EC ‘ready’ for calls launch by end of year
The European Commission is ready to launch calls for Horizon 2020, states Keith Sequeira.
Keith Sequeira, a member of the research, innovation and science cabinet of European Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, made the announcement at the Eurelectric conference in Brussels, stating that the investment in new technologies was vital to help Europe maintain its global economic competiveness.
Speaking to energy information service Platts, Sequeira said: “The EU budget is still under negotiation with the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, but we are ready to go [with calls under Horizon] at the end of the year if need be.”
Energy will receive investment under the ‘Secure, clean and efficient energy’ challenge of Horizon 2020. The cabinet member said that Europe needed to be “more agile” in moving into global sunrise technology industries.
“There are very clear major economic opportunities through innovation in the energy sector,” Sequeira added.
The Commission launched a European technology and innovation roadmap in the Irish capital Dublin earlier this month.
