Horizon Europe Driving Tangible Economic and Societal Impact, Interim Evaluation Shows
Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme for 2021–2027, is proving to be a powerful engine for economic and societal benefit. According to the European Commission’s interim evaluation, each euro invested from the EU budget could generate up to €11 in GDP by 2045.
The evaluation also reveals that by January 2025—the programme’s halfway point—over 15,000 projects had been funded, with a combined budget exceeding €43 billion. Initiatives such as electric buses in European cities, new antibiotics, and AI tools accessible to researchers demonstrate the programme’s tangible impact.
Notably, 80% of projects funded by the European Research Council (ERC) have led to scientific breakthroughs or significant advancements. Since 1984, EU research and innovation programmes have supported 35 Nobel Prize laureates.
Each euro invested through the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund in innovative companies has attracted over three euros in private investment, underlining the EIC’s transformative role in supporting startups and scaleups.
Efforts to reduce disparities in research and innovation performance across EU Member States are yielding results. The share of collaborative projects involving countries with lower R&I indicators has increased to 58%, up from 47% under the previous Horizon 2020 programme.
The introduction of lump sum funding—providing fixed financing for projects—has helped cut administrative costs for beneficiaries by 14 to 30%, with total savings reaching up to €63 million across all signed projects.
Source: European Commission
Last updated: 20-05-2025
Related news:
Lithuania to chair the European Schools system for the first time
Further direction for the European Universities Initiative discussed in Brussels
Minister Popovienė attended the meeting of the Lithuanian and Ukrainian Governments
Lithuania in the Competitiveness Council: from science diplomacy to the future of Horizon Europe
Call for nominations for the Lithuanian Education Teacher/Lecturer Award