Railway PRO

42
Market products development
& technologies
Six non-EU countries can access the
“Horizon 2020” financing
[ by Pamela Luică ]
Five countries from Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro
and Serbia) and the Republic of Moldova have secured access to the “Horizon 2020” European
programme. On 1 July 2014, all 6 countries signed association agreements with the authorities in Brussels,
in the presence of Robert-Jan Smits, General Director, DG Research and Innovation, EC. They have the
cooperation experience in EU research and innovation (through FP7) and plan to become more involved
in the Horizon 2020. Researchers, businessmen and partners from this countries are well integrated into
the research projects and networks of the EU and regional cooperation opportunities will increase if all
countries associate. In order to obtain a larger share in the Horizon 2020 Programme, countries will have
to rely on their experience (by participating in FP7) and to consolidate the national research and innovation
capacities.
“
www.railwaypro.com | August 2014
actively as of 1 January 2014, will allow the
6 countries to benefit from the financing
opportunities provided within Horizon
2020.
“Horizon 2020 is very important for the
Serbian scientists, as well as for the business
environment and other organisations
which can enter this programme. I hope
Serbia will become an important partner
of this programme and will have advantages
created by projects and funds”, declared
Srdjan Verbić, Serbian Minister of Education.
To access Horizon 2020, the Montenegrin
Cabinet approved in June the international
agreement on the implication
in the “Horizon 2020” programme. Minister
of Science Sanja Vlahović declared that
“scientists and researchers will be able to
access the ‘Horizon 2020’ financing for im-
The agreements signed are beneficial
for each of the countries involved,
but also for the European Union.
Increasing cooperation in research and innovation
will create new growth opportunities,
competitiveness and jobs. The association
within Horizon 2020 will facilitate
the mobility of scientists, will consolidate
the national research systems and will support
these countries in their in their integration
process in the European Research
Area”, declared Máire Geoghegan-Quinn,
European Commissioner for Research, Innovation
and Science.
Although the participation of SMEs is
still limited, the number of undertakings
involved in activities is increasing considering
the programme’s focus on the entire
innovation chain.
Association agreements, applying retroplementing
projects and they will not have
problems in accessing the funds. It is very
important for Montenegro, but also for the
development of the EU strategy ‘Europe
2020’ which defines the scientific development
as priority for economic growth”, the
minister said.
Box 2: Long-term global trends in research spending and technological performance
Emerging economies are growing at a rapid pace and will soon transform the global landscape for research an
First billion Euros allocated
to projects
and R & D spending ( 1 ), the emerging economies (Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia and Turkey) co
investing the same volume of R & D as the G7 countries by 2050 and, Horizon by 2020, they is the could new programme already be for investin
the EU. This expansion of R & D spending by the emerging countries research should and inevitably innovation lead of the to their EU which producing m
received a budget of EUR 80 Billion by
2020. The first demands for projects included
2050, in the G7 programme share could were published have diminishe
patent applications compared with only 8 % for the E7 countries, by
in December 2013.
On 9 July, the research partners between
EU, the private sector and member
shares states presented of PCT patents the first demands ( 2 ) — of
Long-term trends in R & D spending —
World
projects and partners within the Horizon
Long-term emerging trends economies, in R & D spending G7 countries, - emerging EU-27 economies, G7 countries, EU‐27 emerging economies, G7 countries, EU-27
2020 programme. With a total amount of
EUR 1.13 Billion of public funds, plus a
similar amount from private partners, the
first financing round will be dedicated to
projects aimed at improving people’s life
and stimulating the international competitiveness
of the European industry.
“Our commitment is that the EU budget
should focus first of all on economic recovery
and partnerships go in this direction;
the first demands for proposals amount
to EUR 1.1 Billion, plus a similar amount
from private partnerships within a package
worth EUR 22 Billion aimed to improve
people’ lives and to stimulate the international
competitiveness of the European
industry. They will continue to produce results
that no country, no undertaking and
Source: European Commission
Source: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation.
Data: HSBC estimates of GDP growth, the OECD, World Bank.
Source: not Directorate-General even the European for Union Research itself and could Innovation.
Data: obtain OECD patent by themselves”, database. declared EC President
José Manuel Barroso.