This presentation discusses opportunities for international participation in Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. It provides an overview of the APRE organization which supports Italian participation in EU research programs. The presentation then discusses participation of countries from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in Horizon 2020, including benefits, challenges, and the example of Tunisia which was the first MENA country to formally associate with Horizon 2020. Upcoming opportunities and changes in Horizon Europe are also outlined, including new missions and the importance of building consortia now for future participation. National Contact Points which provide support and advice on participation are also described.

1. Towards Horizon Europe
opportunities and future
perspective
Martina Desole
HoU International Cooperation and Innovation
H2020 National Contact Point for NMBP
05/11/2018 1

2. Agenda
• APRE
• Participation of UNIMED Countries in H2020
• Benefits and hurdles in participating in H2020
• The opportunities and advantages of association: the example of
Tunisia
05/11/2018 2

3. MISSION
• Promoting and supporting Italian
participation to the EU Research and
Innovation programmes (R&I)
1989 - created as a “Task Force” of the Ministry of
Education, University and Research - Independent
H2020 - NCP HOST
ORGANISATION
͢ Hosting all the National Contact
Points
͢ Coordinating 6 NCP Networks
CORE ACTIVITIES
͢ Information and awareness raising
͢ Advising and Assisting
͢ Training
͢ Signposting and Feedback
REGIONAL LEVEL
19 Regional APRE’s Helpdesk
MEMBER OF
The Central Italy node of
NETWORK OF 130 MEMBERS
Universities, Research Centres, IAGs, Industry, Banks

4. Participation in Horizon of MENA Countries
05/11/2018 4

5. 05/11/2018 5

6. 05/11/2018 6

7. 05/11/2018 7

8. 05/11/2018 8

9. 05/11/2018 9

10. 05/11/2018 10

11. How to participate in H2020?
• General Opening of H2020
• Automatic funding for partners of the MENA Region
• Specific topics on MED
05/11/2018 11
• Specific topics in calls for proposals may:
• indicate that participation of international partners
is encouraged
• indicate that participation of partners from a certain
country or region is encouraged or even mandatory
Targeted Opening

12. 05/11/2018 12
How can you participate in Horizon 2020?
There are two general ways to participate:
•Collaborative projects
Together with at least 3 legal
entities from 3 different
countries of the EU or from
Countries Associated to
Horizon 2020
•Participation of individual
researchers
Researchers of all
nationalities are welcome to
participate

13. What are the benefits?
05/11/2018 13
Ambitious research and
innovation projects
Access to world class
research infrastructures
Tackle global challenges
together with excellent
European and International
scientists
Mobility to Europe (and
from Europe)
Access to new networks
and alliances
New business opportunities
and visibility of your
research
Research funding

14. Why is it difficult to participate in H2020?
05/11/2018 14
Competition
Right Topics
Finding the right
consortium
Infrastructures Have a diffuse knowledge
of the opportunities
Being visible
What is
excellence?

15. 05/11/2018 1505/11/2018 15
Competition
Right Topics
Finding the right
consortium
Infrastructures
Have a diffuse
knowledge of the
opportunities
Being visible
What is
excellence?
Identify your own
excellences (S3 approach)
Understand the
Competition
Use the right funds to
potentiate your
Infrastructures
Lobby for the
Right Topics
Liase with your NCPs
Participate in EU
Brokerage events
Point of reference in your
University

16. GET HELP FROM your NCPs (1)
• National Contact Points are national structures established by governments of the 28
EU Member States, of the countries Associated to the Framework Programme and of
any other country wishing to participate actively in the EU’s Framework Programme.
• NCPs provide personalised support on the spot and in applicants' own languages.
• The NCP systems vary from one country to another from highly centralised to
decentralised networks, as well as in terms of entities hosting the NCPs: from
ministries to universities, research centres and special agencies, to private consulting
companies.
• As the NCPs are national structures, the type and level of services offered may differ
from country to country.
05/11/2018 16

17. 05/11/2018 17
GET HELP FROM your NCPs (2)
In general, the following basic services are available in accordance with the
NCP Guiding Principles agreed by all countries:
• Guidance on choosing relevant H2020 topics and types of action;
• Advice on administrative procedures and contractual issues;
• Training and assistance on proposal writing;
• Distribution of documentation (forms, guidelines, manuals etc.);
• Assistance in partner search.

18. The experience of Tunisia
05/11/2018 18

19. 05/11/2018 19
EU Member States (28)
Associated Countries (16)
Albania
Armenia
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Faroe Islands
Georgia
Iceland
Israel
Macedonia (FYR)
Republic of Moldova
Montenegro
Norway
Serbia
Tunisia
Turkey
Ukraine
Switzerland
European Union Member States and Countries
Associated to Horizon 2020
Source: DLR-PT

20. Name / Institution
First MENA & African Country to Join
Horizon 2020
EU Framework Programme for R&I

21. Opportunities of the Association
• Access to EU funding
• Strengthening the entrepreneurial and innovative capacity of stakeholders
• Increase research potential at the international level
• Support for the reform of the R&I infrastructure system
• Moving from Partner to Coordinator
• Representation on the EU Scientific Programme Committee
UGPE-MHESR Tunisia

