Horizon Europe will feature a Three-Pillar-Structure similiar to Horizon 2020 - with some changes to content and priorities. On this site you will find an overview of the future programme structure to which the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers have agreed.

Pillar I "Open Science"

This pillar will feature the European Research Council, Marie-Skłodowska-Curie-Actions and Research Infrastructures.

Pillar II "Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness"

The former pillars II and III of Horizon 2020 will be "merged" under this pillar. The former "Societal Challenges" are transformed into six Clusters with the following research topics:

• Health
• Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
• Civil Security for Society
• Digital, Industry and Space
• Climate, Energy and Mobility
• Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Social Science and Humanities (SSH) shall play an important role across all clusters. The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission will also act under Pillar II.

Moreover, Horizon Europe will introduce so called "Missions" as a new feature of the programme. They are intended to work on pre-defined urgent global challenges across all Clusters of Pillar II. The following areas have been established for possible multidisciplinary missions:

1. Adaptation to Climate Change, including Societal Transformation
2. Cancer
3. Healthy Oceans, Seas, Coastal and Inland Waters
4. Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities
5. Soil Health and Food

Additionally, there are eight institutionalized European partnerships envisaged on these topics:

1. Faster development and safer use of health innovations for European patients, and global health
2. Advancing key digital and enabling technologies and their use, including but not limited to novel technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, photonics and quantum technologies
3. European leadership in Metrology including an integrated Metrology system
4. Accelerate competitiveness, safety and environmental performance of EU air traffic, aviation and rail
5. Sustainable, inclusive and circular bio-based solutions
6. Hydrogen and sustainable energy storage technologies with lower environmental footprint and less energy-intensive production
7. Clean, connected, cooperative, autonomous and automated solutions for future mobility demands of people and goods
8. Innovative and R&D intensive small and medium-sized enterprises.

Pillar III "Innovative Europe"

Pillar III will be the home of the newly established European Innovation Council (EIC), which shall boost innovation in Europe. The topic of European Innovation Ecosystems will be addressed here and Pillar III will also host the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Some parts of the former SME instrument and FET will continue to exist under Pillar III as well.

Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area

This cross-cutting "box" is intended to support the widening of participation and spreading of excellence as well as the reformation and enhancement of the European R&I Systems. Therefore, former Teaming/Twinning and Widening aspects of Horizon 2020 will be found here in order to strengthen the scientific capacity of the EU-13. The box will also give support to synergetic activities with the European Universities - a new initiative funded under the next Erasmus+ Programme.