The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has published the latest figures on UK participation in Horizon 2020, the current EU framework programme for research and innovation.
The data – showing the number of times UK organisations participated in this programme – shows an overall downturn in UK success in Horizon 2020, in both total participations and funding received, since the previous data release.
Alistair Jarvis, Chief Executive of Universities UK, said: "The downturn in the UK's participation in Horizon 2020, the EU's programme for research and innovation, is concerning.
"It highlights the urgent need for clarity on the UK's participation in Horizon 2020 beyond Brexit and, while the UK is still a member of the EU, the need to communicate that the UK's universities and researchers are still eligible to participate and apply for funding through EU research and innovation programmes.
"The UK benefits enormously from the access to vital networks, funding and talent Horizon 2020 provides. It allows researchers to collaborate with world-leading experts on life-changing research, with knock-on benefits for the economy, society and individuals in the UK."
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The figures are available to download from the BEIS website: UK's participation in horizon 2020: September 2017
Horizon 2020 is the current EU framework programme for research and innovation and runs from 2014 to 2020. Its predecessor was framework programme 7 which ran from 2007 to 2013. Through this programme, organisations across Europe and wider (including businesses and universities), are able to work together to apply for funding for research activities.
This release shows the number of times UK organisations participated in this programme, as well as the agreed financial contributions from the European Commission to UK organisations as a result of these participations. It contains UK totals, breakdowns by organisation type, funding pillar and regions of the UK, as well as listing the top UK participating organisations. This is based on data extracted from the Commission's database on 30 September 2017.
