Hello, dear readers and potential clients!
I’m very excited to share insights about the European Commission’s newly adopted strategic plan for Horizon Europe, covering the years 2025-2027. As a project manager deeply involved in European projects, I can confidently say that this plan is a monumental step towards fostering a greener, more digital, and resilient Europe. Let’s dive into the key elements of this strategic plan, its benefits, and some critical considerations to keep in mind.
Three Key Strategic Orientations
The Horizon Europe strategic plan focuses on three main strategic orientations that will shape the direction of EU research and innovation funding over the next three years:
1. Green Transition – Emphasizes sustainability and combating climate change, with a commitment to dedicate 10% of the budget to biodiversity-related topics.
2. Digital Transition – Aims to advance Europe’s digital capabilities, with a substantial investment of €13 billion in major digital activities.
3. A More Resilient, Competitive, Inclusive, and Democratic Europe – Strives to enhance Europe’s resilience, inclusivity, and democratic values while boosting competitiveness.
Addressing Global Challenges
This strategic plan is not just about funding; it’s about addressing some of the most pressing global challenges we face today. These include climate change, biodiversity loss, the digital revolution, and the impacts of an ageing population. By focusing on these areas, Horizon Europe aims to create a more sustainable and inclusive future for all.
Overarching Principles
The plan is guided by principles of open strategic autonomy and aims to secure Europe’s leading role in developing and deploying critical technologies. This means that all strategic orientations will emphasize innovation, independence, and leadership in technology.
New Partnerships and Initiatives
The plan introduces nine new European partnerships, each co-funded and co-programmed to drive innovation in various fields:
1. Brain Health
2. Forests and Forestry for a Sustainable Future
3. Innovative Materials for EU
4. Raw Materials for the Green and Digital Transition
5. Resilient Cultural Heritage
6. Social Transformations and Resilience
7. Solar Photovoltaics
8. Textiles of the Future
9. Virtual Worlds
Here’s an in-depth look at each topic, highlighting their actual needs and challenges in Europe and the world:
1. Brain Health
Needs and Challenges:
- Rising Incidence of Neurological Disorders: Europe faces an increasing burden of neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis, exacerbated by an ageing population.
- Mental Health Crisis: Mental health issues, including depression and anxiety, have surged, particularly post-COVID-19, straining healthcare systems and impacting productivity.
- Research and Treatment Gaps: There is a critical need for advanced research to develop new diagnostics, treatments, and preventive measures for neurological and mental health conditions.
Global Context:
- Worldwide Burden: Neurological disorders and mental health issues are global concerns, with millions affected, leading to significant healthcare costs and loss of productivity.
- Collaborative Efforts: International collaboration is essential for sharing research findings, developing new therapies, and implementing best practices in mental health care.
2. Forests and Forestry for a Sustainable Future
Needs and Challenges:
- Deforestation and Degradation: European forests face threats from deforestation, climate change, and biodiversity loss, impacting ecosystem services and carbon sequestration.
- Sustainable Management: There is a need for innovative approaches to sustainable forestry management to balance economic, environmental, and social goals.
Global Context:
- Global Deforestation: Deforestation in regions like the Amazon and Southeast Asia significantly impacts global climate and biodiversity, necessitating international efforts for conservation and sustainable practices.
- Climate Change Mitigation: Forests play a crucial role in climate change mitigation by absorbing CO2, making their preservation and sustainable management a global priority.
3. Innovative Materials for EU
Needs and Challenges:
- Advanced Materials: Europe needs to develop innovative materials that are lightweight, durable, and environmentally friendly for use in various industries, including aerospace, automotive, and construction.
- Sustainability: There is a growing demand for materials that reduce environmental impact, are recyclable, and have a lower carbon footprint.
Global Context:
- Technological Advancements: The global race for advanced materials requires continuous innovation to maintain competitiveness and address environmental concerns.
- Supply Chain Security: Ensuring a stable supply of raw materials for innovative materials is a global challenge, requiring diversification and sustainable sourcing strategies.
4. Raw Materials for the Green and Digital Transition
Needs and Challenges:
- Critical Raw Materials: Europe relies heavily on imports of critical raw materials essential for green technologies (e.g., lithium for batteries, rare earth elements for wind turbines). As Europe intensifies its efforts towards a green and digital transition, the strategic importance of critical raw materials has never been more pronounced. These materials are essential for various green technologies, including lithium for batteries and rare earth elements for wind turbines. However, Europe’s heavy reliance on imports, particularly from China, poses significant challenges and risks. In this context, new agreements, such as the recent one with Serbia, are motivated by the need to reduce dependency on Chinese imports. Yet, this strategy raises important ecological and ethical questions, especially concerning the environmental impact in non-EU countries.
- Sustainable Mining: There is a need for sustainable mining practices and recycling to reduce dependency on non-EU sources and minimize environmental impact.
Global Context:
- Global Demand: The global shift towards green and digital technologies has increased demand for critical raw materials, leading to supply constraints and geopolitical tensions.
- Sustainable Practices: International collaboration is crucial for promoting sustainable mining, recycling, and circular economy practices to ensure long-term resource availability.
5. Resilient Cultural Heritage
Needs and Challenges:
- Preservation and Protection: Europe’s rich cultural heritage faces threats from climate change, urbanization, and neglect, requiring innovative conservation methods.
- Digitalization: There is a need to digitize cultural assets for better preservation, accessibility, and educational use.
Global Context:
- Global Heritage at Risk: Cultural heritage sites worldwide are endangered by natural disasters, conflict, and environmental degradation, necessitating global conservation efforts.
