England is back in Horizon Europe next year

– I think It’s amazing that they managed to reach the finish line in the end. It’s incredibly disappointing that the research was a bat in another debate, says Bjorn Gull, head of the Department for Research Support at the Karolinska Institutet, KI.

What he means is that the Commission has suspended the process of allowing the UK to become an associate member of the Horizon Europe Framework program until the dispute over the Brexit rules for Northern Ireland is resolved. But now there is an agreement, ready to be approved by the Cabinet.

Great Britain is coming Horizon Europe will pay EUR 2.6 billion per year for full participation from 1 January 2024 until the end of the Framework Program in 2027.

From 2021, British-led research teams will not be able to receive the EU money their projects won within Horizon Europe. The UK has promised to pay a corresponding amount in return. But the uncertainty surrounding this and the fact that research groups often allow researchers from EU countries to be the main applicant has led to low participation from the British side.

This is noticeable in KI Clearly. Before Brexit, British universities were key partners of KI. Not even in the top ten list these days. At the top are two Danish and one French university. Nevertheless, KI and its British partners worked hard to try to keep the level of cooperation high.

Before Brexit, Björn Kull saw an opportunity for KI to take over the British role as research leader in EU-funded programmes, but this did not happen. One reason may be the large administrative burden involved in the task, which does not always attract researchers.

Re-entry of Britain Both its excellent research and management skills are welcome in the framework project.

– Britain now has the opportunity to prepare for more research. It’s clear that Horizon Europe wants to get as much as they can for what they pay, says Bjorn Gull.