EU's Horizon 2020 a key opportunity for business

Ibec welcomed the Irish launch of the new EU framework programme for research and innovation funding (2014-2020). With a budget of €79 billion, there will be significant opportunities for Irish-based companies of all sizes to access grants to support R&D across a wide range of sectors, in particular health, ICT, environment, marine and energy.

Ibec innovation executive, Aidan Sweeney said: “Horizon 2020 is the largest EU R&D funding programme yet, with a 30% increase on the previous initiative. Ireland needs to take full advantage of the opportunities that this programme presents. We welcome the ambitious national target for securing funding of €1.25 billion from this programme. We now need to ensure that the high level of engagement that the programme seeks to encourage by companies, particularly SMEs is quickly realised and developed over its lifetime.”

“Ibec had called on Government to reach agreement on Horizon 2020 a key pillar of the Irish Presidency. We also pushed hard for the reduction in the administrative burden on participants. This will boost participation by Irish industry and academia further”, he concluded.