Canada has officially joined Horizon Europe, the world's largest research and innovation funding program. In association with Pillar II of Horizon Europe, Canada will participate in collaborative research projects addressing major global challenges.
The agreement, signed by Iliana Ivanova, EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, and Youth, and François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, grants Canadian researchers and organizations the same access and participation rights as their EU counterparts.
“The challenges that we face are global, and we must therefore work together to tackle them. I wholeheartedly welcome Canada in our Horizon Europe programme. With this step, we are strengthening the EU’s ties with trusted partners that have a solid scientific base and a robust track record in research and innovation. Now we can enable our brightest minds to come together and work on joint solutions for our future,” commented Ivanova.
“This new agreement between Canada and the European Union will deepen our collaboration through Horizon Europe and strengthen global relations. Canadian scientists, researchers and innovators will have new opportunities to work with international partners and play a bigger role in solving some of the world’s biggest challenges, like climate change. These kinds of collaborations are not just beneficial; they are essential in today’s interconnected world,” added Canadian Minister, Champagne.
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Background
Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship funding program for research and innovation, boasts a budget of EUR 93.5 billion for 2021-2027. The funding program addresses climate change, advances the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and enhances the EU's competitiveness and growth.
Via a joint statement, European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, welcomed the announcement, “By combining the strengths of our research communities, we can accomplish greater scientific breakthroughs and technological progress, and become better equipped to meet today's global challenges and succeed in the Green and Digital Transitions.”
Pillar II, the program's largest collaborative segment with a EUR 52.4 billion budget, focuses on tackling global challenges such as those evident in the climate, energy, digital economy, and health sectors.
Canada is following New Zealand’s lead, becoming the first developed country outside Europe to join an EU Research and Innovation program. Canadian entities can now join and lead research consortia alongside some of the world’s top research organizations to address global challenges collectively. They will also have the opportunity to receive direct funding from the program.
Notably, Canada's participation in Horizon 2020—Horizon Europe's predecessor—ranked third among non-associated non-EU countries.
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