ExclusiveClock ticking for Horizon Europe 2028 start, Zaharieva calls for “plan A” thinking

"The negotiations in the Council will be very complicated"

Stakeholders and the Parliament call for a budget of at least €200bn for the next Horizon Europe. Do you think it's feasible?

I wish, but it's very unlikely, unfortunately. The Commission proposal is ambitious enough, with €175bn. I hope we at least will have something close to our proposal.

I realise that, with the geopolitical situation, rising inflation and uncertainty around us, many governments face serious budget constraints. And I know the negotiations in the Council will be very complicated.

We also have Next Generation EU, the programme developed to support member states because of the Covid crisis, and now the debt has to be repaid. We have to find a way to agree on new resources. I believe it's possible, and I hope the Council will reach an agreement by the end of the year.

Time is of the essence, especially for innovation

Because time is of the essence, especially for innovation. These companies may not survive waiting for the new programme to start, or the scientist who has a great idea may find a better proposal outside Europe.

So we need this next Horizon Europe up and running as of 01/01/2028. We are preparing very seriously for the next programming period. But to be able to start, we have to have adopted regulations and a great budget.

On this timeline, if there are delays, is there a plan?

I think the Irish presidency and the president of the Council really want to reach an agreement by the end of the year. So let's think positively and think of plan A.

What are the next steps?

The Council agreed on a partial general approach on regulations at the end of June. It's positive. Hopefully, the Parliament will also vote their mandate by the end of the year, ideally, to be able to start trialogues and negotiate the structure of the programme.

The best investment that governments can make

But, of course, negotiations will be complicated. My message is that R&I is the best investment the governments and all of us can make for our competitiveness. The success stories we see today across different technologies are the result of decades of investment in fundamental research and science.

We are a global leader in quantum, and this was made possible by investing in quantum research through programmes such as Horizon Europe and national programmes. The same applies to fusion, RNA ribonucleic acid vaccines and the many promising space companies we have today.

"Achieve a simpler and faster programme"

What are your red lines in the upcoming trilogues?

We have to achieve a simpler and faster programme. That's what we proposed for the regulation. I'm optimistic, because I see that the Council and the Parliament also want a simpler and faster programme when I'm doing the hearings in the EP European Parliament or when I meet the ministers.

People have the perception that with every new programme, instead of becoming simpler and less burdensome for applicants, the opposite happens. I hope this time we will get it right and trust our innovators and scientists, while ensuring full responsibility and accountability for the use of funds, because this is taxpayers’ money.

Funds have to reach the scientists and the companies when they need them

At the same time, if we want this money to be invested in the best possible way, those funds have to reach the scientists and companies when they need them. We should not just fund projects for the sake of funding them. After 11 months of waiting for a grant, an innovator may realise they could have delivered better results if they had been given more flexibility to use the same resources, without costs being as prescriptive as they are now.

We have to move further in that direction and make the EIC European innovation council faster and more agile, particularly when it comes to disruptive innovation and deep tech.

How do you plan to get there?

We should take more risks and be faster in launching projects. In research, you never know the outcome: you can do everything possible in the best way and still not get a result.

We should therefore focus funding on projects that have the potential to deliver breakthroughs and shorten the time to grant, which is really important. With the EIC Fund, we are already approaching the speed of private venture capital, with decisions in around eight weeks.

But this applies to the equity component. When it comes to the grant and Accelerator, it takes almost 11 months. Very often, especially in deep tech and at early technology-readiness levels, companies need funding quickly. So we have to shorten this timeframe.

Simplification means shortening the time to grant

For me, simplification means taking all the measures we can to shorten the time to grant. Of course, it is important to reduce the number of pages in applications and to make sure that our programme is not 3,000 pages long; that will make life easier for applicants. But if this does not lead to a shorter time to grant, it is not real simplification.

"Reform is definitely needed"

Part of the forthcoming Horizon Europe programme also hinges on the proposal the Commission is set to put forward at the end of the year on the future of the EIT. Should we expect a major overhaul?

We need better coordination between Horizon Europe and the EIT. We also need to strike the right balance between speed and agility, while ensuring accountability, because these are taxpayers’ funds.

This is something we are reflecting on as part of the current public consultation, which is open until 23/09/2026. I strongly encourage stakeholders, organisations and innovators to contribute. It is an important opportunity to help shape an EIT fit for Europe’s future.

The EIT should be more impact-driven, with better governance, stronger links and complementarity with the instruments we already have and stronger oversight and reinforced control. But let’s wait for the outcome of the public consultation. Reform is definitely needed.

The EIT has some very successful Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). Some people are questioning them, but at the same time, this knowledge triangle is really important.