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European Research

The EU framework programme (FP) for research and innovation is the European Union's main instrument for funding and implementing research and development activities.

Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe is the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation with a budget of €95.5 billion.

It tackles climate change, helps to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and boosts the EU’s competitiveness and growth.

The programme facilitates collaboration and strengthens the impact of research and innovation in developing, supporting and implementing EU policies while tackling global challenges. It supports creating and better dispersing of excellent knowledge and technologies.

It creates jobs, fully engages the EU’s talent pool, boosts economic growth, promotes industrial competitiveness and optimises investment impact within a strengthened European Research Area.

Legal entities from the EU and associated countries can participate.

New elements in Horizon Europe

European Innovation Council: Support for innovations with potential breakthrough and disruptive nature with scale-up potential that may be too risky for private investors. This is 70% of the budget earmarked for SMEs.

Missions: Sets of measures to achieve bold, inspirational and measurable goals within a set timeframe. There are 5 main mission areas as part of Horizon Europe.

Open science policy: Mandatory open access to publications and open science principles are applied throughout the programme Factsheet: Open science in Horizon Europe

New approach to partnerships: Objective-driven and more ambitious partnerships with industry in support of EU policy objectives.ù

The previous programmes (Horizon 2020 and FP7)

Horizon 2020

Research and Innovation funding 2007 - 2013

European Technology Platforms

European Technology Platforms are industry-led stakeholder forums that elaborate short- to long-term research and innovation agendas and roadmaps for action at the EU and national level to be supported by both private and public funding. European Technology Platforms provide a framework for stakeholders to define research and development priorities, play a key role in fostering effective public-private partnerships on research funding and address technological challenges that can potentially contribute to a number of key policy objectives which are essential for Europe's future competitiveness. By participating in an ETP, stakeholders can cooperate to help shape the future of European research and deliver on agreed priorities. ETPs generally differ from one another not only in their key topics but also often in terms of structure and size.

European Construction Technology Platform – ECTP

The European Construction, built environment and energy-efficient building Technology Platform (ECTP) is a leading membership organisation promoting and influencing the future of the Built Environment. First founded in 2004, ECTP brings together the collective vision for a leading-edge European Built Environment on behalf of the ECTP Members. ECTP gathers around 140 Member organisations from across the construction sector and other sectors from the whole supply chain of the Built Environment.

ECTP is today one of the 38 European Technology Platforms (ETPs) which are industry-led stakeholder fora recognised by the European Commission as key actors in driving innovation, knowledge transfer and European competitiveness.

European Steel Technology Platform – ESTEP

The European Steel Technology Platform (ESTEP) brings together all the major stakeholders in the European steel industry. ESTEP membership includes major steel manufacturers; universities and research institutions active in steel research; major users of steel such as car manufacturers; and public bodies like the European Commission and national governments – which have great interest in this vital industrial sector that is so important for Europe's future.

ESTEP’s mission aims to engage in collaborative EU actions and projects on technology, which are tackling EU challenges (notably on renewable energy, climate change (low-carbon emission), circular economy) in order to create a sustainable EU steel industry. This is namely done by disseminating results of projects, by facilitating a supportive environment for collaborative projects, by the Strategic Research Agenda and by the active network of ESTEP’s community.

European Convention on Constructional Steelwork

The aim of the European Convention on Constructional Steelwork (ECCS) is to promote the use of steelwork in the construction sector by the development of standards and promotional information. It also helps to influence decision makers through the management of working committees, publications, conferences, and by active representation on European and International Committees dealing with standardisation, research and development and education.
ECCS is the only European organization which brings together the Steel Industry, the Fabrication and Contracting specialists, and the Academic world through an international network of construction representatives, steel producers, and technical centres.

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