Department of Industry, Science and Resources
Horizon Europe implementation discussion paper – Group of Eight (Go8) / European Australian Business Council (EABC) submission
Introduction
The European Australian Business Council (EABC) and the Group of Eight Universities (Go8) consents to the publication of this high-level submission and have no wish for any of it to be treated as confidential. EABC and Go8 members may make their own, more detailed submissions.
Together, the Go8 and the EABC represent Australia’s research-intensive universities and leading companies with footprints in both Europe and Australia. The Go8 universities have long been at the forefront of Australia’s research engagement with Europe and maintain extensive partnerships across European research and innovation ecosystems. Similarly, EABC members comprise many of the businesses most actively involved in Australia-Europe trade, investment, innovation and commercial collaboration.
The Australian Government’s decision to associate Australia with Horizon Europe should be considered in the broader context of the rapidly evolving Australia-EU relationship. On 24 March 2026, the Prime Minister of Australia and the President of the European Commission announced the conclusion of negotiations on an Australia-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the establishment of an Australia-European Union Security and Defence Partnership, and Australia’s intention to pursue association with Horizon Europe.
This deliberate positioning reflects the increasingly central role that research, innovation and technology play in supporting economic prosperity, industrial competitiveness and strategic resilience. Put simply, trade enables scale, defence builds trust, and research and innovation deliver the capabilities that underpin both.
For Australia, association is not simply a research opportunity. It is an investment in national capability, industrial competitiveness and long-term strategic resilience. The programme provides a practical mechanism through which Australia can deepen its engagement with Europe across areas of shared strategic importance while strengthening its ability to contribute to and benefit from global innovation networks.
As such both organisations see Horizon Europe as an effective vehicle for Australia’s engagement in economic, geostrategic and people-to-people partnerships throughout the network of countries in Europe and other key like-minded partners (including the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, and South Korea) who are part of the programme.
The implementation of Australia’s association to Horizon Europe should align with the following key principles.
Horizon Europe should be treated as a strategic partnership platform
Implementation of the agreement will strengthen Australia’s broader economic, technological, industrial and strategic partnership with Europe, complementing initiatives including the FTA and security partnership, and other initiatives to further collaboration on critical minerals, space, and advanced manufacturing.
Australia enters Horizon Europe as a new associated country in a highly competitive environment. Australia also enters the programme with significant strengths to contribute. Australian universities, research organisations and industry partners bring globally recognised expertise across areas including critical minerals, clean energy technologies, quantum technologies, health and medical research, space capability, agriculture and advanced manufacturing. Implementation should therefore focus not only on enabling Australian participation, but on communicating Australia’s value proposition as a trusted and capable long-term partner.
The immediate priority should be to maximise successful participation, demonstrate the value Australian organisations bring to European priorities, and establish Australia as a trusted and capable partner within the European research, innovation and industrial ecosystem.
The EABC and Go8 therefore believe implementation should be guided by a clear objective: to maximise Australia’s success in Horizon Europe in 2027 while laying the foundations for long-term participation in European research and innovation frameworks. Success should not be measured solely by grant income secured during the first year of association. It should also be measured through the partnerships, industrial collaborations, networks, capability development and strategic positioning that establish Australia as a partner of choice and support participation in Framework Programme 10 (2028-2034) and beyond.
Align Australian strengths with European priorities and shared strategic interests
Successful participation will depend on Australian organisations framing proposals where European and Australian priorities align. Government support should therefore help participants identify areas where Australian capabilities, FMA priorities and National Science and Research Priorities align with Horizon Europe missions, work programmes and broader European strategic objectives.
These areas may include clean energy, advanced manufacturing, critical minerals value chains, digital and critical technologies, health resilience, industrial competitiveness and emerging strategic capabilities. Focusing on areas of mutual interest will maximise Australia’s success in securing funding, strengthen long-term Australia-EU collaboration, and demonstrate the value Australian organisations bring to European priorities.
Industry participation should be central to implementation
Implementation arrangements should actively support collaboration between universities, research organisations, industry and SMEs. Industry engagement will be essential in demonstrating Australia’s value as a partner and ensuring participation delivers both research and economic outcomes.
Whilst a focus on building successful consortia during the first year of association is appropriate, realistic expectations should be maintained. Successful collaboration under Horizon Europe will be achieved over time.
Securing meaningful partnerships and industry participation will also depend on building confidence that Australia’s commitment will extend beyond a single year of association. Industry investment decisions are made over multi-year horizons and research partnerships, consortium development activities and R&D investments cannot be built on short-term funding signals. Research institutions and companies typically require certainty over planning cycles extending well beyond 12 months and research programmes are delivered over much longer timeframes.
Providing greater certainty around Australia’s long-term participation, including future framework programmes, will help industry invest in partnerships with confidence and maximise the strategic and economic benefits of association over time.
The first programme cycle should also build long-term capability
Implementation should not focus solely on short-term grant funding outcomes. Success will also be derived from the contribution Horizon Europe brings to building Australia’s expertise, networks, consortium-development capability and institutional knowledge in preparation for future European framework programmes.
Trusted partnerships matter
As geopolitical competition intensifies and countries seek to reduce strategic vulnerabilities, Horizon Europe provides an important mechanism through which trusted and like-minded partners can collaborate on the technologies, industries and capabilities that will underpin future prosperity, resilience and security.
Association also provides Australia with opportunities to deepen collaboration within research and innovation systems that share high standards of research integrity, transparency, governance and research security. As governments increasingly focus on protecting strategically important technologies, trusted research partnerships will become a critical foundation for effective international collaboration.
