Several months are left until the adoption of the legislative documents on the Horizon 2020 strategy by the European Parliament and the Council (at the end of 2013), and the Commission will need 6 months for the preparation of the work scheme, guidelines for applicants and the implementation of structures for launching the first requests, in January 2014. But until this date, the programme for research and innovation must get through the negotiations of the multiannual budget 2014-2020. “Our purpose is to reach a consensus on Horizon 2020 to launch the first request for the implementation of projects within the programme”, declared the European Commissioner for Research and Innovation, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn.
For the execution of projects, from the budget necessary for Horizon 2020 (in the period 2014-2020) amounting to EUR 88 Billion, EUR 7.7 Billion should be granted for research and innovation in the segment of smart, environmentally friendly and integrated transport.
Compared to the previous research programmes, Horizon 2020 has a simpler structure, which will determine the reduction of the period for granting the financing by 100 days and implicitly the applicants will manage to implement the projects much more quickly.
As Europe wishes to significantly reduce CO2 emissions (by 60% until 2050), and the transport sector generates over a quarter of emissions, it is clear that the entire transport system must be radically changed. This is the reason for which the transport sector is one of the six main challenges related to the society approached within Horizon 2020.
“I want the transport industry to be a leading player in Horizon 2020. [It is] the backbone of an integrated, mobile economy. Horizon 2020 will address transport as an integrated system but it will not ignore the specifics of the different modes of transport, particularly where we need to achieve technological breakthroughs. Actions will focus on four areas: resource-efficient transport; better mobility, less congestion, more safety and security; global leadership for the European transport industry; and forward-looking activities to feed into future policy making”, mentioned Máire Geoghegan-Quinn.
Granting investments in the field of sustainable transport offers European companies a huge commercial opportunity; products and services related to sustainable mobility will represent a global market of EUR 300 Billion in 2020.
Horizon 2020 represents the fair balance between the support granted to research, the increase of industry competitiveness and the approach of challenges, being structured into three different pillars which consolidate each other: excellence in science, industrial leadership and societal challenges.
The proposed support for research and innovation under Horizon 2020 will:
• Strengthen the EU’s position in science with a dedicated budget of € 24 598 million. This will provide a boost to top-level research in Europe, including an increase in funding of 77% for the very successful European Research Council.
• Strengthen industrial leadership in innovation € 17 938 million. This includes major investment in key technologies, greater access to capital and support for SMEs.
• Provide € 31 748 million to help address major concerns shared by all Europeans such as climate change, developing sustainable transport and mobility, making renewable energy more affordable, etc
Horizon 2020 will address transport as an integrated system.
• Actions will focus on four areas:
• Resource-efficient transport;
• Better mobility, less congestion, more safety and security (this is where we expect a cross-over between transport modes);
• Global leadership for the European transport industry; and,
• Forward-looking activities to feed into future policy making.
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