- Cultural Exchange: Preserving and sharing cultural heritage fosters international understanding and cooperation, highlighting the need for global initiatives and partnerships.
6. Social Transformations and Resilience
Needs and Challenges:
- Social Inequality: Europe faces challenges related to social inequality, migration, and demographic changes, impacting social cohesion and resilience.
- Inclusive Policies: Developing policies that promote social inclusion, economic opportunities, and resilience against socio-economic shocks is crucial.
Global Context:
- Global Inequality: Social inequality is a global issue, affecting both developed and developing countries, requiring comprehensive strategies to address root causes and promote equitable growth.
- Resilience Building: Building resilient societies capable of withstanding economic, social, and environmental shocks is a shared global objective, necessitating international cooperation.
7. Solar Photovoltaics
Needs and Challenges:
- Renewable Energy Goals: Europe aims to increase the share of renewable energy in its energy mix, with solar photovoltaics (PV) playing a key role.
- Technological Innovation: Advancing PV technology to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and integrate with energy systems is essential.
Global Context:
- Global Energy Transition: The global shift towards renewable energy sources is critical for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change.
- Energy Access: Solar PV can provide clean energy access to remote and underserved regions, highlighting its global importance.
8. Textiles of the Future
Needs and Challenges:
- Sustainable Textiles: The European textile industry needs to adopt sustainable practices, including the use of eco-friendly materials and reducing waste.
- Innovation in Textiles: There is a demand for advanced textiles with enhanced properties (e.g., smart textiles, biodegradable materials) for various applications.
Global Context:
- Environmental Impact: The global textile industry is a major polluter, necessitating a shift towards sustainable production and consumption patterns.
- Circular Economy: Promoting a circular economy in textiles, where materials are reused and recycled, is a global challenge requiring international cooperation.
9. Virtual Worlds
Needs and Challenges:
- Digital Transformation: Europe aims to lead in the development of virtual worlds and digital environments, which have applications in education, entertainment, and industry.
- Ethical and Inclusive Development: Ensuring that virtual worlds are developed ethically, inclusively, and securely is crucial.
Global Context:
- Global Digital Economy: Virtual worlds are becoming an integral part of the global digital economy, offering new opportunities and challenges.
- Cross-Border Collaboration: Developing standards and best practices for virtual worlds requires international collaboration to ensure interoperability and address ethical concerns.
Additionally, the plan introduces the New European Bauhaus (NEB) Facility, a groundbreaking movement that brings together citizens, municipalities, experts, businesses, universities, and institutions to reimagine and create sustainable and inclusive living spaces.
Balanced Support for Research and Innovation
One of the plan’s strengths is its balanced support across different stages of technology readiness. It ensures that both early-stage research and later-stage innovation are equally fostered. This includes support for demonstration and first deployment activities in model regions, living labs, and lighthouses.
Integration of Social Sciences and Humanities
Horizon Europe recognizes the importance of integrating social sciences and humanities into all research clusters. This integration ensures that the societal impacts of research are well understood and addressed, making the outcomes more relevant and applicable.
Critical Considerations
While the strategic plan has many strengths, it’s essential to consider some critical viewpoints:
1. Ambitious but Vague Targets – The strategic orientations are ambitious, but some targets can appear vague without clear, actionable plans. For example, the commitment to biodiversity and climate expenditure lacks detailed roadmaps and measurable outcomes to track progress effectively.
2. Potential for Overextension – The broad scope of the plan, encompassing numerous sectors and goals, raises concerns about overextension. Managing such a wide array of initiatives might dilute focus and resources, potentially leading to suboptimal outcomes in some areas.
3. Integration Challenges – The integration of social sciences and humanities, while essential, can be challenging in practice. Ensuring meaningful inclusion rather than tokenism requires substantial effort and changes in evaluation and funding processes.
4. Dependence on Stakeholder Engagement – The success of the NEB Facility and other participatory initiatives hinges on the active and effective engagement of diverse stakeholders. Achieving this level of collaboration can be difficult, and past initiatives have sometimes struggled with ensuring broad and sustained participation.
5. Economic Competitiveness vs. Social Goals – The dual focus on economic competitiveness and social inclusivity might lead to conflicts. Prioritizing economic goals could undermine social objectives, especially in the context of resource allocation and policy emphasis.
6. Implementation and Monitoring – Implementing such an extensive plan requires robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. Ensuring transparency and accountability in tracking progress and outcomes is crucial but can be challenging given the plan’s complexity and breadth.
Next Steps
The strategic orientations will be implemented through the work programs of Horizon Europe. These work programs outline the funding opportunities for research and innovation activities through thematic calls for proposals and topics. The main Work Programme for 2025 will be developed following the orientations of the newly adopted strategic plan, with stakeholder feedback opportunities launching in April 2024.
Conclusion
The Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027 is a visionary roadmap designed to tackle some of the most critical challenges of our time. Its focus on green and digital transitions, coupled with an emphasis on resilience and inclusivity, sets a strong foundation for a sustainable future. The introduction of new partnerships and the NEB Facility highlights the innovative and collaborative spirit driving this initiative.
As someone deeply involved in European projects, I see immense potential in this strategic plan to not only advance research and innovation but also to create tangible, positive impacts on our society and environment. I look forward to seeing how this plan unfolds and contributes to a greener, more digital, and resilient Europe.
If you’re interested in learning more about how your organization can benefit from Horizon Europe’s strategic plan or if you’re looking for guidance on participating in these exciting initiatives, feel free to reach out. Together, we can navigate this journey towards a sustainable and inclusive future.
Warm regards,
Enver Rakovic
Vision & Strategy Team