HORIZON 2020 programme offers project funding within the following sections:

• Excellent Science
• Industrial Leadership
• Societal Challenges

Excellent Science aims at increasing excellence of the European scientific potential, attracting top researchers into Europe and securing the access to the top research infrastructure. 32% of all the Horizon 2020 budget of approximately 70 billion EUR is allocated to this section.

The activities within this section are:

• European Research Council actions support top researchers and their groups in pioneering high-level research projects.
• Future and Emerging Technologies actions support collaborative research that results in advanced and paradigm-changing innovation.
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions provide researchers with excellent and innovative training in top research groups.
• Research Infrastructure actions secure the access to the European top research infrastructure, for those coming from ERA and others.

Industrial Leadership supports innovative actions in small and medium enterprises and secures access to the risk finance to foster research and development.

The activities within this section are:

• The so-called „enabling and industrial technologies” are supported, i.e. industrial competitiveness within IT and space sectors as well as within key development technologies: nanotechnology, micro-nanoelectronics, photonics, advanced materials, biotechnology and advanced manufacturing and processing.
• The mechanisms of risk finance of novel technologies are supported.
• Innovation activities within small and medium enterprises are supported.

Societal Challenges support various activities, ranging from research to market with an emphasis on (widely sensed) innovation, such as piloting, demonstration, test-beds, and support for public procurement and market uptake.

The activities within this section are:

• Health, demographic change and wellbeing;
• Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research, and the Bioeconomy;
• Secure, clean and efficient energy;
• Smart, green and integrated transport;
• Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials;
• Europe in a changing world – inclusive, innovative and reflective societies;
• Secure societies – protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens.

Links:

Croatian official HORIZON 2020 pages

European official HORIZON 202o pages