Set up over 20 years ago with a goal to support European regions and cities in enhancing their research and innovation capacities and ecosystems, ERRIN is pleased to share its input to the largest public consultation on the past, present and future of the Horizon programmes 2014-2027.

ERRIN’s contribution scopes in particular the current Horizon Europe programme and the upcoming Strategic Plan of Horizon Europe 2025-2027. The document is structured around four main areas based on ERRIN priorities: EU Missions, European Partnerships, widening, and ecosystem approach.

Read the full messages in the attached document.

ERRIN encourages members to share the paper and its points widely with their colleagues and collaborators at regional, national and European levels to ensure that this feedback and recommendations on regional and local engagement in Horizon are heard and considered.

As the consultation is still open until 23 February (midnight CET), all ERRIN members planning to submit their separate feedback are welcome to reuse ERRIN messages of their choosing and/or add the following paragraph to their contributions:

"As a member of ERRIN, we support the strengthening of regional and local dimensions in EU R&I policies and programmes. Working closely in diverse working groups, we advocate this approach towards policymakers jointly with representatives of around 120 regional ecosystems across Europe. Consequently, we share various takeaways submitted by ERRIN in its input paper under this Horizon consultation."

Learn more about ERRIN's work on R&I policy and Horizon on this dedicated page.

This ERRIN input document was co-created by a dedicated drafting group composed of a number of representatives from the network's membership, following several meetings and exchanges throughout January and February 2023. To ensure inclusiveness and variety of perspectives, feedback was also collected from the wider membership. Finally, inputs developed and experiences gathered by ERRIN community over the past years allowed to further shape the response to this consultation of crucial relevance to the network.

We express our great thanks to all our colleagues, members of ERRIN’s dedicated Horizon consultation drafting group, who directly contributed to preparing network’s input:

• Helga Aunemo, Stavanger Region
• Rasmus Bergander, Central Sweden
• Maria Bilbao, Basque Country
• Evelina Brännvall, Universities in South Sweden
• Zoé Buyle-Bodin, Normandie
• Bogdan Chelariu, North-East Romania Regional Development Agency
• Aki Ishiwa, Emilia-Romagna Region
• Joanna Kubiak, Wielkopolska
• Vendula Nováčková, South Moravia
• Aude Raimbault, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
• Ylva Reisnert, Skåne
• Heidi Renault, Pays de la Loire
• James Sharples, Scotland Europa
• Anna Tranberg, Stockholm Region
• Anthony van de Ven, Brainport Eindhoven
• Helsinki EU Office