Top rating in European research

By Anja Lillerud and Dieter Hirdes, 16 March 2022

The Research Council of Norway recently published the top-50 list of Norwegian actors who have achieved most EU funding during the seven-year Research and Innovation program Horizon 2020. Smart Innovation Norway is ranked number 25 on this list, and number 9 on research funding per employee. This is a great accomplishment for the research and innovation corporation and its 60 employees.

Now that the last allocation has been done in Horizon 2020, it shows that Norwegian actors have been assigned the total of 16,2 billion NOK during the program period from 2014 to 2020, according to a news article from the Research Council of Norway.

That means Norwegian stakeholders have landed 2,53 percent of the total funding in H2020. The goal was 2 percent.

However, breaking down the numbers, Smart Innovation Norway is ranked number nine in Norway regarding H2020 funding per employee with €153.000. The company has today 60 employees from 16 countries, and the researcher staff increased from 20 to 40 during 2020 and 2021.

The impact of EU programs is an important gateway to international markets, competence, and financing for growth. Several projects being financed through these EU programs aim to develop solutions, technology and competence which will create sustainable jobs and help Norway and Europe to achieve the UN’s climate targets.

In 2021, Smart Innovation Norway elaborated 10 EU applications to the new Horizon Europe program, of which 6 were granted, which gives an amazing success rate of 60 %.

This year, Smart Innovation Norway coordinates or participates in 16 different EU projects. At the same time, 10 new national research project applications have been granted.

Smart Innovation Norway’s success with EU funded research would not be possible without support from the Research Council of Norway’s support schemes PES2020 and STIM-EU which are designed to increase participation of Norwegian research institutes in the EU framework programmes for research, innovation, and technological development.

In 2021, a new seven-year program, Horizon Europe, started with a total funding of €95,5 billion available. Smart Innovation Norway is aiming for top ranking in this program too, contributing to a high return rate of Norwegian funding to the Horizon Europe program.