Australia signs Horizon Europe agreement in landmark deal

Australia and the European Union have signed an agreement that provides Australian researchers and organisations with access to Horizon Europe — the EU’s flagship research and innovation fund, worth around €93.5 billion (AU$155 billion).

Tim Ayres, Australia’s Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science, signed the treaty-level agreement in Brussels this week alongside the European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva. With this agreement, Australia officially becomes the 24th country associated with Horizon Europe, opening the door to collaboration with European and other countries on major international research projects.

Horizon Europe is the world’s largest pooled funding program for international research and innovation collaboration, enabling research projects at a scale that would be difficult for Australia to achieve alone. Australia’s association covers Horizon Europe’s €52.4 billion (AU$85.06 billion) Pillar II, which funds collaborative research projects in areas including health, climate, energy and digital technologies. Negotiations on Australia’s association to Pillar II were concluded in June 2026, with the Australian Government agreeing to contribute approximately AU$20 million, matched by Group of Eight universities for a total of around AU$40 million.

With the agreement now signed, Australian universities, research organisations, businesses and industry will be eligible to join international consortia on Pillar II projects and access funding on similar terms to their EU counterparts. Australian participants will also retain access to parts of Horizon Europe open to non-EU countries under its Excellent Science pillar and Innovative Europe pillar, subject to the conditions of each call.

“Australia’s association to Horizon Europe is more than a scientific agreement; it is testament to the trust, ambition and shared values that underpin our EU–Australia partnership,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “By deepening this partnership, we will turn outstanding research into real solutions for our citizens, strengthen our resilience, and help build a safer, more prosperous world.”

The Group of Eight played a pivotal role in securing the agreement through its decade-long advocacy, with Chief Executive Vicki Thomson saying the board agreed to match the government’s contribution to the joining fee “because this is about much more than universities getting access to European research funding — it’s about Australia getting access to ideas, technology, investment and partners we simply can’t generate on our own”.

“Participation in Horizon Europe will fast-track commercialisation, create high-value jobs, strengthen sovereign capability, and connect Australian businesses and researchers to the world’s most ambitious innovation networks,” Thomson said. “It will help Australia develop the technologies and industries that drive future productivity, sustainability and economic growth rather than simply importing them.”

Transitional arrangements will allow Australian entities to apply to Pillar II calls and be evaluated as prospective beneficiaries from January 2027. The association process is expected to be formally completed by mid-2027, following parliamentary scrutiny in Australia.

Image credit: iStock.com/Aleksandra Aleshchenko