- European Innovation CouncilThe European Innovation Council (EIC) aims to identify and support breakthrough technologies and game changing innovations to create new markets and scale up internationally. The European Innovation Council (EIC), established under the Horizon Europe programme (2021-27), has a €10.1 billion budget to drive pioneering innovations across the business lifecycle—from early-stage research to proof of concept, technology transfer, and the financing and scale-up of start-ups and SMEs. Innovations in EIC The EIC’s primary goal is to identify, develop, and deploy high-risk, high-impact innovations, with a focus on breakthrough, market-creating, and deep-tech solutions. It supports rapid scaling of innovative technologies and companies (mainly start-ups and SMEs) at European and global levels, enhancing EU technological sovereignty. The EIC Board, composed of independent innovators (entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and ecosystem leaders), guides its strategy. The EIC and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) implements the
- European Research CouncilThe European Research Council’s (ERC) mission is to encourage the highest quality research in Europe through competitive funding and to support investigator-driven frontier research across all fields, on the basis of scientific excellence. The ERC complements other funding activities in Europe such as those of the national research funding agencies, and is a flagship component of Horizon Europe, the European Union's Research Framework Programme for 2021 to 2027. Excellence Being 'investigator-driven', or 'bottom-up', in nature, the ERC approach allows researchers to identify new opportunities and directions in any field of research, rather than being led by priorities set by politicians. This ensures that funds are channelled into new and promising areas of research with a greater degree of flexibility. ERC grants are awarded through open competition to projects headed by starting and established researchers, irrespective of their origins, who are working or moving to work in Europe. The sole criterion for selection
- Horizon EuropeThe Funding landscape for research and innovation in europe is mainly dominated by the European Commission's framework "Horizon Europe", that runs from 2021-2027. The primary driver of research and innovation funding in Europe continues to be the European Commission’s flagship programme Horizon Europe, which spans the period 2021 to 2027. Horizon Europe fosters collaboration across countries, disciplines, and sectors, strengthening the EU’s capacity to generate and apply world-class knowledge and technologies. It plays a critical role in supporting EU policy priorities and addressing global challenges, including climate change, digital transformation, public health, and the transition to a sustainable economy. Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Horizon Europe aims to: Enhance Europe's scientific and technological excellence; Promote industrial competitiveness; Stimulate job creation and economic growth; Engage the entire EU talent pool more inclusively; Maximise the impact of investments
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie ActionsThe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) are the European Union’s reference programme for doctoral education and postdoctoral training. They contribute to excellent research, boosting jobs, growth and investment by equipping researchers with new knowledge and skills, and foster research cooperation across borders, sectors and disciplines. Objectives of the MSCA The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions fund excellent research and innovation and equip researchers at all stages of their career with new knowledge and skills, through mobility across borders and exposure to different sectors and disciplines. The MSCA help build Europe’s capacity for research and innovation by investing in the long-term careers of excellent researchers. The MSCA also fund the development of excellent doctoral and postdoctoral training programmes and collaborative research projects worldwide. By doing so, they achieve a structuring impact on higher education institutions, research centres and non-academic organisations. The MSCA promote excellence
- Research infrastructure grants in EUResearch infrastructure in Horizon Europe Within Horizon Europe the Research Infrastructures (RI) Programme has the objective to empower Europe through world-class and accessible research infrastructures, as part of an integrated European research and technology infrastructures landscape. Research infrastructures and technology infrastructures are considered as crucial enablers of research and technological innovation and drivers of multidisciplinary and data-intensive science. Along previous European Framework Programmes a significant contribution towards a more efficient, open and effective use of national research infrastructures has been made and has developed, with the support of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI, see below), a coherent and strategy-led approach to policy making and national investments on pan-European research infrastructures. While Member States remain central in the development and financing of public Research Infrastructures, meaning that Research Infrastructures