European Commission's DG for RTD Robert-Jan Smits: "Israel has the potential to be a key partner for Horizon 2020."

On 16-17 January Robert-Jan Smits, who heads the European Commission's General Directorate for Research and Technological Development visited Israel. Mr. Smits's visit opened with a meeting with four of the 123 Israeli researchers who have received ERC grants under the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Development. These grants which can amount to up to €3.5 million and run for up to 5 years are awarded for cutting edge research.

On 17 January, Mr. Smits participated in a stakeholders meeting, held at the Bloomfield Science Museum in Jerusalem, to discuss Israel's participation in "Horizon 2020" the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation in 2014-2020. The programme will bring together three currently separate research and innovation programmes and will focus on three main priorities - excellent science, industrial leadership and societal challenges. The proposed budget for the programme is €80 billion. Israel is the only non European country associated to the current 7th Framework Programme and has so far reaped great success. In the first four years of the programme, Israeli researchers have participated in 900 grant agreements and secured €435 million in funding. In fact, FP7 has become the first source of competitive public funding for academic research and development in Israel. Emphasizing that science and technology provide the only way out of the current economic crisis, Mr. Smits said Israel has the potential to be a key partner for Horizon 2020  but that much will depend on the forthcoming negotiations.