Today, the European Commission adopted the main Horizon Europe work programme for 2026-2027, a €14 billion investment designed to drive research and innovation (R&I) across the EU's strategic goals. These goals include achieving climate neutrality, boosting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in research and innovation, and ensuring resilience in a rapidly changing world.
To achieve this, the programme introduces new cross-disciplinary calls and topics that will boost decarbonisation and the use of AI in research. It also expands the ‘Choose Europe' initiative to attract global talent and makes applying for Horizon Europe funding and participation simpler.
New approach to tackling cross-cutting challenges
A major novelty of the work programme 2026-2027 are horizontal calls, which address cross-cutting challenges across different research and innovation areas.
One such call, R&I in support of the Clean Industrial Deal, allocates €540 million to accelerate the market deployment of cutting-edge clean technologies and decarbonised industry solutions. It adopts a bottom-up, industry-led approach, focusing on decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries and clean technologies for climate action. The call on AI in science, with a budget of €90 million, supports trustworthy AI applications in sectors such as advanced materials, agriculture and healthcare. It contributes to the Resource for AI Science in Europe initiative, aligns with Europe's digital transition goals and strengthens the continent's leadership in safe, ethical AI development.
In addition to the new horizontal calls, the New European Bauhaus Facility will contribute to addressing cross-cutting challenges. It will allocate over €210 million in 2026-2027 to revitalise neighbourhoods through design for sustainability and inclusion.