Key Recommendations and Discussion
1. Tier 1 support should establish a central coordination and intelligence hub in DISR
The Tier 1 NCP Office in DISR should act as Australia’s central coordination, intelligence and capability-building function, including responsibility for legal, financial and compliance guidance, engagement with European institutions, coordination of the wider NCP network and strategic oversight of implementation.
The Tier 1 NCP Office should also:
- Distribute formal information, funding calls, and networking and engagement opportunities from Horizon Europe;
- Coordinate with Horizon Europe National Contact Point networks of EU members and Horizon Europe associated countries;
- Maintain visibility of national application activity;
- Develop a Horizon Europe strategic engagement framework that identifies priority areas where Australia can provide unique capability and infrastructure; and
- Develop measures to monitor participation, partnership development, industry engagement, consortium formation and funding success so that the outcomes of association can be assessed over time.
2. Prioritise a Tier 2 National Contact Point “hybrid” model based on Horizon Europe Pillar II Clusters and specialist capabilities
Tier 2 National Contact Points (NCPs) should be organised around Horizon Europe clusters rather than on a state and territory basis. However, this structure should be hybrid and cross-cutting in that each Horizon Europe Pillar II Cluster and Mission, together with a set of priority industry sectors would have an identified NCP.
This approach would enable deeper expertise, stronger stakeholder networks, more targeted support for applicants and a scalable model that can evolve as participation grows. Australia should initially prioritise NCP capability in areas where it already has world-leading research expertise, established industry participation and a strong record of international collaboration.
In addition to the six Cluster based NCPs implementation arrangements should include specialist capabilities such as:
- A Legal and Financial NCP to support participants navigating Horizon Europe requirements;
- An Indigenous NCP modelled on New Zealand’s Māori NCP to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation, to engage stakeholders in programme priorities, and connect indigenous researchers to relevant funding opportunities;
- Clear guidance on research security, foreign interference risks, data governance and data sharing requirements, IP management, due diligence for international partnerships, ethics requirements and relevant Australian and European regulatory requirements;
- Dedicated industry engagement capability;
- Support for regional and rural participation; and
- A limited watching brief and advisory capability across Pillars I and III to support future participation decisions and long-term engagement with future framework programmes.
3. Properly resource Tier 1 coordination and Tier 2 specialist expertise
Tier 1 and Tier 2 NCP functions should be appropriately funded by Government and treated as core implementation infrastructure.
4. Establish a Brussels-centred coordination function
Australia should establish a permanent coordination presence in Brussels working closely with the Science Counsellor at the Australian Embassy. Success in Horizon Europe depends as much on relationships, intelligence and visibility as technical excellence. Countries that consistently perform strongly in Horizon Europe maintain an active and visible presence within Brussels-based research, innovation and policy networks. Australia’s
success will similarly depend upon being present where partnerships are formed, programmes are shaped and opportunities emerge.
A Brussels-based presence would strengthen engagement with European institutions, programme administrators, NCP networks, industry stakeholders and potential consortium partners while providing early visibility of emerging opportunities.
5. Adopt a Team Australia approach
A formal Tier 3 outreach and engagement network may not be needed domestically if its functions largely overlap with those undertaken by universities, industry, peak bodies, industry associations and other government networks. However, the Tier 1 and Tier 2 networks should have visibility of and be connected to these resources.
Internationally, a Team Australia approach will be critical, particularly in facilitating connections between Australian and European industry partners. This function could be led by Austrade, leveraging its established in-market presence, commercial networks and industry relationships across Europe to identify potential partners and connect Australian businesses with relevant European companies, research institutes, universities and innovation ecosystems. Austrade is particularly well placed to perform this role given its ability to engage both industry and research stakeholders, provide market intelligence, and convene partners around shared commercial and research objectives.
Delivered in coordination with the Australian Embassies, state government offices, universities, research organisations, industry associations, business councils and chambers of commerce, this network should support partnership development, intelligence sharing, awareness-building and the promotion of Australia’s research, innovation and industrial strengths across Europe, while helping raise awareness of Horizon Europe opportunities amongst Australian industry and SMEs.
Rather than creating new structures, the focus should be on leveraging and coordinating existing networks to help Australian organisations identify Horizon Europe opportunities, develop competitive consortia and build enduring research and innovation partnerships with European counterparts.
6. Build Australia’s consortium development capability
NCPs should actively support Australian organisations to transition existing collaborations into full consortium participation and leadership roles.
Government should support partner identification, matchmaking activities, delegation programmes, networking events and connections into existing successful European consortia. Over time, consortium development capability should become a strategic national asset supporting Australia’s participation in Horizon Europe and other international innovation partnerships.
7. Strengthen participation through targeted support mechanisms
The Government should consider a New Zealand-style Horizon Europe top-up funding mechanism to improve the sustainability of participation, offset indirect research costs and maximise Australia’s return on investment from association, particularly in areas aligned with shared Australia-EU priorities.
Australia should also explore participation in, or closer alignment with, the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) to support business matchmaking, SME engagement, commercialisation pathways and partnership development.
Conclusion
Both the Go8 and EABC are committed to ensuring the success of Australia’s association to Horizon Europe in 2027 and forging a path to association to Horizon Europe Framework Program 10 2028-2034.
Association with Horizon Europe represents one of the most significant opportunities to deepen Australia’s research, innovation and industrial partnership with Europe. Beyond individual funding outcomes, it offers a platform to strengthen economic prosperity, sovereign capability, technological leadership and long-term strategic resilience through collaboration with trusted and like-minded partners.