European Commission adds €500m to Horizon Europe programme

The European Commission has announced an extra €500 million for the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, raising its total budget to roughly €14.8 billion.

The additional funding will be deployed over 2026 and 2027 and includes two new cross‑cutting calls. The first, Bridging Actions 2027, targets next‑generation AI digital platforms to create a more affordable, secure and sustainable European energy system, with €260 million allocated.

The second call, Nature‑Positive Economy and Society, receives €237 million to address skills needs in innovative SMEs, support biodiversity goals and help meet the EU’s 10 % biodiversity spending target for 2025‑2027.

Commissioner for Start‑ups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva said the amendment puts new funding behind priorities that matter to Europeans and will boost excellence across the bloc.

In related news, the EU confirmed that the €5 billion Scaleup Europe Fund has cleared final legal hurdles and can now operate at full capacity, aiming to help deep‑tech businesses compete with the US and China.

Source: Silicon Republic. Photo: Honglei Yue / Pexels.