Successful R&I in Europe 2026
Results of the participation of the Ukrainian delegation of scientists and innovators in the 13th European event Successful R&I in Europe 2026, held on February 19–20, 2026 in Düsseldorf
The event was organized in a matchmaking format for Horizon Europe projects and brought together more than 300 participants from over 30 countries.
During the event, four Ukrainian participants were selected to present their project proposals:
- Dr. Vyacheslav Bogdanets, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine
- Kateryna Polupanova, Pryazovskyi State Technical University
- Dr. Yuliia Kovalenko, Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences
- Dr. Olena Fesenko, Institute of Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
The concept of the next Horizon Europe programme (2028–2034) was presented, proposing:
Expected budget: The European Commission has proposed €175 billion (a doubled budget is currently under consideration).
4 “pillars” (programme structure):
- Excellent Science (ERC, MSCA, JRC) — with a strengthened ERC through the “Choose Europe” approach
- Competitiveness and Society — joint R&I projects focused on competitiveness and societal impact
- Innovation — expansion of the EIC, staged funding for high-risk innovations, and a new focus on defence and dual-use startups
- European Research Area — an updated widening component plus new support for research and technology infrastructures
Key priorities / impact areas: clean transition and decarbonization, digital leadership, defence and security, industry and space, as well as addressing societal challenges (including missions).
What’s new and how the approach differs:
- simplification and acceleration: fewer topics in calls and a shorter path from deadline to grant agreement
- stronger linkage with the European Competitiveness Fund (from idea to scaling logic)
- introduction of “moonshot projects” — large-scale initiatives from R&D to demonstration and deployment with combined funding (EU + national + private sources)
The EEN Ukraine Consortium continues to support Ukrainian organizations in partner search, consortium building, and integration into European R&I networks.
