Current status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 19 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting Scotland's (a) universities and (b) research institutes to maximise participation in Horizon Europe.
The Scottish Government has always believed full association to the 95.5 billion Horizon Europe programme was the best outcome for Scotland and we have continued to work with our EU partners to tackle challenges in areas of mutual interest. We recognise the importance of maximising participation in Horizon Europe, across all its pillars to ensure the Scottish research and innovation ecosystem fully benefits from it.
International research is a key theme in Scotland's International Education Strategy with a commitment that the Scottish Government will work with and support the sector to amplify access and opportunities through the programme. The Scottish Government is funding the £65K International Collaboration Fund for a second year in 25-26 to support the Scottish research sector at universities and research institutes to build international partnerships and capitalise on the opportunities available through the Horizon Europe programme. In its first year, it supported 25 partnerships across 13 countries.
We also continue to work collaboratively with the UK Government and the European Commission to support in the boosting of participation rates - building on successful activities, such as of the Roadshow event held in Glasgow in 2024 and showcasing the Scottish research and innovation landscape as a desirable partner.
We continue to work with the Scottish sector for regional activities, most recently the Scottish Government worked collaboratively with Scottish Enterprise on the Health Innovation event to unlock potential in Horizon Europe pillar 2 under the Health Cluster.