Gathering power for Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe is the European framework program for research and innovation to be implemented during the period 2021–2027. Horizon Europe will contribute to fulfilling visions of a prosperous, fair and sustainable society. The program will contribute to green growth and competitiveness and has clear global goals to combat climate change and work for sustainable development.

This report is a proposal for a strategy for participation in Horizon Europe for Sweden and Swedish actors in research and innovation. The proposal has been developed by Formas, Forte, the Swedish Space Agency, the Swedish Energy Agency, the Swedish Research Council and Vinnova on behalf of the government. The goal is to maximize the benefits for Swedish research and innovation and enable synergies and interactions between actors at national and EU level.

The strategy proposal has been developed on the basis of analyzes as well as interviews and questionnaire responses from various research and innovation actors. The starting point is five high ambitions for what the Swedish participation will provide:

• world class in terms of research quality and innovative power
• knowledge and capacity that ensures sustainable development
• efficient sharing of resources and data
• internationally attractive actors and environments
• increased influence on European research and innovation policy as well as on the Framework Program.

Based on the ambitions, eleven strategic objective formulated and a number of associated measures. All objective an increase in the current level of ambition and a strengthened Swedish participation in all parts of the framework program.

The government assignment started in May 2020 and the proposal was submitted to the government in October 2020.