Norway on the top in Europe in research funding from the EU

– Norwegian researchers stand out at the top in Europe. The competition is tough, and it is particularly gratifying to see that Norway is doing so well in the world's largest research and innovation program. It testifies to the high quality of the research, and I am incredibly proud of the effort from the Norwegian research institutions and businesses, says Minister of Research and Higher Education Oddmund Hoel.

More than ten billion kroner so far 

Horizon Europe has a budget of 95 billion euro (approximately one trillion Norwegian kroner) for the period 2021–2027. The ambition is that Norwegian participants will bring home 2.8 percent of the funds that are announced. The latest results are at 3.23 percent.

To date, Norwegian research institutions and businesses have competed for around one billion euro (10.6 billion kroner) from Horizon Europe. In addition, Norwegian actors are increasingly taking on the leadership role in projects.

Research institutes at the top 

The research institutes continue their success. They are good at involving other actors in their applications, especially the business community. This has a lot to say for the success that Norway has achieved so far. SINTEF alone has brought home close to 1.5 billion kroner in recent years.

– It is incredibly impressive that Norway is among the ten countries that compete for the most money in Horizon Europe. This shows that we are a sought-after partner within European research and innovation cooperation. The funding contributes to strengthening our national competence and increases competitiveness, says Minister of Trade and Industry Jan Christian Vestre.

The universities and university colleges are also doing increasingly well. In addition to very good returns within global challenges and competitive industry, the Norwegian return part has never been higher within excellent research, with record-high return rates both in the European Research Council (ERC) and for mobility measures under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).

International cooperation is a prerequisite for achieving the goals Norway has set for research and innovation. Since 1994, Norway has fully participated in European research and innovation cooperation, based on the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement. This close connection gives us the opportunity to contribute to the development of European policy, in areas that are important for Norway and for Norwegian researchers and knowledge actors.

– The high return rate shows that Norway has many strong research and innovation institutions. For us to succeed with the necessary knowledge preparedness in Norway, and green and digital transformation, it is important that we cooperate with the best institutions internationally. We achieve this through Horizon Europe, says Mari Sundli Tveit, Chief Executive  of the Research Council of Norway.