{"id":563688,"date":"2025-11-11T14:00:21","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T14:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/563688\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T14:00:21","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T14:00:21","slug":"switzerland-joins-horizon-europe-and-major-research-programmes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/563688\/","title":{"rendered":"Switzerland joins Horizon Europe and major research programmes"},"content":{"rendered":"

The agreement, signed in Bern, also encompasses Switzerland\u2019s participation in the Digital Europe Programme<\/a> and the Euratom Research & Training<\/a> (R&T) initiative, placing Swiss researchers and organisations on equal footing with their EU counterparts.<\/p>\n

Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, explained the significance of the deal: \u201cThis signature opens a new chapter in EU\u2013Swiss relations, deepening our partnership across research, innovation, education and digital transformation.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy joining Horizon Europe and key EU programmes, Switzerland and the EU are investing in skills, technology and science, building a more competitive and connected Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is Horizon Europe?<\/p>\n

Horizon Europe is the European Union\u2019s central research and innovation funding programme for 2021\u20132027, with an indicative budget of \u20ac93.5bn.<\/p>\n

The programme focuses on tackling global challenges<\/a>, including climate change, sustainability, and public health, while enhancing Europe\u2019s competitiveness on the world stage.<\/p>\n

The initiative promotes collaboration among researchers, public institutions, and businesses across borders, supporting the development and dissemination of cutting-edge knowledge and technology.<\/p>\n

Horizon Europe also contributes to economic growth, industrial competitiveness, and job creation, while ensuring the effective use of research investments within a strengthened European Research Area.<\/p>\n

New opportunities for Swiss research and industry<\/p>\n

As part of Horizon Europe, Swiss institutions can now lead international research consortia, access direct EU funding, and participate in all thematic areas of the programme.<\/p>\n

This enhanced access creates opportunities for pooling research talent, infrastructure, and industrial capabilities across Europe.<\/p>\n

It is expected to accelerate progress in climate solutions, digital transformation, advanced manufacturing, health innovation, and energy security.<\/p>\n

The agreement takes effect retroactively from 1 January 2025, ensuring that Swiss participation in ongoing and upcoming projects is fully recognised and funded.<\/p>\n

Energy and health initiatives expand collaboration<\/p>\n

Beyond Horizon Europe, Switzerland\u2019s involvement in European research programmes extends to Fusion for Energy<\/a> starting in 2026.<\/p>\n

This allows Swiss researchers and companies to contribute to ITER<\/a>, the world\u2019s most ambitious international fusion energy<\/a> project.<\/p>\n

Association with Erasmus+ is also planned for 2027, enabling Swiss institutions to participate in education and mobility programmes across Europe.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Switzerland will be able to join the EU4Health programme<\/a> once the relevant agreements enter into force, broadening collaboration in health research and innovation.<\/p>\n

Strengthening EU-Swiss relations<\/p>\n

The participation agreement is part of a broader package designed to modernise and deepen the relationship between Switzerland and the European Union.<\/p>\n

Negotiated between March and December 2024, the package aims to consolidate cooperation in research, education, innovation, and other strategic sectors.<\/p>\n

Once the remaining agreements are signed and ratified, Switzerland\u2019s engagement in EU programmes will be fully formalised, ensuring long-term collaboration and strengthening Europe\u2019s research ecosystem.<\/p>\n

Broadening Switzerland\u2019s research horizons<\/p>\n

Switzerland joining Horizon Europe is expected to deliver significant benefits for both Swiss and European research communities.<\/p>\n

By participating fully in EU-funded projects, Swiss researchers and companies gain access to international networks, funding opportunities, and technological infrastructure.<\/p>\n

This enhanced collaboration is likely to accelerate innovation in critical sectors such as renewable energy, digital technology, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing, further cementing Europe\u2019s position as a global leader in research and innovation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The agreement, signed in Bern, also encompasses Switzerland\u2019s participation in the Digital Europe Programme and the Euratom Research…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":563689,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5174],"tags":[3494,2000,299,5187,1699,44254,14006,20501,5442,3695],"class_list":{"0":"post-563688","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-eu","8":"tag-digital-infrastructure","9":"tag-eu","10":"tag-europe","11":"tag-european","12":"tag-european-union","13":"tag-fusion-energy","14":"tag-horizon-europe","15":"tag-medical-science","16":"tag-renewable-energy","17":"tag-sustainability"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115531430280223432","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=563688"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563688\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/563689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=563688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=563688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=563688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}