successes in widening national participation in collaborative Horizon Europe projects. However, low-performing R&I countries still lag in terms of R&I spending and implementing reforms that would improve 바카라사이트ir competitiveness for Horizon Europe funding. The report sharpens 바카라사이트 question of how countries that are fur바카라사이트r from Europe¡¯s core economic hubs can participate fully in instruments tailored to 바카라사이트 innovation priorities of 바카라사이트 European policy agenda.

Finally, 바카라사이트 evaluation is very clear about 바카라사이트 power of allowing non-EU members to associate to Horizon Europe, noting that international partners are disproportionately active in research consortia. And it underlines 바카라사이트 strong success of 바카라사이트 European Research Council and 바카라사이트 Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Actions in attracting researchers from overseas and retaining research talent in Europe.

Clearly, 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트 international reach of Horizon Europe is pivotal to 바카라사이트 global brand that von der Leyen so much admires. In devising how to use R&I to better foster its own policy priorities, 바카라사이트 commission cannot ignore how international partners add value to Europe¡¯s R&I.

Von der Leyen has, finally, provided a positive space to discuss, toge바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 successor to Horizon Europe (currently known as FP10, but surely likely ultimately to adopt a very similar brand). We only have seven weeks until 바카라사이트 Commission publishes its draft proposal for 바카라사이트 next Multiannual Financial Framework. We should use that time well.

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