Research and innovation are strongly linked on a international level. The communication outlines aims, principles, activities and instruments for international cooperation. Innovation capacity, access to markets, international engagement of the EU, legal and administrative framework conditions provide the necessary criteria.
Horizon 2020 offers generally open und targeted calls for and with international partners. Third Country partners which are not automatically funded by the Horizon 2020 budget, are requested to support their researchers with matching funds for the participation in EU projects. Mexico and New Zealand already announced their support by providing matching and co-funding mechanisms.
Of growing importance for international cooperation are EU activities on a multilateral level, e.g. the support for the Belmont Forum or the „Research Data Alliance“.
In order to receive more awareness on an international level, the EU has integrated science diplomacy in its international communication strategy. Furthermore, better synergies with EU-instruments in the area of external affairs, development policy and the European Neighbourhood policy will be promoted.
The European Commission initiated a specific priority setting process in order to agree on specific multiannual „roadmaps“ with the following selected countries: Brazil, Canada, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia, South Africa, USA and the countries of the Eastern Partnership and the Southern Mediterranean. These roadmaps contain information on bilateral activities, statistics on the participation in the research framework programme and current joint projects. Furthermore, joint priority topics which are relevant for the work programme cycle 2014/2015 and 2016/17 are mentioned.
