EU: Egypt’s Horizon Europe Membership Unlocks Major Research Funding Opportunities
The European Union announced that Egypt’s participation in the Horizon Europe programme is unlocking unprecedented opportunities for Egyptian companies and researchers to benefit from large-scale research and innovation funding.
Dr. Nikolaos Zaimis, Head of Investment and Trade at the EU Delegation to Egypt, provided an overview of the programme during the closing session of the Food Africa exhibition today, confirming that Egypt is now an associated member. This status enables Egyptian firms and research institutions to access Horizon Europe’s extensive funding portfolio, valued at 95 billion euros and expected to reach 150 billion euros in the coming period.
Zaimis emphasized that Egypt possesses a strong base of scientific and engineering talent, with approximately 300,000 STEM graduates entering the market each year. He noted that this talent pool represents a significant opportunity for advancing innovation and developing sustainable agricultural projects.
He outlined the wide spectrum of research funding opportunities available under Horizon Europe, explaining that Egyptian laboratories, universities, and companies are now eligible to apply for financial support to implement projects in agriculture, food bioeconomy, natural resources, and environmental sustainability.
According to Zaimis, the programme will launch in December a new research cluster dedicated to food, environment, and agriculture, with a focus on biological innovation, biodiversity, forestry, marine and ocean research, sustainable food systems, and bio-based and circular economy solutions.
He highlighted that Egypt, as an associated member, has achieved a 15 percent success rate in securing Horizon Europe funding – meaning one in every six submitted proposals is funded – a performance equal to that of European applicants. This, he said, reflects the strong competitiveness of Egyptian researchers at a continental level.
Zaimis added that the programme strengthens research cooperation between Egypt and the EU through enhanced mobility for Egyptian researchers across European universities and research centres. This includes participation in joint projects, launching new initiatives, and attracting European partners for scientific collaboration.
He noted that this progress coincides with the twentieth anniversary of the EU-Egypt Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement. He also referenced Egypt’s current investment in scientific research, which stands at 0.96 percent of GDP, compared to 2.26 percent in the EU, underscoring Horizon Europe’s role as a vital gateway for boosting Egypt’s research and innovation landscape.
This marks the second phase of Egypt’s engagement with Horizon Europe, following the initial phase launched in 2019 under the LEAP initiative, which focused on building a food security and agriculture network across Africa.