The European Commission recently presented its ambitious proposal for the upcoming EU Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034, a roadmap outlining Europe's investment priorities until 2034, with a proposed total budget of 1.63 trillion euros and numerous opportunities for health innovators.
Health Priorities of the New Framework
The 2028-2034 roadmap highlights several key health priorities, aligned with evolving European needs:
- Health, Biotechnology, and Bioeconomy
- Regenerative Therapies and Advanced Biomedicine
- Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
- Data Sovereignty and Secure Spaces for Health Data
- Planetary Health and Environmental Determinants
Budget and Pillars of Horizon Europe
In this context, Horizon Europe will remain the flagship program for research and innovation, with a substantial budget of 175 billion euros, representing an 83% increase compared to the 2021-2027 budget.
Horizon Europe is structured around four complementary pillars, each supporting innovation at different maturity levels:
- Pillar 1: Scientific Excellence (44.079 billion euros, representing a 76% increase compared to the 2021-2027 program)
- Funding for exploratory research and fundamental science, targeting early-stage and disruptive innovations.
- Pillar 2: Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness (75.876 billion euros, representing a 41.8% increase compared to the 2021-2027 program)
- Focuses on applied research and development to address societal challenges and enhance Europe's global competitiveness in innovation; includes health-related missions and technologies.
- Pillar 3: Innovative Europe (38.785 billion euros, representing a 184.8% increase compared to the 2021-2027 program)
- Supports the scaling and deployment of innovations through the European Innovation Council, by targeting high-potential start-ups and SMEs to bridge the gap between research and commercialization.
- Pillar 4: Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area (16.262 billion euros, representing a 378.5% increase compared to the 2021-2027 program)
- Strengthens collaboration and capacity building among EU Member States to ensure that all regions benefit from innovation activities.
The Moonshot Projects
Furthermore, Horizon Europe will develop a new financial support instrument, the 'Moonshot Projects', to accelerate the transition of innovations from research to pilot and real-world deployment. These projects will be supported by joint funding from the EU (Horizon Europe and the European Competitiveness Fund), and from national public and private sources.
These projects will prioritize the following health-related areas:
- Regenerative Therapies
- Next-generation AI and Data Sovereignty
- Applications of Space Research to Health
Gain a competitive edge with Eurobiomed
Begin immediately to align your strategy:
- Map your innovation against key priority areas
- Identify potential partners within the European cluster network
- Prepare to engage as soon as the initial calls are announced
- Stay tuned for a series of webinars to share the latest EU news with our members
For personalized advice, to establish partnerships, and to strategically align your projects as the next Multiannual Financial Framework takes shape, please contact Marwa Elrefaey-Katz, Eurobiomed's Europe Project Manager.
