The Government has announced that Norway wishes to take part as a full member of the new EU framework programme for research and innovation, Horizon 2020.
"European collaboration on research and innovation is important because it enhances the quality of Norwegian research, it enables us to contribute ourselves, and it gives us better access to international knowledge development. This in turn leads to innovation," states Kristin Halvorsen, Norway's Minister of Education and Research, in a press release.
"The Research Council of Norway is very pleased that the Government has confirmed that our close research cooperation with the EU is to continue," says Director General of the Research Council, Arvid Hallén, in a comment to the decision.
"Our participation in the previous framework programmes has been essential to Norwegian research. Among other things, it has allowed Norwegian researchers, research institutions and companies to take part in important international networks," he explains.
High expectations ' major challenges
"The EU's new framework programme for research and innovation will open up a wide range of opportunities. The programme will make it possible for Norwegian researchers to establish cooperation with the best international actors, both in projects aimed at solving the Grand Challenges and in projects aimed at developing innovative capacity within industry," Mr Hallén adds.
"But the breadth and scope of the framework programme also pose major challenges to the Norwegian research sector. While many Norwegian researchers are already well established in European cooperative networks, our participation is still too narrow. We need to learn how to take even better advantage of the opportunities inherent in EU cooperation. I am quite certain that Norwegian research groups will redouble their efforts and seek to expand their participation under Horizon 2020.
The Research Council is planning ahead
The Research Council has already started planning how to organise and administer the activities that will best promote Norwegian mobilisation efforts and assist research groups and companies with their activities under Horizon 2020.
"Inside the Research Council, we have more or less considered it a foregone conclusion that Norway would be participating as a full member in the next EU framework programme on research," says Arvid Hallén. "It's very positive that the Government is sending a message to Norway's entire research sector that we will be continuing our cooperation with the EU."
"Now that this has been clarified, the Research Council can step up its efforts to get the administrative structures in place so we are ready to roll when the first funding announcements are issued under the framework programme."
Norway's overall contribution to Horizon 2020 is expected to total close to NOK 16 billion over a period which may extend to 2025.
