Switzerland and the European Union Commission signed the agreement on the Swiss participation in Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, and Euratom Research & Training programme, as part of a Switzerland-EU broader package of instruments that will consolidate and expand the relationship between the two.
The agreement allows the full participation of Swiss researchers and innovators in calls for proposals and participation rights in organizing the European Research Area, as well as an active role in programme committees. Swiss researchers and industries will therefore be on the same footing of researchers and industries coming from the EU Member States regarding their participation in EU funded projects. For these reasons, this agreement is set to be particularly important for the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), an INSME Member.
Signed on 10 November in Bern by Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, and Guy Parmelin, Swiss Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research, the agreement takes effect retroactively as of 1 January 2025.
In addition, the agreement establishes Switzerland as a member of Fusion for Energy from 2026, which will allow Swiss researchers and industry to contribute to ITER, and as an associate to Erasmus+ from 2027, while the association with EU4Health will only be possible upon the enter into force of the health agreement between Switzerland and the EU.
Swiss participation in research and innovation related EU programmes is incentivized out of the conviction that all of Europe is a location where research and innovation thrive, and must continue to be recognized as such in today’s competitive global economy.
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