The Horizon 2020 programme tackles societal challenges
05.05.2014
Professor Riitta Kosonen appointed to one of the advisory groups of the EU's Horizon 2020 programme
Programme aims at fostering a greater understanding of Europe
Director of the Center for Markets in Transition (CEMAT) of the Aalto University School of Business, Professor Riitta Kosonen has been appointed to one of the advisory groups of the EU's Horizon 2020 programme for a period of two years. She began her work in the group in March. The task of the advisory group is to suggests priorities that should be funded by the programme.
Horizon 2020 is an EU funding programme for research and innovation. The goal of the programme is to create sustainable growth and new jobs in Europe. Horizon 2020 consists of three different sections: Excellent Science (funding EUR 24.4 billion), Industrial Leadership (EUR 17 billion) and Societal Challenges (EUR 29.7 billion).
Wellbeing, energy, the environment, safety, demographic changes and transport on the agenda
Riitta Kosonen's advisory group has the largest amount of funding to allocate and it focuses on various societal challenges such as wellbeing, demographic changes, food security, smart transport, efficient energy, the environment, safety, and sustainable societies.
‘Currently the advisory group is developing priorities for the work programme 2016–2017. The aim is to propose priorities that will result in innovations over six years if provided with funding’, Kosonen says.
‘I belong to the Social Challenge 6 advisory group called Europe in a Changing World - Inclusive, Innovative and Reflective Societies. The group aims at finding ways of supporting inclusive, innovative and reflective European societies in a context of unprecedented transformations and growing global interdependencies.’
Europe represented comprehensively in advisory group
The advisory group includes 25 members selected from 15 000 candidates. The members represent different European countries and different fields, such as architecture, economics and archaeology. This means that there is an abundance of viewpoints, and subjects are approached from an interdisciplinary perspective.
‘I have only been a member for a couple of months, but I can already say that the assignment is the most refreshing and rewarding one I have encountered during my entire research career’, Kosonen says.
‘I can make use of my scientific and personal skills in the advisory group. Since I have studied Russian business for almost 30 years, my contribution will be related to international business and emerging markets. These areas play an increasingly important role in the global economy.’
Multidisciplinarity and innovative research combined
The Horizon 2020 programme combines research and innovation and includes the perspective of the market and the end users. The programme focuses on various societal challenges related to health, the environment, energy and transport.
‘The programme emphasises a multidisciplinary approach, relevant research subjects and close cooperation between researchers and decision-makers. My fifteen-year experience directing CEMAT has provided me with a strong vision for my work in the advisory group.’
Further information: Director of CEMAT, Professor Riitta Kosonen, riitta.kosonen [at] aalto [dot] fi
The Horizon 2020 programme
The programme is based on the Europe 2020 strategy that was published in 2012 and determines the main challenges facing Europe in the near future. These challenges include social change, globalisation and resource and environmental issues. The programme aims at finding solutions to these common challenges by funding the joint projects of various parties, such as companies, research institutes, universities, municipalities and hospitals.
The Horizon 2020 programme will use over EUR 70.2 billion to fund European research and innovation projects in 2014–2020. The programme will also fund the mobility of researchers and the development of infrastructures. The goal of the programme is to create growth and new jobs in Europe and improve the global competitiveness of European companies.
Eligible participants include universities, institutes of higher education, research institutes, businesses, individual researchers and other organisations performing or making use of research, such as unions or cities. The programme mainly funds research and innovation projects that are based on international cooperation, but the research ideas of individual researchers will also be taken into consideration. The Academy of Finland and Tekes are Finland's national contact points for Horizon 2020.