This document discusses the European Union's Horizon 2020 program for research and innovation funding from 2014 to 2020. Horizon 2020 aims to drive economic growth and jobs by consolidating previous EU funding programs and increasing funding to €78.6 billion. It focuses on tackling societal challenges through research in areas like health, energy, and climate change. Horizon 2020 also supports industrial leadership and excellent science. The program simplifies access to funding and aims to reduce bureaucracy for researchers. International cooperation is encouraged to foster synergies and capacity building across countries. Personal experiences with previous EU projects demonstrate their benefits in knowledge transfer, networking, and addressing local policy issues.

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Horizon 2020
Research, Energy and International Cooperation
Assoc. Prof. Andrej Gubina
Faculty of Electrical Engineering
University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

2. Contents
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 European policy agenda and research
 Horizon 2020
 Personal experience
• INCO-FP6, VBPC-RES

3. The 5 policy targets for the EU in 2020
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 1. Employment
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• 75% of the 20-64 year-olds to be employed
2. R&D
• 3% of the EU's GDP to be invested in R&D
3. Climate change and energy sustainability
• GHG emissions 20% (or up to 30%) lower than 1990
• 20% of energy from renewables
• 20% increase in energy efficiency
4. Education
• Reducing the rates of early school leaving below 10%
• at least 40% of 30-34–year-olds completing third level education
5. Fighting poverty and social exclusion
• at least 20 million fewer people in or at risk of poverty and social
exclusion

4. The aims of EU projects
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 Goals
• International cooperation,
• Understanding of cultural differences
• Goodwill creation
 Cooperation among institutions that would be rivals
• Benchmarking
 Getting excellent and breakthrough results
• International synergies
 Capacity building in all partners

5. Contents
5
 European policy agenda and research
 Horizon 2020
 Personal experience
• INCO-FP6, VBPC-RES

6. What is Horizon 2020?
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 Commission proposal for a 78,6 billion euro research and
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innovation funding programme (2014-20)
A core part of Europe 2020, Innovation Union & European
Research Area:
• Responding to the economic crisis to invest in future jobs and
growth
• Addressing peoples’ concerns about their livelihoods, safety and
environment.
• Strengthening the EU’s
global position in research,
innovation and technology

7. What’s new
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 A single programme bringing together three separate
programmes/initiatives
• The 7th research Framework Programme (FP7),
• innovation aspects of Competitiveness and Innovation Framework
Programme (CIP),
• EU contribution to the European Institute of Innovation and Technology
(EIT)
 Coupling research to innovation - from research to retail
 Focus on societal challenges facing EU society
• health, clean energy and transport
 Simplified access, for all companies, universities, institutes
in all EU countries and beyond.

8. Basic structure
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 Three key aims:
• Excellent science
• Industrial leadership
• Societal challenges
 Supported by:
• European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Combining
research, innovation & training in Knowledge and Innovation
Communities
• Joint Research Centre (JRC)
Providing a robust, evidence base for EU policies
• Euratom (supported by JRC)

9. Horizon 2020 – Objectives and structure
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Europe 2020 priorities
European Research Area
International cooperation
Shared objectives and principles
Tackling Societal Challenges
Health, demographic change and
wellbeing
Food security and the bio-based economy
Secure, clean and efficient energy
Smart, green and integrated transport
Supply of raw materials
Resource efficiency and climate action
Inclusive, innovative and secure societies
Creating Industrial Leadership and Competitive
Frameworks
Leadership in enabling and industrial
technologies
ICT
Nanotech., Materials, Manuf. and Processing
Biotechnology
Space
Access to risk finance
Innovation in SMEs
Excellence in the Science Base
Frontier research (ERC)
Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)
Skills and career development (Marie Curie)
Research infrastructures
Simplified access
Common rules, toolkit of funding schemes
Dissemination & knowledge tranfer

10. Horizon 2020 Key Common Features
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 Clear set of objectives based on Europe 2020 and
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Innovation Union
Integrating research and innovation in a seamless
programme
Focus on overall policy priorities – using a challenge based
approach
Programme structured
by objectives
Common toolkit
of funding schemes

11. Horizon 2020 budget
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 Adjusted for inflation
 Not pre-allocated
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per country
Calls open to all
countries!
Gender equality is a
cross-cutting issue
Simplification of
rules
Teaming and
twinning

12. Simplification: Less red tape!
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 Researchers to focus on the work, not filling out forms!
 Reduced burden of financial controls and audits.
 A simpler programme architecture;
 Single set of rules for
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eligibility, accounting, reporting, auditing
Electronic signature of grants and amendments
Simpler funding rules,
• two standard funding rates (max 100% or 70%),
• one funding rate per project and
• indirect costs covered by a single flat-rate: 25%

13. Simplification
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 Simplified cost-reimbursement approach
 Broader acceptance of usual accounting practice, greater
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use of lump sums and flat rates
Shorter negotiation and selection phases
Unique IT portal, common support structures, guidance
External management:
• learning from experience with executive
agencies, public private partnerships, public
to public partnerships, financial instruments

14. Horizon 2020 International Cooperation
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 Open for all
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• Legal entities established in third countries and
• International organisations.
Countries with Research Association agreements
Restrictions only possible if introduced in work programme.
• For reciprocity reasons;
• For security reasons.
Funding
• Third country identified in the Work Programme
• Participation deemed by the Commission essential in the action
• When provided under a bilateral scientific and technological agreement

15. Next steps
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 Negotiations on EU budget 2014-2020: done!
 Commission proposals for Horizon 2020: November 30
• FP7 2013 Work Programmes, to bridge towards Horizon 2020
 Legislative decisions on Horizon 2020 by the Council and
European Parliament (2012-13)
 Horizon 2020 (from 2014)

16. Contents
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 European policy agenda and research
 Horizon 2020
 Personal experience
• INCO-FP6, VBPC-RES

17. VBPC-RES – Virtual Balkan Power Centre
for RES
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 Project aim
• Knowledge transfer on best available technologies of RES
• Identification of barriers to RES penetration and ways for their
mitigation
• Promotion, education and awareness building of general public
on RES use and the related benefits
• 17 partners, 11 countries, EU and Western Balkans
 FP6, 2005-2007

18. VBPC-RES, 2
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 Lessons learned
• Organized : 5 technical workshops, 2 summer schools, 2
conferences, 2 decision makers workshops, 5 local workshops,
published 2 brochures in 4 languages, developed RES curricula,
researcher exchange…
• Very motivated partners, all work done in time
• Big impact on local academia, policy making, student mobility
 All partners became knowledge leaders in their countries!

19. Summary
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 European policy goals: met through research cooperation
 South East Europe is in an excellent position to benefit
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from Horizon 2020.
• Long program: 2014-2020
• Budget 30% increased over FP7
• Fund the best fundamental and applied research,
• Bringing in small and large companies: growth and jobs
International cooperation brings synergies
Start networking and focus on your field of expertise!

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Thank you for your attention!
Assoc. Prof. Andrej Gubina
andrej.gubina@fe.uni-lj.si
http://lest.fe.uni-lj.si