New Horizon campaign to push UK as partner of choice to world’s top researchers
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-02)

UK to launch campaign in Spain and Germany to showcase the benefits of working with UK researchers and businesses through Horizon Europe.

- UK to launch campaign in Spain and Germany to showcase the benefits of working with UK researchers and businesses through Horizon Europe.
- Horizon Europe is the world’s largest research and Innovation programme, with a budget of over £82 billion (€95.5 billion) and runs until 2027.
- International research collaboration with key partners like Spain and Germany is an important driver of economic growth, and the government’s Plan for Change.
A new campaign highlighting the benefits of partnering with some of the UK’s most forward-thinking researchers, businesses and academics through the world-leading Horizon Europe programme, is set to launch across Spain and Germany.

Horizon Europe is the world’s largest programme of research collaboration, worth over £82 billion and running until 2027. It gives UK researchers and innovators access to funding, and the opportunity to work alongside colleagues from across Europe and beyond, so together they can tackle some of the biggest issues facing societies worldwide, from breakthroughs in healthcare, to putting AI to work across the economy.

All of this stands to unleash growth and create jobs in high-potential new industries, something which the UK government is determined to foster together with international partners through its Plan for Change (https://www.gov.uk/missions).

Horizon backing has already supported a wealth of research that British, German and Spanish colleagues have worked together on, including ESCALATE – a project funded through Horizon Europe’s predecessor looking at the development of economical and practical electric HGVs. This £19 million (€22 million) effort saw Yorkshire-based Electra Commercial Vehicles work together with Spanish partner Primafrio Corporation S.A. and German partners including RWTH Aachen University, to develop higher-weight vehicles and prove their commercial value to would-be customers, opening up new potential markets in the process.

In June it was announced that the UK won 56 ERC Advanced Grants worth around £120 million (€140 million) - more than any other country.

The campaign announced today will help to connect the UK to Spanish and German researchers and businesses – putting their projects in a strong position to successfully secure Horizon funding, and opening up a wealth of potential further scientific and commercial opportunities. Today’s confirmation of the forthcoming campaign comes as Spain’s Prime Minister visits London, a milestone which highlights the many opportunities available when European partners work closely with colleagues from the UK, in research and beyond.

UK Science Minister Lord Vallance said:

Horizon Europe is a brilliant vehicle for advancing world-leading science and research, both in terms of the funding that’s available, and the opportunities it offers for innovators from across Europe and beyond to work closely together.

I want the UK to be the partner of choice, to everyone involved in the programme. As home to some of the world’s greatest universities and research institutes, and with the second-highest number of Nobel prize winners globally, we have deep strengths in R&D. If we pool that strength, everyone stands to benefit – and in today’s fast-moving world, it’s more important than ever that we do so.

Electra Commercial Vehicles Projects Manager, Stephen Storrar, said:

Initially, as a small company in the UK, we didn’t expect to win an EU funded project of this size. Working with partners in academia and industry has given us greater experience of modelling and creating digital twins to enable us to better optimise our products. Coupled with a modular component approach, and collaborative efforts within the project consortium, we will be pushing the boundaries of possibility in the heavy-duty electric truck arena. The funding and project structure has really helped to enable our advancement and open doors to wider markets.

Florian Pampel, Research Associate at RWTH Aachen University, said:

As part of the ESCALATE EU project we collaborated among others with Electra on the development of a standardized battery-electric powertrain. During our definition and design of a modular and scalable battery layout, Electra’s expertise on various vehicle-related technical features and constraints proved highly valuable. This synergy has resulted in a trustful relationship, also with the other consortium partners involved, which will enable further joint activities beyond the scope of the project.

Wider efforts to forge stronger-still international research links through Horizon, and further boost UK participation in the programme, are also well underway. Throughout 2025 a series of networking events are being held for British researchers and businesspeople across Europe, while grants are also being made available to help businesses cover the cost of attending R&D events across Europe.

Further information, including practical support on how to apply, is available on the Horizon Hub - found on Innovate UK (https://iuk-business-connect.org.uk/programme/european/horizon-europe/) and UK Research and Innovation (https://www.ukri.org/apply-for-funding/horizon-europe/) websites. UKRI also host regular events that help guide businesses and researchers through the opportunities on offer and the application process.

Potential applicants can find Horizon Europe calls (funding opportunities) using the European Commission’s funding and tender opportunities portal (https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/home). They can apply for Horizon Europe funding through the European Commission’s funding and tenders portal, where the original funding call is found. More information on how to submit applications are available on the European Commission’s website (https://rea.ec.europa.eu/horizon-europe-how-apply_en). Applicants can also contact UK Horizon Experts to help guide them through the application process. National Contact Point (NCP) details can be found here (https://www.gov.uk/business-finance-support/horizon-europe-funding#support-for-all-sectors).

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