Horizon Europe 2025 Work Programme: Driving Europe Toward a Sustainable, Digital, Competitive, and Resilient Future
The Horizon Europe Work Programme for 2025, approved on 14 May 2025 by the European Commission, sets out the strategic priorities and funding lines in research and innovation that will guide Europe’s path toward a sustainable, digital, competitive, and resilient future.
With a budget exceeding €7.2 billion, the programme reaffirms the European Union’s commitment to addressing major global challenges while strengthening its scientific and technological leadership. This funding will boost frontier science, accelerate the EU’s green and digital transitions, and reinforce European competitiveness.
The main Work Programme (WP) covers calls for proposals related to Clusters, European Missions, the New European Bauhaus, MSCA (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions), Research Infrastructures, European Innovation Ecosystems, and the widening of participation and strengthening of the European Research Area. It also includes an introduction and general annexes detailing participation conditions.
Those interested in applying can contact the National Contact Points (NCPs) for each thematic area, where they will receive guidance on identifying the most suitable calls, validating their project ideas, and resolving any questions.
Horizon Europe 2025 represents a major opportunity for researchers, businesses, public administrations, and social organizations to contribute to the development of innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time. With a strategic, inclusive, and results-oriented approach, the programme paves the way toward a greener, more digital, and resilient Europe.
A Strategic Vision for 2025
The programme is structured around three major strategic orientations, aligned with the Horizon Europe 2025–2027 Strategic Plan and the European Commission’s 2024–2029 political priorities:
- The Green Transition: Includes actions to address climate change, protect biodiversity, and advance toward a circular and carbon-neutral economy.
- The Digital Transformation: Promotes the development of key technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, big data, and microelectronics.
- A Resilient, Inclusive, and Autonomous Europe: Seeks to strengthen security, social cohesion, democracy, and Europe’s strategic autonomy, especially in the face of geopolitical or health crises.
The programme also emphasizes inclusive, ethical, and open research, promoting gender equality, open access to knowledge, and the participation of researchers from across Europe, particularly from regions with lower R&D performance.
Ultimately, 2025 is a pivotal year to consolidate Europe’s leadership in research and innovation to combat climate change and drive digital transformation. It is estimated that around 35% of the total budget will be allocated to climate objectives—including clean energy, sustainable mobility, and environmental protection—while 33–36% will support advanced digital technologies applied to strategic sectors.
Six Clusters: Horizon Europe’s Key Thematic Priorities
Cluster 1 – Health
This cluster aims to improve the health and well-being of European citizens, focusing on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases, as well as strengthening preparedness and response to health emergencies. Key areas include mental health, personalized medicine, the application of AI in healthcare, and research on the impact of pollutants on neurological diseases.
Budget: Over €829 million
Expected projects: 80–100 across 30+ topics
Cluster 2 – Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
This cluster focuses on building more inclusive, democratic, and resilient societies by addressing contemporary sociocultural challenges. Priorities include combating disinformation, promoting effective migrant integration, protecting Europe’s cultural heritage, and reinforcing culture’s role in social cohesion.
Budget: €274 million
Expected projects: 80–90 across 32 topics
Cluster 3 – Civil Security for Society
This cluster seeks to protect society from threats such as organized crime, terrorism, cyberattacks, and natural disasters. It promotes technological and strategic solutions for more effective crisis and emergency management, enhancing civil resilience.
Budget: €155 million
Expected projects: 50–60 across 21 topics
Cluster 4 – Digital, Industry and Space
This cluster drives European technological development through digital innovation, smart industry, automation, cybersecurity, and sovereign access to space. Its goal is to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy in key sectors for global competitiveness.
Budget: Over €1.3 billion
Expected projects: 210–230 across 118 topics
Cluster 5 – Climate, Energy and Mobility
This cluster supports the transition toward a climate-neutral and sustainable economy. It promotes renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable mobility, and intelligent transport, while reducing emissions and fostering climate adaptation.
Budget: Over €1.05 billion
Expected projects: 160–180 across 90 topics
Cluster 6 – Food, Bioeconomy, Agriculture and Environment
This cluster focuses on ensuring the sustainability of food systems, promoting the circular bioeconomy, and protecting the environment. It includes ecological restoration, biodiversity conservation, ocean health, and food waste prevention.
Budget: Around €1 billion
Expected projects: 170–190 across 81 topics
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