Collaborative research projects and joint research and innovation actions have been supported by the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation ‘Horizon 2020’, on the EU side, and by the Federal Targeted Programme ‘Research and Development in Priority Areas of the Development of Russia’s Science and Technology Complex’, the State Programme ‘Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation’, the Federal Programme ‘Development of advanced infrastructure for research and development in Russia’, and other sectoral programmes, on the Russian side.

EU-Russian cooperation in research and innovation is based on mutual interest, co-funding, and support to people-to-people contacts amongst scientists, innovators and the academic communities at large.

Through its latest co-funding call, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation will support Russian participants in a further 21 Horizon 2020 projects, in areas such as genetics, Black Sea marine biology, climate and environment, new materials, greener transport.

This brings the total number of collaborative research and innovation actions, co-funded by the EU and Russia in the period 2014-2021, to 93, including more than 155 Russian participations.

Universities, institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, small innovative enterprises, private businesses, R&D laboratories and scientific centres from across Russia have worked together with their European counterparts in these projects.

Russian entities have received €14 million from EU for their participation in Horizon 2020 research and innovation projects, and have received more than €47 million from Russian domestic programmes and other sources.

In addition, 36 Russian organisations account for 59 participations in 45 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions under Horizon 2020, with 544 researchers of Russian nationality hosted by or seconded to EU Member States and countries associated with Horizon 2020. The programme has allowed Russia to host on its side 100 researchers from the EU and Horizon 2020 associated countries. Separately, a total of 62 Russian nationals have been awarded one of the prestigious grants by the European Research Council.

Russia remains among the top most active countries participating in the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation worldwide.

The EU’s current Framework Programme ‘Horizon Europe’ (2021-2027) offers new opportunities for Russian scientists, universities, research organisations and enterprises to team up with their European partners and participate in research and innovation projects. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, on its part, will continue supporting Russian participation in Horizon Europe by publishing dedicated calls under the State Programme ‘Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation’ until 2030.

The good dynamics of cooperation in 2014-2021 and the intention of the EU and Russia to continue co-funding mutually beneficial collaborative scientific research projects to address global challenges is an excellent basis for continued successful cooperation in the EU’s new Framework Programme ‘Horizon Europe’ in 2021-2027.

More information

Horizon Europe, EU’s research and innovation funding programme until 2027