Australia Begins Negotiations to Join EU Horizon Europe Research Programme

Australia has begun formal negotiations with the European Union to associate with Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation funding programme. If finalised, the agreement would allow Australian organisations to lead and participate in collaborative projects funded under the scheme. The initiative is designed to strengthen international scientific partnerships and expand access to large-scale research funding, according to an announcement from the Australian Government. The move reflects Australia’s long-standing focus on global collaboration in science and innovation.

Negotiations Mark Step Towards Deeper Research Cooperation

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have agreed to begin treaty negotiations that would enable Australia to become formally associated with Horizon Europe. Association status would expand access to funding and collaborative projects with EU member states and other associated countries.

Horizon Europe operates on a seven‑year funding cycle and represents the world’s largest pooled research programme for international science and innovation collaboration. The current cycle, Framework Programme 9, has a funding pool of US$155 billion (EUR 95.5 billion). By participating in projects supported by this programme, Australian researchers and institutions could contribute to initiatives of a scale that would be difficult to achieve independently.

Opportunities for Australian Research and Industry

If the association agreement is completed, Australian universities, research organisations and businesses would be able to lead and join multinational projects addressing key research priorities. These include supply chain security, advanced computing, critical technologies, critical minerals, health, and climate and clean energy.

International collaboration already plays a central role in Australia’s research ecosystem. More than 60% of the country’s scientific research is conducted with an international partner. EU member states collectively have been Australia’s most significant scientific partners for more than three decades, producing close to 17,000 joint publications in 2024 alone.

Collaborative initiatives between Australian institutions and international partners continue to expand, such as research partnerships highlighted in Australia’s cooperation between the University of Queensland and Universitas Indonesia, which aim to strengthen regional research capacity and innovation.

Strengthening Global Research Networks

Horizon Europe currently includes 20 non‑EU associated countries, enabling them to participate closely in collaborative scientific and technological research with EU member states. Association is regarded as one of the most integrated forms of international cooperation in research between the EU and non‑EU partners.

For Australia, participation would complement existing domestic innovation initiatives and investment strategies designed to strengthen research capability and industry partnerships, including programmes aimed at boosting local innovation ecosystems across states and territories. Similar efforts have been seen in initiatives such as Victoria’s investment to expand local innovation capacity.

The treaty negotiation process will determine the terms of Australia’s association with the programme. Following completion of the process, Australian organisations are expected to be able to apply for Horizon Europe research calls from early 2027.