Priorities concerning the EU framework programme, Horizon Europe
The synergies and interactions between national and European arenas are important in the work on achieving the portfolio plan's investment goals. The relevance of the structure of Horizon Europe to the Portfolio for Global Development and International Relations is primarily linked to Pillar 2 – Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness. Of particular interest for this portfolio is the inclusion of targeted actions with key non-EU partners, including the comprehensive 'Africa Initiative'. As a strategic partner, the EU seeks to enhance cooperation with Africa in order to promote actions targeted at finding locally adapted solutions to challenges that are universal in nature, but which often hit Africa hardest.
In the area of global health, the EU-Africa Global Health Partnership (often to referred as EDCTP3) is part of Horizon Europe. EDCTP3 will support international collaborations that accelerate the clinical evaluation and implementation of interventions against poverty-related infectious diseases, including the neglected ones affecting sub-Saharan Africa. By building research capacity, it will also enhance the ability of sub-Saharan African countries to identify and respond to key infectious disease health challenges. The portfolio is responsible for representing Norway in the Partnership. Relevant parts of the global health research supported by the portfolio should be aligned with the strategic research and innovation agenda of EDCTP3.
Horizon Europe will incorporate research and innovation missions linked to key societal challenges and that are relevant to a broad range of stakeholders, as well as citizens, in order to increase the effectiveness of funding by pursuing clearly defined targets. Missions are a new concept in the EU framework programme and are thereby ‘experimental.’ They provide a learning lab for policy experimentation with a view to planning and co-creating R&I with all the EU policies concerned, but also with concerned stakeholders and citizens. Ultimately, they should deliver European public goods on some of the issues that matter most to people.
Norway's investments in the EU framework programmes are significant, and the Government’s ambition is for Norwegian actors to receive 2.8 per cent of the competition-based funding in Horizon Europe. The Research Council will closely follow up the framework programme's more specific priorities in relevant clusters, and strongly encourage Norwegian researchers and research groups to participate in EU calls for proposals.