22. Management Unit of the EU Framework Programme for R&I
'Horizon 2020' | UGPE
The UGPE’s Management Unit and its NCP network will be
coaching you
UGPE-MHESR Tunisia

23. Méta
Réseau
UGPE
PCN
CSPFI
PMO
Experts universitaires
RTN
Parties prenantes de
l’Ecosystème
Experts
institutionnels
Ingénieurs projet
ASI
STARTUPS
H2020
Cabinet ingénierie
de projets européens
Diaspora scientifique
Dispositif de Gouvernance de l’UGPE

24. COLLABORATION BENEFITS
WITHIN R&I FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME HORIZON 2020
COOPERATION
Conducting
efficient R&I
processes
Learning from
previous
experiences
Sharing tools
&
Frameworks
UGPE-MHESR Tunisia

25. 05/11/2018 28
The way forwardHorizon2020
HorizonEurope

26. International Cooperation in Horizon Europe (1)
• Horizon Europe – the 2021-2027 R&I Framework
Programme
• The European Commission published its proposal on 7
June 2018
• Legislative process and definition of the first Work
Programmes (June 2018 – 2nd half 2020)
• Start of the Programme: 1st January 2021
29

27. • To strengthen International Cooperation - To ensure
effective tackling of global societal challenges; access to the
world's best talents, expertise and resources; enhanced
supply and demand of innovative solutions
• To maintain a general opening for international participation
• To Intensify targeted actions (flagship initiatives, joint calls,
etc.)
30
International Cooperation in Horizon Europe (2)

28. 05/11/2018 31
…so it’s important to use the last
two calls of Horizon 2020 to start
building consortia in the view of
Horizon Europe

29. Thank you very much for your attention,
Martina
05/11/2018 32

30. 05/11/2018 33

31. Missions in HEU
• NEW A mission will consist of a portfolio of actions intended to achieve a bold and
inspirational as well as measurable goal within a set timeframe, with impact for
science and technology, society and citizens that goes beyond individual actions
• To relate EU's research and innovation actions to concrete needs of society and of
citizens
• To generate more impact, achieve better outreach, improve cross-sectoral and cross-
disciplinary cooperation, encourage a systemic approach and align R&I instruments
and EU agendas
• Concrete missions will be co-designed with Member States, stakeholders and citizens
during implementation (strategic planning, see further)
34

32. 05/11/2018 35

33. 05/11/2018 36
Establishment of National Contact Points In theory National Contact Points are national structures established and
financed by governments of the 28 EU Member States, of the countries Associated to the Framework Programme
and of any other country wishing to participate actively in the EU’s Framework Programme. NCPs provide
personalised support on the spot and in applicants' own languages. The NCP systems vary from one country to
another from highly centralised to decentralised networks, as well as in terms of entities hosting the NCPs: from
ministries to universities, research centres and special agencies, to private consulting companies. As the NCPs are
national structures, the type and level of services offered may differ from country to country. In general, the
following basic services are available in accordance with the NCP Guiding Principles5 agreed by all countries: •
Guidance on choosing relevant H2020 topics and types of action; • Advice on administrative procedures and
contractual issues; • Training and assistance on proposal writing; • Distribution of documentation (forms, guidelines,
manuals etc.); • Assistance in partner search. A Middle East Analysis As we can read in a recent report6 “between
2004-2006, the impetus of creating ‘Information Points – InPs’ (precursors of the NCPs) in the Mediterranean Partner
Countries was given by the EU as part of the projects Euro-MEDANet and Euro-MEDANet2. The objective of
EuroMEDANet was to create a network of InPs in Morocco, Jordan and Tunisia, while the objective of Euro-MEDANet
2 was to do the same for Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria7 .” Language barriers, lack of readily accessible
information on opportunities for cooperation, and the difficulty of finding partners8 had been identified as hindering
cooperation between EU and MPC’s, and therefore NCPs were created to provide information to the local research
communities in their mother tongues and in cooperation with similar structures in EU to facilitate partner search and
networking among researchers. Details for NCP’s in Egypt (8), Iran (19), Iraq (2), Jordan (8), Lebanon (6) and Palestine
(1) can be found on the European Commission’s website9 .

34. MISSION
• Promoting and supporting
Italian participation to the EU
Research and Innovation
programmes (R&I)
Italian non-profit research organisation
(PRIVATE)
1989 - created as a “Task Force” of the
Ministry of Education, University and
Research
H2020 - NCP HOST
ORGANISATION
͢ Hosting all the National Contact
Points
͢ Coordinating 6 NCP Networks
CORE ACTIVITIES
͢ Information and awareness raising
͢ Advising and Assisting
͢ Training
͢ Signposting and Feedback
REGIONAL LEVEL
19 Regional APRE’s Helpdesk
MEMBER OF
The Central Italy node of
COOPERATION WITH
NETWORK OF 130 MEMBERS
Universities, Research Centres, IAGs, Industry,
Banks
In 2018:
In the frame of the International
service facility APREs delivered two
main services:
• Training of Tunisian NCPs
͢ Best practice of the Itlain NCP system
͢ How to write a good proposal
• Study visits
For October, organised meeting with
͢ NCP Coordinator – Ministry of
Education, University and Research
MIUR,
͢ Ministry of Foreign Affairs
͢ 10 Italian NCPs Italian Research
Centres and Universities