Horizon 2020: Work programmes for 2016-2017

The novelties in this WP compared to the WP for 2014 and 2015 are as follows:

• The WP for 2016 to 2017 is fully aligned with the policy priorities as stipulated by the Juncker Commission.
• The priorities of European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Carlos Moedas, namely ‘open to innovation, open to science, open to the world’ are met in the WP for 2016 and 2017.
• A lot of attention is paid to ICT and digitalisation, from digital security to the digitalisation of industry.
• According to the European Commission, impact becomes even more important via the links with the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI).

Synergies should be fostered more successfully with other EU funding programmes, such as the European Structural and Investments Funds (ESIF). One way to do this is via the newly introduced ‘Seal of Excellence’ for which a pilot is run within the SME Instrument. It allow regions to recognise the quality label awarded to promising project proposals submitted under Horizon 2020 that did pass the quality threshold, however did not manage to get any funding. If deemed successful, the action could then be extended to cover more areas of Horizon 2020, such as, among others, the ERC.

(source: Charlotte Geerdink, Swisscore.org, 13 October 2015)