Horizon 2020 launch in Ireland

Horizon 2020, the EU’s new €70billion programme for research and innovation, was today officially launched in Ireland. The launch was held in Dublin’s Convention Centre with Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science and Sean Sherlock T.D. Minister for Research & Innovation outlining the opportunities Horizon 2020 offers industry and researchers in Ireland.

Horizon 2020 (H2020) was heralded by Máire Geoghegan-Quinn as an investment in the ‘economy of tomorrow’ and a vital means to build a stronger, more innovative and competitive Europe.

Irish researchers and innovators have been set a target of €1 billion funding from H2020. It is envisaged that Irish participants will successfully build on the €572million awarded from the FP7 programme. Irish universities, in partnership with the private sector, were the most successful participants in FP7.

An action plan for participation of the Irish universities in Horizon 2020 entitled “Horizon 2020: Sustaining Excellence in University Research & Innovation” was also launched today by Minister for Research and Innovation Mr Sean Sherlock T.D. as part of the national launch. Produced by the universities through the Irish Universities Association (IUA), the document identifies a series of actions which the universities will undertake to enhance their performance in Horizon 2020. Actions include: maintaining and increasing research excellence across all disciplines by improving the universities’ performance in European Research Council Calls; Strengthening partnerships with the private sector; Maximising commercialisation opportunities from Horizon 2020 projects; Developing targeted Horizon 2020 funding strategies for large-scale research centres including the new SFI Centres; Ensure an all island report by promoting extensive collaboration with universities and companies in Northern Ireland working with InterTrade Ireland and InvestNI. (Ref: IUA Media Release, 10th Dec 2013)

The first calls from the Horizon2020 programme will be published tomorrow.

For more information on H2020 please see: http://www.enterprise-ireland.com/EI_Corporate/en/Researchers/EU-Programmes-and-Networks/Horizon-2020.html

For details on the IUA action plan please see: http://www.iua.ie/iua-media-release-a-new-horizon-in-european-research-for-irish-universities/#