RIMA group discusses synergies between Horizon Europe and cohesion funds

Research and Innovation and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) managing authorities from the Member States met for the second time to enhance collaboration and synergies. The meeting was co-chaired by DG R&I, DG REGIO and Czech authorities.

ERA Action 16 foresees that “the work on the action is to be guided by a structured dialogue between the Commission and the Member States”. This dialogue should be conducted in a dedicated sub-group of the ERA Forum. The creation of such a dedicated group was also recommended by the European Court of Auditors in a recent audit on ‘H2020-ESIF synergies’

The first part of the meeting was dedicated to policy related topics, such as the significant potential of Smart Specialisation Strategies under cohesion policy to enhance synergies between Horizon Europe and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programmes, with the smart specialisation strategies serving as a crucial bridge for their development.

The second part looked more into the practical aspects of implementing synergies, based on the outcome of a recently launched survey to the members of the group on synergies. The survey revealed that nearly all the 16 Member States who responded engage in synergies with Horizon Europe at national or regional level, with the primary funding source being cohesion policy, followed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

Two more meetings of the ERA Forum sub-group on Access to Excellence – ‘R&I and Cohesion Managing Authorities’ Network (RIMA) are foreseen in 2024. The RIMA group members also discussed possible work and deliverables under the new ERA Policy Agenda, beyond 2024.

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