The European Commission and the Australian government have commenced preliminary talks about the possible affiliation of Australia with Horizon Europe, concentrating particularly on pillar II of the initiative. These technical, non-binding conversations are designed to explore the practical, legal, and financial aspects of such an affiliation. Pillar II of Horizon Europe is focused on tackling global challenges and boosting industrial competitiveness in areas such as digital technologies, health, and renewable energy.
Ekaterine Zaharieva, the European commissioner for research and innovation, remarked that “Horizon Europe drives breakthroughs at a scale nobody can achieve alone.” Zaharieva highlighted that an affiliation would permit Australia to actively participate in these initiatives and share its scientific expertise to address global challenges.
The shared research partnership between the EU and Australia has a history of nearly 30 years. Significantly, in 1994, the Agreement on Science and Technology Cooperation was established between the two, signifying the EU’s inaugural treaty-level science and technology agreement with an industrialized country.
If the discussions produce favorable outcomes, Australia’s affiliation with Horizon Europe would allow its researchers to obtain funding directly from the program and possibly lead projects, while Australia would also be expected to make financial contributions to the initiative.
Currently, 20 non-EU nations recognized for their strong background in science, innovation, and technology are affiliated with Horizon Europe. This includes countries like New Zealand, South Korea, and Canada. Earlier this year, Egypt finalized its negotiations to join the program, with a formal agreement likely to be signed in November.