Horizon Europe newsletter - September 2023

September update:
We are very much "back to school" across the Horizon Europe National Support Network with preparations under way for a national meeting on Tuesday, 19 September. Members of the research office community from all across the country have been invited to attend along with stakeholders including representatives from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

News on UK Association:
I want to welcome the breaking news that the United Kingdom's association to the Horizon Europe programme has now been agreed in principle.

Given the deep, long-standing education, research & innovation, and business linkages between Ireland and the UK, they have always been a very important and compatible collaboration partner for our Higher Education Institutes and enterprises in EU Framework Programmes going back over thirty-five years.

We also appreciate that Association now unlocks renewed Horizon Europe collaboration between ourselves and Northern Ireland, providing additional funding and collaboration opportunities that can build on a range of existing all-island research & innovation initiatives.

Recent successes:
Ireland's official Horizon Europe drawdown is now at €473.7m, up more than €290m from €183m in September last year - we hope this promising trajectory continues!

More success this week for Ireland-based researchers in the Horizon Europe European Research Council (ERC) programme - seven researchers based in Irish HEIs have been awarded more than €10.6m in the Starting Grants call. ERC National Delegate Maria Nash welcomed the news commenting "...it is encouraging that our early-career researchers are succeeding in one of the world’s most prestigious research competitions across a wide range of subject areas". You can get all the details here and read Maria's update further below.

Congratulations are also due to the two European Innovation Council (EIC) Pathfinder projects coordinated by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and SME Smart Reactors which were amongst 53 projects funded in the 2023 Open call worth €170m. These were selected from 783 proposals submitted in total.

And we are wishing the best of luck to Cork City which has made the shortlist of six European cities in the EIC's 2023 Rising Innovative City iCapital Awards - you can read the details here.

Case Studies:
Our latest Horizon Europe case study focuses on the €4.71m NOMAD project and, in particular, the experience of two Irish SMEs in participating in a Horizon Europe-funded project. They highlight network building and new business opportunities as benefits of participation - this is a key message for other SMEs in Ireland who have not yet taken their first steps into the programme - you can read their story here.

National Support Network team updates
This month, alongside ERC National Delegate Maria Nash, we have updates from National Contact Point (NCP) Willie Ryan on the Soil Mission and a report from National Delegate Michael Murphy on Ireland's performance in Cluster 3 Civil Security for Society as well as some tips on proposal development.

Contact us
As ever, we are here to support you in participating in the Horizon Europe programme - contact details for individual National Delegates and National Contact Points can be found in our online directory. If you are unsure about who to contact, please email us here.

Best regards,

Kevin

Kevin Burke
National Director for Horizon Europe at Enterprise Ireland

Willie Ryan, National Delegate and National Contact Point (NCP), Cluster 6 - Agriculture, Department of Food, Agriculture and the Marine

Under Horizon Europe, the European Commission, through its Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’, funds research and innovation to protect and restore soils in Europe.

It aims to create 100 living labs (places for on-the-ground experiments) and lighthouses (sites for showcasing good practices) to lead the transition towards healthy soils by 2030. Currently, about 60% of soils in the EU are considered to be unhealthy. Read more here.

Maria Nash European Research Council (ERC) National Delegate and National Contact Point for both the Physical Sciences & Engineering and Life Sciences domains, and NCP Research Infrastructures

Ireland has secured more than €93m in ERC funding to date under Horizon Europe. With the publication of the latest round of European Research Council (ERC) results this week, it is an opportune time to provide an update on all things ERC that have transpired since the start of the year.

Read the latest on Ireland's ERC success here.

Upcoming events:

Tue 12 Sep, Matchmaking Event for territories interested to become Regional Innovation Valleys. More here.
Fri 15 Sep, Digital Transformation of advanced materials workshop. Further information here.
Wed 20 Sep, Process4Planet showcase, Cluster 4 Industry forum. Check it out here.
Wed 20 Sep, AI-assisted Methods and Tools for ECS Engineering Efficiency – further information here.
Tue 26 - Wed 27 Sep, Waterborne Days - Save the date! Find out more here.
Tue 26 Sep, EU Cancer Mission Day, Ireland – Check out the event here.
Wed 27 - Thu 28 Sep, Cluster 6, Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agri & Enviro Info days. More here.
Wed 27 - Thu 28 Sep, Science meets Regions Final event. Further information available here.
Thu 5 Oct, Finding Opportunities and Submitting a Proposal in Horizon Europe. More info here.
Wed 11 - Thu 12 Oct, Cluster 4 Digital, Industry & Space Info days - find out more here.
Tue 17 - Wed 18 Oct, Cluster 5, Climate Energy and Mobility Info & Brokerage Day. Further information here.
Tue 17 Oct, Horizon Implementation Days 2023: Grant Agreement Preparation. Details here.
Wed 18 - Thu 19, Cluster 2 Info day followed by a brokerage event on 19 October. Check out details here.
Tue 24 Oct, Horizon Implementation Days 2023: Grant Management in Horizon Europe. More info here.
Fri 27 Oct, EU Brokerage Event on KETs* in Horizon Europe - Cluster 4 Industry. Further information here.
Wed 8 - Thu 9 Nov, AI, Data, Robotics Forum. Check out the event here.
Wed 8 - Sat 11 Nov, European Public Health Conference 2023 - read more here.
Mon 13 - Fri 17 Nov, Raw Materials Week 2023 in Brussels - check out the event here.
Tue 14 - Wed 15 Nov, Battery Innovation Days (3rd edition). Further information here.
Wed 15 - Thu 16 Nov, NGI Forum 2023: Unlocking the power of digital commons - more details here.
Mon 27 - Thu 30 Nov, SESAR Innovation Days. Further information available here.
Mon 15 - Thu 18 Apr 2024, Transport Research Arena Conference. More info here.

Missed it?

EIC Accelerator Challenge: Emerging semiconductor and Quantum technology components - here.
Horizon Results Platform: Opportunities for ERC Beneficiaries - watch back here.
Horizon Europe Coordinators' Day: Grant Management - presentations and video here.
Horizon Results Booster - steering research towards a strong societal impact - recording here.
Lump Sum funding in Horizon Europe - May webinar here.
Common mistakes to avoid when applying for Horizon Europe funding - read more here.