Ukraine has signed an agreement with the European Union to participate in the innovation program Horizon Europe research and the Euratom, related research and training program of the European nuclear energy community.
The Euratom program for 2021-2025 is complementary to the Horizon Europe program and is aimed at the implementation of promising research and innovative projects in the field of nuclear energy, thermonuclear fusion and nuclear fission.
Horizon Europe 2021-2027 is the EU's largest science and innovation funding initiative with a total budget of €95.5 billion. This is 30% more than was allocated for the previous Horizon 2020 program. And the main goal of the project is to solve global problems and promote industrial modernization through concerted research and innovation efforts.
There are five pillars from the goal:
- Adapting to climate change;
- Fighting cancer;
- Climate-neutral and smart cities;
- Healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters;
- Ensuring soil health and food.
Ukrainian scientists, developers and entrepreneurs will have access to all the tools of the program and will be able to attract grants for the implementation of joint projects within Horizon Europe and Euratom, the report says.
The opportunities that the new program of the European Union opens up for researchers are very interesting for Ukraine. Because the Horizon Europe program envisages the principle of open tenders, which are announced by the European Commission. And work in consortia with Western universities and laboratories gives Ukrainian scientists not only a chance to get funding for work in certain projects but also, above all, the opportunity to join the solution of urgent problems of our time and establish partnerships with foreign colleagues and the entire research teams.
Ukraine was already an associate member and actively participated in the implementation of projects in the previous EU research and innovation framework Horizon 2020.
The European Commission noted that Ukraine has a high potential in the field of scientific research and innovative solutions.
Ukraine ranked seventh among associated countries in terms of the amount of funds raised from the total program budget. In summary, 228 grant agreements were signed with Ukrainian participants for a total amount of about €45.8 million.
