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On December 11, the European Commission adopted the main Horizon Europe work programme for 2026-2027, a \u20ac14 billion investment designed to drive research and innovation (R&I) across the EU’s strategic goals. These goals include achieving climate neutrality, boosting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in research and innovation, and ensuring resilience in a rapidly changing world.<\/p>\n
To achieve this, the programme introduces new cross-disciplinary calls and topics that will boost decarbonisation and the use of AI in research. It also expands the \u2018Choose Europe’ initiative to attract global talent and makes applying for Horizon Europe funding and participation simpler.<\/p>\n
A major novelty of the work programme 2026-2027 are\u00a0horizontal calls<\/strong>, which address cross-cutting challenges across different research and innovation areas.<\/p>\n One such call, R&I in\u00a0support of the Clean Industrial Deal<\/strong>, allocates\u00a0\u20ac540 million<\/strong>\u00a0to accelerate the market deployment of cutting-edge clean technologies and decarbonised industry solutions. It adopts a bottom-up, industry-led approach, focusing on decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries and clean technologies for climate action. The call on\u00a0AI in science<\/strong>, with a budget of\u00a0\u20ac90 million<\/strong>, supports trustworthy AI applications in sectors such as advanced materials, agriculture and healthcare. \u00a0It contributes to the\u00a0Resource for AI Science in Europe\u00a0initiative, aligns with Europe’s digital transition goals and strengthens the continent’s leadership in safe, ethical AI development.<\/p>\n In addition to the new horizontal calls, the\u00a0New European Bauhaus Facility\u00a0will contribute to addressing cross-cutting challenges. It will allocate over \u20ac210 million in 2026-2027 to revitalise neighbourhoods through design for sustainability and inclusion.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Choose Europe\u00a0<\/strong>initiative, designed to attract global talent, is a key feature of this work programme. It allocates \u20ac50 million to the\u00a0Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Actions\u00a0for long-term fellowships, postdoctoral stability and relocation incentives, ensuring researchers can pursue impactful careers in Europe. The programme invests \u20ac50 million in Research Infrastructures to improve transnational access and training, while the European Research Area Chairs component provides \u20ac240 million to attract top scientists to underperforming regions. The\u00a0European Innovation Ecosystems\u00a0part supports startups and scaleups through initiatives like the European Startup and Scaleup Hubs, which create a transnational network of innovation hubs rooted in research and higher education systems. This work programme will also ensure continued access to critical research infrastructure and data.<\/p>\n Responding to feedback from the research and innovation community, major simplification measures will reduce administrative burden on applicants and facilitate participation. The work programme is less prescriptive and 33% shorter than the 2023\u20132024 edition. It focuses on fewer, larger projects to maximise impact.<\/p>\nAttracting and supporting talent<\/h3>\n
Simpler and more accessible work programme<\/h3>\n