Proposal for closer cooperation includes increased academic mobility and co-investment in startup companies
The European Commission has repeated its invitation for India to consider associating to Horizon Europe, the EU’s research and innovation programme, extolling the benefits to be gained from working more closely together amid geopolitical tensions elsewhere.
Its renewed offer came as part of a strategic agenda put forward on 17 September, which is intended “to raise bilateral relations with India to a higher level”.
“Now is the time to focus on reliable partners and double down on partnerships rooted in shared interests and guided by common values,” said Commission president Ursula von der Leyen (pictured earlier this year with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi).
Consider association
The Commission has proposed five pillars for the agenda: prosperity and sustainability, technology and innovation, security and defence, connectivity and global issues, and cross-pillar enablers.
Promoting research cooperation is one of three subsections to the technology and innovation pillar. The Commission pointed out that the EU and India already cooperate through Horizon Europe, but via “exceptional coordinated [funding] calls”.
“India could consider becoming associated with Horizon Europe. This would open the door to deeper and more structured scientific cooperation, enabling Indian researchers and institutions to participate on an equal footing in collaborative projects across a wide range of fields. It would also improve access for Indian researchers to world-class European research infrastructures,” the Commission said.
The 2021-27 version of the EU R&I programme is the first to have opened association to countries far outside the European region, albeit limited to the second pillar of Horizon Europe, which is focused on industrial competitiveness and societal challenges. Countries as far away as Canada and New Zealand have joined.
Support for emerging technologies and mobility
The Commission also suggested that the EU and India should cooperate more on emerging technologies, including research and skills development.
It has proposed setting up EU-India Innovation Hubs to bring together policymakers, innovators and experts to identify shared priorities and actions that could be taken to speed up innovation.
It also suggested an EU-India Startup Partnership to promote co-creation and co-investment in cutting-edge small companies, and it said cooperation in areas including space and artificial intelligence should be explored.
Under the section of the agenda on cross-pillar enablers, the Commission proposed expanding skills mobility, including for researchers, innovators and students.
