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Defence Industry and Space

EU-funded space R&I in previous EU Framework programmes for Research and Innovation

About Horizon 2020

Horizon 2020 was the financial instrument implementing the Innovation Union, a Europe 2020 flagship initiative aimed at securing Europe's global competitiveness. Running from 2014 to 2020 and with a budget of just over €70 billion, the EU’s framework programme for research and innovation was part of the drive to stimulate growth and create jobs in Europe.

Space research was supported in Horizon 2020 under the priority "Industrial Leadership", one the three main priorities of the programme. The main objective and challenge was to ensure Europe’s independent access to space and the development of competitive space technologies. This included critical technologies for European non-dependence. It is important to reap the benefits of European investments in the space sector, notably through the Galileo and Copernicus systems, but also through space science and exploration missions. The work programme also supported the protection of space assets in and from space, with priorities covering space weather research, as well as networking and improving the performance of Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) at European level.

The total budget for Space R&I was almost EUR 1.5 billion. The budget was distributed under three priorities:

  • Maximising benefits of space for society and EU economy, in particular with services and applications developed thanks to the Galileo and Copernicus infrastructure for global positioning, navigation, timing and for Earth observation
  • Ensuring a globally competitive and innovative EU space sector by focusing on space technologies, including for European non-dependence, and space science
  • Providing access to space in a secure and safe space environment, taking into account aspects such as space weather and space traffic management.

The detailed structure is represented in the following diagram:

diagram h2020.png

 

Work Programme 2018 - 2020

The 2018-2020 work programme addressed these challenges and priorities through a set of calls for proposal, normally in the form of grants, and through a set of 'other actions' comprising a variety of funding instruments.

In 2018, the call on Earth observation (EO) topics covered market uptake and the evolution of Copernicus services. The goals here were to foster the market development of EO applications, to match the needs of public authorities, and to support the research needs for the evolution of Copernicus services. In 2019, the topic on market uptake is covered again, together with a topic on CO2 emissions monitoring, cross cutting applications between Copernicus services and a topic addressing international cooperation.

Topics related to space business and entrepreneurship (BIZ) aimed at fostering technology transfer and business generator initiatives. The focus in 2018 was on support to 'space hubs' linked to Copernicus Relays and Copernicus Academy. Outreach and education activities were also subject of this call, focusing on the dissemination of space research activities in Europe and on promoting space education and research collaboration.

Topics dedicated to boosting the competitiveness of the European space technology (TEC and SCI) addressed the development of critical space technologies for European non-dependence and competitiveness in 2018 to 2020. In 2018, there is support the 'strategic research cluster' on space robotics as well as generic space technologies and EO technologies. Satellite telecommunication systems and sub-systems represent an important technology niche that is addressed in 2018. Also covered in 2018 is the development of scientific instrumentation for space science and exploration missions.

Topics related to access to space and secure and safe space environment (SEC) addressed launch system reusability and advanced manufacturing and launch infrastructures (in 2018) as well as space weather (in 2019).

In 2019 and 2020, the calls for satellite navigation (EGNSS) addressed the scope of research and development actions for the study of enhancements and new features for already defined services (e.g. Galileo Open Service, EGNOS Data Access Service, etc.), as well as developing concepts for new services (Galileo Emergency Warming Service, Ionosphere Prediction Service for EGNSS users, etc.).

 

European Global Navigation Satellite Systems (EGNSS) research and development actions

The scope of research and development actions for EGNSS Mission and Services (MAS) focused on studying enhancements and new features for already defined services (e.g. Galileo Open Service, EGNOS Data Access Service, etc.), as well as developing concepts for new services (Galileo Emergency Warming Service, Ionosphere Prediction Service for EGNSS users, etc.).

These actions were directly managed by the European Commission.

Framework Programmes