Cerame-Unie, along with 24 other industry and research stakeholders, calls on the European Union to develop an ambitious successor to Horizon 2020 to support industry’s contribution to research and innovation (R&I).

Investment in R&I is crucial for maintaining Europe’s competitiveness and geo-political position. With 65% of spending on R&I in the EU coming from businesses, the private sector is a key player in bringing about new technologies and innovations.  However, public investment is crucial for reaching the levels of spending on R&I that are needed to meet the 3% of GDP target by 2020, and to continue on this path in the subsequent years. Public funding through Horizon 2020 has been extremely effective for allowing industry to dilute the risk of failure for experimental projects and thereby decrease the upfront costs of innovation. The EU’s Research & Innovation Framework Programmes are instrumental in scaling up public funding, and the successor to Horizon 2020 has a crucial role to play in this regard.

As a member of A.SPIRE, Cerame-Unie understands the added-value of contractual Public-Private Partnerships in bridging the gap between research and implementation. These unique partnerships bring industry and research institutes together in cross-borders partnerships to carry out research which can really contribute to addressing societal challenges. For instance, there are many projects which are looking at improving energy efficiency and resource efficiency in the ceramics industry*. The collaborative, cross-border, and cutting-edge research that is facilitated through Horizon 2020 is needed now more than ever. These projects are a true success of the European project, and they are fundamental in making the transitions that are needed to make our industries and societies more sustainable.

Along with our colleagues from others industries and partners from research and technology organisations, we call on the European institutions to strengthen support for contractual Public Private Partnerships and Joint Technology Initiatives in the upcoming Framework Partnership Nine (FP9). We urge the EU institutions to build on the successes of Horizon 2020 in designing its successor.

We believe that:

• The overall EU budget for R&I in FP9 should be increased within the ongoing discussions about the Multiannual Financial Framework;
• The three pillar structure should be maintained, while allocating an equivalent share of the budget to each pillar;
• FP9 should support EU industrial leadership to guarantee the implementation of European research.
• Grants for all actors in the value chain, including shall and large companies need to continue in FP9.

 Read the joint declaration here

*To find out more about R&I in the ceramics industry, read our non-exhaustive inventory.