H2020
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| H2020 | |
|---|---|
| Name | H2020 |
| Type | Research and Innovation Programme |
| Launched | 2014 |
| Budget | €79 billion |
| Successor | Horizon Europe |
H2020
Overview
H2020 was a European Union research and innovation programme that aimed to support scientific research, technological development, and innovation across the European Union, involving institutions such as the European Commission, the European Parliament, and agencies like the European Research Council. It connected initiatives from the Framework Programme tradition with priorities aligned to the Lisbon Strategy, the Europe 2020 strategy, and collaborations with organizations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Health Organization, and the European Investment Bank. Major actors in implementation included national research councils like the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, funding bodies like the UK Research and Innovation, and networks such as the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, the Joint Research Centre, and the European Chemicals Agency.
Objectives and Scope
The programme sought to stimulate breakthroughs comparable to those driven by institutions such as the Max Planck Society, the CNRS, and the CERN, while addressing societal challenges identified in policy frameworks like the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the Seventh Framework Programme. It prioritized sectors linked to actors including the European Space Agency, the European Medicines Agency, and multinational firms operating under regulations from the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, with thematic emphasis intersecting with projects from the Human Brain Project, the Graphene Flagship, and the Clean Sky initiative.
Funding Structure and Instruments
Funding mechanisms combined grants and procurement managed by entities such as the European Research Council, the Innovative Medicines Initiative, and the European Investment Fund, deploying instruments similar to those used by the Wellcome Trust, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument. Financial modalities resembled those of programmes like the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, the European Regional Development Fund, and initiatives coordinated with bodies such as CERN and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, while contractual frameworks referenced legal models comparable to the Grant Agreement templates used by the European Commission and procurement rules akin to those overseen by the European Court of Auditors.
Participation and Eligibility
Consortia often included universities such as University of Oxford, Université Paris-Saclay, and ETH Zurich, research centres like Fraunhofer Society, and companies including Siemens, Roche, and Airbus, with eligibility rules interacting with national agencies such as the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the Agence Nationale de la Recherche, and the Research Council UK. Participants ranged from NGOs like European Environmental Bureau and think tanks such as Bruegel to infrastructures like EMBL and EMSO, and eligibility assessments invoked standards from bodies including the European Committee for Standardization and the European Medicines Agency.
Major Programs and Calls
Flagship initiatives mirrored large-scale efforts such as the Human Brain Project and the Graphene Flagship and encompassed calls coordinated with institutions like the European Defence Agency and the European Space Agency. Major thematic calls covered areas related to projects found at CERN, collaborations with consortia including BioNTech partners, and transnational programmes similar to the European Green Deal priorities, engaging industries represented by Shell, Volkswagen, and ABB as well as research infrastructures like ESS and ELT.
Impact and Evaluation
Evaluations referenced metrics employed by organizations such as the European Court of Auditors, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and academic assessments published in journals affiliated with institutions like Nature Research and Science Magazine. Reported outcomes included technology transfers to firms like Philips and Siemens, patents filed with national offices coordinated under conventions like the European Patent Convention, and collaborations that linked universities such as Imperial College London and KU Leuven to industry consortia including Thales and TotalEnergies. Impact studies cited examples from projects with spin-offs akin to Oxford Nanopore Technologies and licensing agreements comparable to arrangements at Genentech.
Criticisms and Controversies
Critiques came from stakeholders including national parliaments like the Bundestag, advocacy groups such as Corporate Europe Observatory, and commentators from think tanks like Bruegel and Centre for European Reform, focusing on bureaucracy resembling concerns raised about the Seventh Framework Programme, potential centralization echoed in debates at the European Council, and issues debated before the Court of Justice of the European Union. Controversial cases involved disputes over grant management similar to litigations involving institutions like EMBL and procurement critiques heard in hearings at the European Court of Auditors and discussed by media outlets including The Economist and Financial Times.