Romania and Bulgaria are the only ”modest innovators” in the European Union, based on the 2020 European Innovation Scoreboard. They are followed by a batch of moderate innovators that are also ”led” by Central and Eastern European countries: Croatia, Poland, Latvia, Hungary, Slovakia, Greece and Lithuania. 

Source: European Commission

​If we correlate this data to the participation of these countries in Europe’s main financing instrument for research and innovation – Horizon Program – we will find striking similarities. These countries are also lagging behind in sending in eligible applications to the European Commission (only 1.12% of the total applications were sent in by Romania and only 0,76% of the applications were sent in by Bulgaria, even though they cover 4.32% and 1.55% of EUs population). The net EU contribution to research and innovation projects in the two countries represent only 0.74% of the EU total. 

The top organizations that received Horizon financing differ in the two countries: for Romania the entity which received most money  was a SME, while in Bulgaria Sofia University attracted the biggest amount of grants – the total amounts used by these top organizations are similar in the two countries: 19,79 mil euros for the Romanian SME and 19,42 for the Bulgarian University.   

In a survey conducted by fonduri-structurale.ro in August 2021 in Romania, from 237 respondents (organizations looking for funding opportunities), more than 50% responded that they had little or no information regarding the Horizon program.

What’s next 

A mix between intensifying dissemination activities on funding opportunities and capacity building/support for organizations interested in developing innovative projects is needed. One strategy for less experienced organizations is looking for relevant partners active in strong innovation ecosystems that can bring knowledge in implementing such activities. Usually, Horizon projects are implemented by at least 3 organizations from 3 member states and the European Union encourages partnerships between countries situated on different levels of the innovation scoreboard. 

Another strategy can be looking for consultants that can assess whether the project idea fits the financing requirements of the European Commission or whether other national financing opportunities might be more suitable. In Romania, organizations will have the opportunity to receive vouchers for consultancy services for developing Horizon Europe projects through the newly approved National Recovery and Resilience Plan. 
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Finally, in the next financial period (2021 - 2027), the European Commission will support ecosystem building and ecosystems cooperation in order to facilitate cohesion in innovation throughout the union, including increasing awareness on EU funding opportunities for innovators.  Additionally, innovators from Eastern Europe can seek support through the Widening Participation and Spreading Excellence actions under Horizon Europe.  The actions will strengthen countries’ potential for successful participation in transnational research and innovation projects, promote networking and access to excellence.

Article courtesy of EAIC member, Fonduri Structurale