Portugal secures around €490 million for R&D through Horizon Europe

The Horizon Europe Framework Program was launched by the European Commission in April 2021, with a total budget of €95.5 billion, aiming to promote excellence in the European research and innovation space. To date, around €21.4 billion has been allocated, with Portugal receiving around €490 million in competitive projects (2.3% of the total), captured by entities in the scientific and technological system and by national companies.

Of particular note is the growth in national participation levels and funded proposals in the demanding pillar of scientific excellence of Horizon Europe (European Research Council, Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, and Research Infrastructures), with around €92 million raised for Portugal, corresponding to 1.8% of the total funding allocated. Compared to the previous Framework Program (Horizon 2020), this percentage of funding achieved by Portugal already exceeds that recorded in the same instruments between 2024-2020 (which corresponded to 1.2% of the total available budget).

Also noteworthy are the good results in the Widening program, with €55 million secured for Portugal, around 8% of the total funding allocated to this program.

Even though there is room for improvement in terms of Portugal's participation levels in Horizon Europe given the size of the national scientific community, Portugal's excellent overall performance and the growing diversification of beneficiary entities, including greater coverage at the regional level, are nonetheless noteworthy.