The European Commission has announced plans to double its research and innovation spending in the next phase of its Horizon Europe programme, setting the stage for a record €175 billion investment between 2028 and 2034. Horizon Europe has already delivered around €43 billion in funding across more than 15,000 projects during the current budget period. Now, the Commission wants to dramatically scale up that commitment, aiming to reduce bureaucracy, speed up funding decisions, and make it easier for research teams to secure grants.
According to Science.org, the revamped programme is being pitched as “twice bigger, simpler, faster and more impactful.” It will centre on four main pillars: excellent science, industrial competitiveness, strategic innovation, and efforts to strengthen research systems across the continent. The European Research Council and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions will continue receiving strong support under the “Excellent Science” banner, while the European Innovation Council will get more money to back high-risk, high-reward ideas.
The Commission has also pledged to streamline the entire application process. Researchers have long criticised EU funding systems for their sluggish turnaround times and overly complex requirements. Under the new framework, there’s a promise of faster feedback, fewer application topics, and simpler project evaluations. The goal is to make Horizon Europe more accessible without diluting its scientific ambition.
What it means for international collaboration, and the UK
This isn’t just a big deal for EU-based institutions. The UK, now an associated country to Horizon Europe, will continue to benefit from access to these funds. After rejoining the scheme in 2024 following a long Brexit-induced hiatus, British scientists secured over £500 million in grants in a single year, according to The Guardian. The UK placed fifth in terms of grant awards, outperforming every other non-EU country.
Universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial and Edinburgh have all been active recipients of Horizon funding. Projects have ranged from green aviation tech to regenerative medicine, and many of them would not have been feasible without cross-border collaboration. The NHS, meanwhile, continues to play a part in health innovation studies supported by Horizon cash, particularly in fields like personalised medicine and digital health.
More funding will also create more opportunities for smaller or newer institutions, especially those with limited budgets or staff to compete for traditional research grants. The EU’s vision for a more inclusive and streamlined process means the benefits could spread more evenly, including to UK partners, something that will be key as the country tries to boost its own science output post-Brexit.
The ambitious plan isn’t without hurdles
The jump from €86 billion to €175 billion will need to pass multiple rounds of negotiation between the European Commission, Parliament and member states. There’s no guarantee the entire proposal will survive intact. In the last Horizon cycle, early drafts were also watered down after budget pushback. Some wealthier member states may be wary of the size of the increase, particularly amid wider fiscal pressures.
Still, the return on investment is clear. According to the European Commission’s own figures, Horizon Europe has delivered an estimated €11 in GDP for every euro spent. And the new plan ties closely to NextGenerationEU, the EU’s broader recovery strategy aimed at digital, green and economic modernisation. That should help bolster support in member states where science is seen as a key economic growth driver.
The updated plan also reflects Europe’s ambition to stay competitive in a global innovation race. Recent funding pledges, like the EU’s investment of €1.5 billion in the deep tech sector, reported by Reuters, show a continued push to keep talent and ideas from drifting to the US or China.
A promising future for UK researchers
For British scientists, the expansion of Horizon Europe offers a massive opportunity—one that will likely shape careers, departments and innovation for years to come. Universities across the UK are already preparing for the next wave of applications, with research councils urging teams to focus on collaborative and mission-driven science. Programmes targeting clean energy, rare diseases, artificial intelligence and climate adaptation are expected to receive particular attention.
The proposed Horizon expansion also arrives at a moment when the UK government is trying to increase its own domestic research investment. But while the UK has committed to spending 2.4% of GDP on R&D by 2027, it still trails behind many EU countries in funding as a proportion of national income. That makes Horizon participation all the more valuable. It offers a gateway to world-class partnerships and bigger research budgets without needing to foot the entire bill.
If approved, the €175 billion package would become the single largest research investment programme in European history. And for UK scientists, it could mean more access, more influence, and more chances to be part of research that has global impact.