New Zealand has officially joined the European Union’s flagship聽research and innovation program as the聽first association partner that is not聽geographically close to the continent.
The country signed up as an associate member of the聽Horizon Europe program ahead of an agreement between the EU and UK is expected to be announced in coming days. Stakeholders in Canada and Australia are also urging for their respective countries to join the聽program that has a budget of 鈧�95.5 billion until 2027.
The news that New Zealand would join the program first came in .
In November, the聽EU began with Canada for the North American country to join the program. In Australia, the country’s group of research-intensive institutions, Group of Eight, has urged for the country to become an聽 to the EU program as it would “provide a greater level of access to EU research funding for Australian researchers and businesses”.
Likewise, negotiations launched in May this year with聽, while exploratory talks with also closed in聽September 2022. Technical discussions with the island聽country in the聽Pacific Ocean are ongoing, the partners say.
Association would allow聽researchers and organisations to participate聽in the program on “equal terms” with entities from the EU member states and access聽Horizon Europe funding and research networks in Europe.
The UK is expected to officially sign up for the Horizon program when leaders meet at the NATO Summit in Vilnius today (July 11).
The latest deal marks a “completely new approach” for the EU where it is “strengthening even more its ties with trusted partners that have a solid scientific base and a robust research track record”, the added.
According to EC president, Ursula聽von der Leyen, who was together with聽New Zealand’s prime minister Chris Hipkins and other officials at the signing on July 8, while New Zealand is not聽geographically close to Europe, it is “very close in so many other ways, including the capacity and willingness to innovate”.
“This is excellent news for researchers in both EU and New Zealand”
“We are looking forward to pooling our best minds and talents to work together on the next generation of clean tech, biotech and digital projects,” she added.
Executive vice-president for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age, Margrethe Vestager, noted the signing聽marked a “historic moment in building a new facet of EU-New Zealand bilateral relations”.
“This is excellent news for researchers in both EU and New Zealand. Together, we can tackle the most pressing challenges: climate change and digital adaptation, clean oceans, energy efficiency, public health and so much more,” she said.
The EU and聽New Zealand have collaborated in聽research and innovation formally since 2009 when the partners signed an agreement that聽provided the general framework for cooperation and acted as a forum for regular聽discussions on research.
