REVIEW OF H2020 WORK PROGRAMMES FOR 2017

July 27, 2016

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The European Commission has reviewed the 2017 work plans of the Horizon 2020 funding Program for 2016-2017, which were published last October.

It is interesting to review these changes because, although the calls are maintained, there are slight changes in the topics that is necessary to consider in order to obtain proposals that properly fit to them. The only work plan pending for review that has not been updated yet is Security and Nanotechnologies (NMBP). In the same way, the Commission budget for this year is 8.5 million Euros.

Some key points of the work program for 2017 are the following:

The scope of the current “Open Research Data Pilot” will be expanded to cover all topic areas of H2020 and the “Open Research Data” will be the default setting.
€ 1.45 billion of the total funding of the work program 2017 will be allocated to SMEs.
Seven Public and Private Partnerships (CPP) are focused on strategic technologies that support the development and employment in key sectors of Europe as an innovative medicine, electronics, aerospace and biotechnology industries.
The new topic “Closing the water gap” with a budget of 10 million within the call “Greening the economy” will aim to reduce the fragmentation of research activities and innovation on water in Europe.
An investment of 4 million € will support the development and introduction of a new policy of the European Commission “FOOD 2013 INITIATIVE” to connect, structure and expand R&D in the field of safety of food and nutrition in Europe.
H2020 will continue supporting a number of cross-cutting initiatives in 2017: Industry 2020 within the Circular Economy (€ 325 million); Smart and Sustainable Cities (€ 115 million); Technologies for automated driving (more than 50 million €) and the Internet of Things (€ 37 million).