Ireland’s Future with Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe is the European Union's flagship funding programme for research and innovation, running from 2021 to 2027 with a budget of €95.5 billion. Universities, research institutions, businesses, and public bodies from EU member states and associated countries can apply for funding through a variety of mechanisms.

Ireland has performed well across the many funding calls that have taken place to date. This funding is crucial to Ireland’s research and development (R&D) landscape, driving economic growth and competitiveness, and supporting SMEs and startups in scaling their R&D efforts. Importance of innovation funding for Ireland’s research and development (R&D).

What is Horizon Europe?

The Horizon Europe programme drives scientific excellence, technological development, and economic growth across the EU and beyond. Horizon Europe also helps foster international collaboration in a world where these links are under threat. Most importantly, it drives social good in key sectors such as sustainability, digital technology, and life sciences, changing lives for the better.

Projects supported include scientific advancements, industrial competitiveness, and policy development. The programme is structured into three main pillars:

• Excellent Science funds basic research through the European Research Council (ERC) and supports researchers with Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).
• Global Challenges & European Industrial Competitiveness funds collaborative projects that address societal challenges like health, energy, and the environment.
• Innovative Europe focuses on fostering innovation by supporting startups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and scaling up new technologies through the EIC.

Horizon Europe emphasises widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area to ensure equitable access to funding for all EU countries and associated partners.

What is the impact of Horizon Europe?

Horizon Europe grants are crucial to keeping Ireland competitive at a global scale and contribute significantly to job creation and economic growth.

Companies that receive innovation grants can hire skilled professionals, invest in cutting-edge technologies, and enhance productivity. Some grants, especially those through the MSCA mechanism, are designed to promote the careers of researchers. A strong innovation ecosystem attracts foreign direct investment.

SMEs, universities, and startups are at the forefront of Ireland’s innovation landscape. SMEs benefit from grants that allow them to scale their operations and compete in global markets. Startups, particularly in the technology and life sciences sectors, rely on innovation grants to transform ideas into viable products and services.

Universities connect academic research with commercial applications, supported by Horizon Europe. Through partnerships with private enterprises and government agencies, these institutions can drive knowledge transfer and bring new capabilities to a wider market.

Ireland’s participation in Horizon Europe

Ireland has seen significant success under Horizon Europe, building on its performance under the EU’s previous funding mechanism, Horizon 2020. At the end of the previous programme, Ireland ranked third in MSCA funding secured per capita, which prioritises excellent research and builds the careers of researchers. Ireland secured €1.21 billion in over 20 research projects with Horizon 2020. Over 2,700 Irish organisations were recipients and over €300 million of funding was provided to SMEs alone.

Ireland boasts being amongst the best in the EU for innovation at an SME level and is above average in success rates when applying for research funding.

Within the current Horizon Europe framework, Ireland performs well in the life sciences sphere, particularly within the EIC Accelerator:

• Luminate Medical (€7.5m in funding): Luminate Medical is a Galway-based spin-out company from the University of Galway. The company's mission is to deliver cancer treatment in patients' homes, including the EIC Accelerator-funded project LILY. Their wearable cap uses compression therapy to prevent chemotherapy-induced hair loss.
• Hooke Bio (€5.5m in funding): Hooke Bio developed Mera, a groundbreaking “body-on-a-chip” solution that simulates the entire human body’s response to drugs, with funding from the EIC Accelerator. Unlike existing models that mimic just single organs, Mera offers a holistic approach, reducing the need for animal testing.

Outside of the European Innovation Council, Ireland has had significant success within the European Research Council’s (ERC’s) funding calls:

• BATPROTECT (€11.8m in funding): This is a project at University College Dublin that seeks to learn strategies from bats that could extend human lifespan and improve disease resistance.
• Trinity College Dublin (€10m in funding): The School of Mathematics will use ERC funding through an ERC Synergy Grant to develop new algorithmic methods with applications in mathematics, particle physics and gravity.
• SIMTIC (€2.5m in funding): Orla Muldoon from the University of Limerick received almost €2.5 million in ERC funding for her SIMTIC project on trauma research. She was presented with an ERC Public Engagement with Research Award in 2024 for advancing public understanding of gender-based violence, highlighting its systemic nature and driving societal change.

What are the barriers to further success?

Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as it seems to maintain the success we’ve seen so far, let alone improve on it.

The 2024 European Semester report, which gives EU-wide economic and policy recommendations, showed that Ireland is behind the EU average in R&D spending, especially in the domestic sector. This is a significant barrier, of course, particularly to SMEs. Shortages of skilled workers will also hinder efforts to get ahead of the innovation curve.

The application process for the variety of Horizon Europe funding calls is almost unilaterally a difficult endeavour. It’s highly technical and requires project details, financial justification and impact assessments. This is a big barrier to entry for many SMEs, as preparing an application requires time, effort and expertise.

Many projects are only open to partnerships and consortia, often requiring international collaborations, which can be a challenge to organise and maintain. This is particularly true when intellectual property rights and other legal minutiae need to be discussed. Similarly, the financial and technical reporting following a successful funding round requires strong internal controls.

How can Myriad help?

Myriad is a leading specialist in Horizon Europe funding, leading many of Ireland’s innovative university spin-outs and SMEs into millions in funding.  We have 32 wins at EIC and have been ranked #1 in European grant funding applications three times. We’ve supported some of Horizon Europe’s biggest success stories, enabling Irish innovation to blossom.

We handle your application from start to finish, including at interview. Even post-decision, we’ll support you through grant agreements.

If you have a project that needs the support of Europe’s best, get in touch with our team.