“You do better science when you are together”: St Andrews academic investigates the future of EU research
St Andrews academic Dr Gosia Mitka has been investigating the experience of non-EU countries participating in Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme. Horizon is the world’s biggest international research and innovation programme, and it is now global in scope, with the UK, Türkiye, Morocco, South Korea, New Zealand and Canada joining the programme. While the European Commission will present the legislative proposal for the successor of the Horizon Europe programme (so called FP10) this summer, Dr Mitka and co-author Rachel Dohain-Lesueur uncovered a number of challenges for non-EU countries (so called third countries) participating in the current programme, including inclusion in decision-making, need for more clarity and transparency and reduced complexity.
The resulting report providing 12 recommendation for the European Commission and third countries, Voices from the Horizon: Third Countries’ Experiences Guiding the Design of FP10, is available online, and has been reported in Science:Business and Research Professional News. The research was supported by Scotland House Brussels, and has been promoted via a series of events in Brussels and Scotland, including a meeting with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research & Innovation. With the successor of Horizon looking to address some of the most important issue facing our societies – from climate and the clean energy transition, to supporting our common economic security – it is vital that it works as well as it possibly can for all participating countries.
Together with co-author Rachel Dohain-Lesueur, Gosia has been interviewing people who were closely involved in their country’s negotiations around Horizon Europe. None of the interviewees were expressing formal views as representatives of their countries. The Moldovan interviewee highlighted the complexity of the application process for its applicants, and the difficulties providing support to enable researchers to make bids. The Swiss interviewee noted annoyance at Switzerland being barred from some of the areas of the programme, despite their longstanding cooperation with the EU. Australia ultimately decided against joining, due to the programme’s financial uncertainty and geographic barriers. Turkish interviewees highlighted the role of politics in the negotiations, and their delayed start of the process. However, all of the interviewees also emphasised the benefits and importance of Horizon Europe, its prestige and quality.
Each of these stories points to the need for third countries to have a greater voice in the design and workings of the successor of Horizon programme, especially as they now contribute a substantial amount to its overall budget.
After leaving the European Union and the Horizon Programme in 2020, the UK associated to the Horizon Programme in 2024. The University is working to engage with the current Horizon Europe programme and its successors through its membership of the European University Association and the Scotland Europa network. Further information can be requested from the Global Office.