18 months ago, the UK rejoined Horizon Europe - the EU’s £80bn science and research programme - and is already seeing the benefits.
The latest data found that the UK is already “the fifth most successful country in the programme, which is open to 43 nations: the 27 EU member states and 16 non-EU associate members also including New Zealand, Canada and Norway” (The Guardian).
Given the UK only re-entered the programme “three years into the seven-year 2020-27 funding programme”, this is an impressive performance and is great news for the UK.
Plus, “in terms of grants for proposals by individual scientists… the UK now ranks as the second-most successful participating country after Germany”.
Reacting to the news, Dr Mike Galsworthy, Chair of European Movement UK, said:
“Collaboration between European countries provides tremendous added value. Nowhere was this more apparent than in the global science programme run by the EU, Horizon.
“The UK used to joint lead, with Germany, for funds won and used to dominate on project leadership. Brexit put the boot into that and set us back hugely.
“The recovery is now underway, but will take time - and we’ve already lost an eye-watering chunk of projects and talent for it.
“The UK re-entering Horizon Europe can be a blueprint for re-entering the other programmes, bodies and agreements which will bring untold benefits to the UK, such as Erasmus+, the EU Single Market and the European Union itself.”