Participation of Czech entities in selected other EU programmes – March 2024

The position papers responding to the European Commission's 1 December 2022 public consultation on the past, present and future of the EU Framework Programmes in 2014-2027 era often referred to the need for the Framework Programmes to be coherent with other EU financial instruments and programmes. Namely with Digital Europe Programme, EU4Health, LIFE, the European Defence Fund, the Innovation Fund, etc. The contribution provides brief information on the participation of Czech entities in these programmes in the period 2021+. It thus updates previous contributions published on Horizontevropa.cz on 17 April 2023 and in Echo magazine No. 1/2024 (p. 57). The present paper deals with Czech participation in selected other EU programmes as of the end of February/March 2024.

The table above shows that Czech entities are now participating in about 6.5% of the projects in the Horizon Europe programme. Czech entities are also participating in the EU's climate and environment programme LIFE on the similar level. 43 projects in this programme have involved 68 Czech teams – most notably SEVEn, The Energy Efficiency Center, z.ú. (6 participations), CEE Bankwatch Network z.s. (5 participations) and ENVIROS, s.r.o. (4 participations). The highest EU contribution was received by the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic (€23 million). Vojenské lesy a statky, s.p. (Military Forests and Estates of the Czech Republic), received €2.7 million and Masaryk University €2.3 million. The EU contribution of more than €1 million received CEE Bankwatch Network z. s., the Ministry of the Environment, the South Moravian Agency for Public Innovation JINAG, Centrum pasivního domu, z. s. (the Passive House Centre), and the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. 20 projects were coordinated by the Czech entities.

Czech entities participated in the Digital Europe programme to the same extent. The Czech Republic reported 67 participations (10 of them as coordinators) in 25 projects. The largest number of participations was reported by the VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava (6 participations) and the Czech Technical University in Prague (5 participations). The highest EU contribution was received by the Czech Technical University in Prague (€5.4 million), CyberSecurity Hub, z. ú. (€4.1 million) and VŠB-Technical University Ostrava (€2.9 million). More than €1.5 million was claimed by the Brno University of Technology, Masaryk University and IXPERTA s.r.o. Other companies worth mentioning include Avast Software s.r.o. with an EU contribution of almost €1 million. Regional innovation centres reported 6 participations in the programme, with the highest EU contribution received by the ARR-Regional Development Agency of Liberec (€590 thousand – EDIH NEB project), Central Bohemian Innovation Centre (€486 thousand – Brain 4 Industry project) and Moravian-Silesian Innovation Centre Ostrava (€309 thousand – EDIH Ostrava project).

Czech entities in the European Defence Fund showed above-average participation (but generally at low frequencies). 18 teams from the Czech Republic participate in 14 projects, but as common participants only. The Military Research Institute, ERA a.s. and the University of Defence each had two participations. The highest EU contribution was claimed by RESPILON Membranes s.r.o. (€1 million), followed by MGM COMPRO s.r.o. (€915 thousand). In total, domestic companies reported 9 participations with an EU contribution of €4.6 million. This is two thirds of the EU contribution to Czech participants.

The participation of domestic entities in the Creative Europe – Culture sub-programme is also above average. 59 teams from the Czech Republic participate in 57 projects, 14 of them as coordinators. Czech teams in the Creative Europe – Culture sub-programme claim an EU contribution of €6.7 million. MeetFactory o.p.s. has the highest number of participations and the highest EU contribution (3 participations and €2.2 million). Companies reported 15 participations with a net EU contribution of €1.4 million – the highest EU contribution is claimed by Signal Productions s.r.o. (€203 thousand) and iShowroom s.r.o. (€184 thousand).

On the other hand, Czech entities participate minimally in projects from the Innovation Fund. For the Czech Republic, the Innovation Fund records only 3 projects. The project focused on the production of clean hydrogen for transport and other sectors is coordinated by Veolia Energie ČR, a.s. VALEO VÝMĚNÍKY TEPLA s.r.o. is a common participant in the project aimed at the construction of a production line for electric vehicle battery coolers. AGC Flat Glass Czech a.s., a member of the AGC Group, plays the same role in a project aimed at the design and construction of a new hybrid glass furnace combining electric melting and oxy-gas combustion. The latter project is also the most costly – the Czech participant claims a net EU contribution of €12.2 million. Among the new EU Member States, Poland is the main participant in Innovation Fund projects (8 participations with an EU contribution of €304 million). Three participations with an EU contribution of €126 million Croatia has registered. Bulgaria registers two participations with a claimed EU contribution of €190 million. (Bulgaria and Croatia claim larger amounts through cement industry projects under the Innovation Fund than under the Horizon Europe programme.)

Summary:

Czech entities are involved in about 6.5% of the projects in the Horizon Europe programme. The smaller LIFE, Digital Europe and EU4Health programmes also have a similar level of Czech participation. Participation of Czech entities in the Innovation Fund is below average. On the other hand, in the European Defence Fund and the Creative Europe – Culture sub-programme, Czech participation is above average.

Author: Vladimír Vojtěch, TC Praha, vojtech@tc.cz, 18.03.2024