HORIZON 2020 in WALES Annual Report 2015
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HORIZON 2020 IN WALES Annual Report 2015 Cronfeydd yr UE: Buddsoddi yng Nghymru EU Funds: UNDEB EWROPEAIDD Investing in Wales EUROPEAN UNION 2 Foreword I am delighted to introduce our the significant progress made in first Annual Report of Horizon utilising these funds to help build 2020 activity in Wales. capacity among organisations to access funding from the Worth €77 billion Horizon 2020 competitive Horizon 2020 is the largest ever European programme. Excellent examples Union research and innovation of synergies between Structural programme, and to help drive Funds and Horizon 2020, as in world-class science and innovation the case of Sêr Cymru II, are and sustainable jobs and growth rightly attracting interest from in Wales, it is vital that we Europe, and we are sharing our maximise the opportunities that experiences and best practice with this programme presents. our EU partners. It is already clear that Horizon Wales needs to build on this 2020 is more competitive than momentum and this report its predecessor Framework highlights areas where we can Programme 7 (FP7), but despite work together to improve on this Welsh organisations have our performance so far. The EU already succeeded in attracting Funding Ambassadors, whom I over €35m of investment from appointed in December 2014, Horizon 2020. Furthermore, have highlighted the importance with the UK being one of the of Welsh organisations building largest recipients of Horizon 2020 on their networks in Brussels and funding in the EU, Wales has beyond. The European Territorial increased its share of the funding Co-operation programmes, invested in UK organisations including the Ireland Wales from 2.07% to 2.46% when programme, also present compared to the predecessor FP7 opportunities for us to utilise the programme. networks and partners we have established across Europe. Meeting people and visiting organisations across Wales, Collaboration is at the heart of I have seen first-hand the Horizon 2020, and this report success achieved so far and provides an important framework the impact these funds are for how we can achieve with our making in supporting innovative partners across Wales, the UK and developments. Through EU a significant and sustainable Horizon 2020 support, TrakCel increase in the number of Welsh Ltd in Cardiff is working with organisations looking to access international partners to develop and benefit from Horizon 2020. cell therapy technology that This, in turn, will help create a could change the way cancer is vibrant knowledge economy with treated and Charles Owen & Co in significant benefits for jobs and Wrexham is working on a ground- growth across all parts of Wales. breaking project alongside EU partners to help reduce injuries and fatalities in sport. As Minister for the Structural Jane Hutt AM Funds I am also encouraged by Finance and Government Business 3 Contents Foreword 3 Introduction 5 Performance of Welsh organisations 6 Overall performance 6 Performance by theme 7 Performance of the Higher Education sector 8 Performance of the private sector 8 Regional comparison 9 Emerging trends 9 Build a ‘stairway to excellence’ 10 Progress to date 11 Forward look 12 Helping Wales SCoRE in Horizon 2020 12 Increase the engagement and success of businesses 13 Progress to date 14 Forward look 14 Business successfully climbs stairway 14 Develop a Horizon 2020 culture and community in Wales 16 Progress to date 17 Forward look 17 Healthy links 18 Maximise the impact of existing and emerging support 19 Progress to date 20 Forward look 21 Do you have the ‘seal of excellence’? 22 Support and develop our experts and evaluators 23 Progress to date 24 Forward look 24 Evaluator masterclasses 24 Annex – How the Horizon 2020 Unit can help Welsh organisations 25 List of key services 26 4 Introduction At €77 billion (almost £60 billion) Horizon facilitate actions that will maximise 2020 is the largest ever European the Horizon 2020 opportunities for Union (EU) research and innovation Welsh organisations. As announced at programme, aimed at securing the global the first Horizon 2020 Annual Event competitiveness of Europe. in Wales in February 2015, the Study’s The programme focuses on excellence in recommendations are being taken forward science, industrial leadership and tackling by the Welsh Government’s Horizon 2020 societal challenges. Its goal is to ensure Unit under five key objectives: Europe produces world-class science, remove barriers to innovation and make it » Build a ‘stairway to excellence’; easier for public and private sectors across » Increase the engagement and the EU to work together in the area of success of businesses; research and innovation. » Develop a Horizon 2020 culture and It is clearly important that Wales takes community in Wales; advantage of the opportunities from » Maximise the impact of existing and this programme; not only the additional emerging support; and finance, but also the opportunities to » Support and develop our experts & work with the best across Europe, create evaluators. lasting networks and partnerships, and act together as part of a globally responsible Wales to help address shared challenges. This annual report sets out how Welsh organisations have performed so far in CM International’s Horizon 2020 accessing Horizon 2020, the progress Scoping Study1 examined how best to made on the key objectives, and a forward support Welsh organisations to access look to activities in 2016. Horizon 2020. The Study endorsed the approach that the Welsh Government’s Further details on how the Horizon 2020 Horizon 2020 Unit has taken in working Unit can help your organisation benefit closely with key stakeholders in Wales, from Horizon 2020 can be found in the the UK and Europe to co-ordinate and Annex to this report. 1 Horizon 2020 Scoping Study, CM International, May 2014 (http://gov.wales/funding/eu-funds/2014-2020/delivering-your-project/monitoring/programme-evaluations/horizon/?lang=en) 5 Performance of Welsh organisations Overall performance It is still early in the programme period to confirm statistical trends but, as expected, Horizon 2020 is clearly more competitive than its predecessor Framework Programme 7 (FP7). Many areas of the programme are heavily oversubscribed, including new initiatives such as the SME Instrument. Considering the competitive nature of the programme, performance by Welsh organisations is encouraging in many areas. The formal statistics available from the European Commission (as at 29 October 2015) show that Wales has succeeded in attracting €35,107,081 from the Horizon 2020 programme2. Wales has achieved over 64 participations in over 60 projects, involving 540 collaborations across Europe (see Figure 1). As a part of the UK, which is one of the leading countries in Horizon 2020, Wales accounts for 2.46% of the amount of funding invested in UK organisations and 2.09% of the number of UK participations. This is compared to 2.07% of the UK funding and 2.51% of the participations through FP7. In addition to this, the Welsh Government’s Horizon 2020 Unit is aware of 12 participations which are not currently included in the formal statistics; for example, the €422,750 for TrackCel Ltd which was recently announced. 2 European Commission figures do not include funding for Welsh bases with headquarters elsewhere or funds with intermediary 6 bodies such as Risk Finance, Eurostars, ERANETS or some EIT initiatives. Figure 1 – Number of research and innovation collaborations with Welsh organisations in Horizon 2020 (as at 29 October 2015) Performance by theme The Excellent Science pillar of Horizon In these pillars the areas that stand out 2020 has brought in the most funding by in terms of amount of funding are ICT far to Wales, with over €10 million from (€1.4m), Societal Challenge 2 ‘Food, the European Research Council and over Agriculture, Marine and Bioeconomy’ €16 million through Marie Sklodowska- (€1.3m) and Societal Challenge 5 Curie Actions. ‘Climate/Environment/Resource Efficiency’ (€1.3m). Research Infrastructures, Health, In Wales the Industrial Leadership pillar Energy and Materials/Manufacturing accounted for €3.2 million and the approach €1m each. Wales has not yet Societal Challenges pillar €4.1 million. been successful in some themes (for 7 example, Transport, Security, Europe in a bringing in 6.1% of the UK funding with Changing World, Biotechnology, Space the help of the SIRCIW (Strengthening and Advanced Materials) but there are International Research Capacity in Wales) indications that some applications have scheme led by the Welsh Government, been selected but do not yet appear in the working in partnership with Welsh formal statistics. Higher Education. Welsh activity under the European Research Council is strong, Wales’ strengths in comparison with the having been rewarded with 3% of the UK are a moving picture, in part due to UK funding for this theme. While Welsh the early stage of the programme which performance in Societal Challenge can exaggerate the effect of individual 2 ‘Food, Agriculture, Marine and bids; for example, Science with and for Bioeconomy’, although positive at 3% of Society has had two successful Welsh bids, the UK funding, is currently lower than its accounting for 17.6% of the UK figure for equivalent theme in FP7 which attracted this theme. Wales has also performed well over 5% of the UK funding to Wales by in Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, the end of that programme. Performance of the Higher Education sector The Higher Education sector remains key In the UK, Universities are responsible for to Wales’ overall performance in Horizon 58% of the participations and 63% of the 2020. Welsh Universities are responsible funding so far in Horizon 2020. for 69% of the participations and 59% of the funding in Wales, although this is The Horizon 2020 application success lower than the final position in FP7 when rate among Welsh Higher Education is the sector represented 70% of the Welsh currently at 10%, while the UK Higher participations and 81% of the funding.