European Commission Horizon 2020

European Commission Horizon 2020
Name	Horizon 2020
Established	2014
Dissolved	2020
Budget	€77 billion
Jurisdiction	European Union
Administered by	European Commission
Successor	Horizon Europe

European Commission Horizon 2020 Horizon 2020 was the European Union's flagship research and innovation programme for 2014–2020, designed to support science, industrial leadership, and societal challenges across the European Union, with oversight by the European Commission and interaction with institutions such as the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. It built on predecessor initiatives including the Seventh Framework Programme and informed successor frameworks like Horizon Europe and initiatives linked to the European Research Area and the European Investment Bank. Major beneficiaries included universities, research centres, companies, and consortia spanning member states such as Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and associated countries including Switzerland and Norway.

Overview

Horizon 2020 merged strands from prior programmes including the Seventh Framework Programme and Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme into a single programme managed by the European Commission and executed with agencies such as the European Research Council, the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency, and the European Innovation Council. The programme pursued objectives articulated in EU strategic documents like the Lisbon Strategy and the Europe 2020 strategy, while aligning with action plans from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and recommendations from the European Court of Auditors. Horizon 2020 funded projects that produced results adopted by institutions such as the European Central Bank and private actors including multinational firms like Siemens, Airbus, and Philips.

Objectives and Structure

Horizon 2020's objectives were framed to advance scientific excellence via the European Research Council, boost industrial leadership influenced by stakeholders such as BusinessEurope and European Round Table of Industrialists, and address societal challenges paralleling policy priorities in documents from the European Commission and the European Council. The programme structure included three pillars reflecting recommendations from the High Level Expert Group on the Future of Research and Innovation, with governance layers involving the European Committee of the Regions and consultations with the European Economic and Social Committee and national research councils like Germany's Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt and France's CNRS.

Funding Programs and Instruments

Funding instruments used under Horizon 2020 ranged from grants awarded by the European Research Council and the European Innovation Council pilot schemes to financial instruments supported by the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund. The programme financed topics linked to initiatives such as the Human Brain Project, the Graphene Flagship, climate actions echoing the Paris Agreement, and health projects in line with the European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organization. Calls for proposals were managed via portals and evaluation panels with experts drawn from institutions like Max Planck Society, Imperial College London, ETH Zurich, Universitat Heidelberg, and companies including Roche and Novo Nordisk.

Participation and Eligibility

Participation rules allowed entities from EU member states and associated countries, with legal frameworks referencing agreements like the Agreement on the European Economic Area and arrangements involving Israel, Turkey, and Switzerland. Eligible participants included higher education institutions such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Sorbonne University, Università di Bologna, research organizations like Karolinska Institutet and Max Planck Society, SMEs represented by European Small Business Alliance and multinational corporations such as BASF and Volkswagen. Collaborative consortia often involved municipal partners like City of Barcelona and regional authorities such as Flanders, working alongside labs funded by national agencies including Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and Agence Nationale de la Recherche.

Implementation and Governance

Implementation relied on the European Commission's Directorate-Generals, research funding bodies like the European Research Council, and executive agencies such as the Research Executive Agency and Innovation and Networks Executive Agency. Governance mechanisms included programme committees, audit oversight by the European Court of Auditors, and legal frameworks shaped by the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and regulations from the European Parliament. Monitoring and evaluation drew on data from programmes administered by entities such as Eurostat and policy reviews involving think tanks like Bruegel, Centre for European Policy Studies, and European Policy Centre.

Outcomes and Impact

Horizon 2020 supported breakthroughs associated with projects like the Human Brain Project and the Graphene Flagship, contributed to patent filings examined by the European Patent Office, and influenced standards bodies including CEN and CENELEC. Its investments strengthened research capacities in leading institutions such as CERN, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Institut Pasteur, and firms like ARM Holdings, and informed EU policy initiatives like the European Green Deal and the Digital Single Market. Independent assessments by the European Court of Auditors and academic evaluations from universities including UCL and KU Leuven reported on economic, scientific, and societal returns.

Criticism and Controversies

Horizon 2020 faced critiques from stakeholders such as national research councils and NGOs including Friends of the Earth Europe and policy commentators in outlets like The Economist and Financial Times over issues like administrative complexity, distribution of funds favoring established institutions such as Oxford and Cambridge, and concerns raised by the European Ombudsman about transparency. Debates involved the role of private sector actors such as Google and Microsoft in consortia, intellectual property arrangements scrutinized by the European Patent Office, and geopolitical questions involving associations with countries like Russia and China. Evaluations by bodies including the European Court of Auditors and think tanks such as RAND Corporation and Chatham House recommended reforms that influenced the design of Horizon Europe.

Category:European Union programs