The European Commission has entered exploratory discussions with the Australian authorities about affiliation to Horizon Europe.
These non-binding, technical discussions will allow the 2 to discover the sensible, authorized and monetary particulars of a doable affiliation of Australia to pillar II of Horizon Europe. This pillar focuses on addressing world challenges and boosting industrial competitiveness throughout sectors equivalent to digital applied sciences, well being and renewable power.
‘Horizon Europe drives breakthroughs at a scale nobody can achieve alone,’ stated Ekaterine Zaharieva, European commissioner for research and innovation, in a release published by the European Commission on 10 September. ‘Association would enable Australia to take part directly in that effort and contribute its scientific excellence to global challenges.’
According to the fee, productive research collaboration between Australia and the EU dates again nearly three many years – the primary treaty-level science and expertise settlement signed by the EU with an industrialised nation was the Agreement on Science and Technology Cooperation, signed with Australia in 1994.
If the discussions are profitable, affiliation to Horizon Europe would enable Australian researchers to obtain funding straight from the programme and to lead tasks. Australia would additionally contribute financially to the programme.
To date, 20 non-EU international locations with a powerful science, innovation and expertise profile are related to Horizon Europe together with New Zealand, South Korea and Canada. Egypt’s negotiations to join the programme ‘successfully concluded’ earlier this yr and an settlement is anticipated to be formally signed in November.