Seán Canney TD, Minister of State for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports and Leader in Cabinet of the Independent Ministers, has welcomed Ireland’s outstanding performance in the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, with particular success for Irish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) under Pillar 3 – Innovative Europe.

To date, Ireland has secured over €1 billion in funding since 2021 under Horizon Europe, the most substantial drawdown to date under the EU’s Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation. With two years remaining in the programme, Ireland is firmly on track to exceed the €1.5 billion target set under the Impact 2030 national research and innovation strategy. This success is being further supported by the outcomes of the recent review of the National Development Plan, which strengthens Ireland’s capacity to deliver on our Impact 2030 strategy and maximise participation in Horizon Europe.

Minister Canney highlighted that Irish SMEs have been central to this success: “Our SMEs are at the cutting edge of innovation, and their ability to attract over €118 million in funding through Pillar 3 of Horizon Europe is a tremendous achievement. This funding, channelled through the European Innovation Council and European Innovation Ecosystems, is helping Irish SMEs to scale up, bring new products and services to market, and access vital equity finance for future growth.”

Ireland has performed strongly across all three pillars of Horizon Europe:

• Pillar 1- Excellent Science: €312 million secured, supporting world-class researchers through ERC awards, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, and early-career researcher programmes.
• Pillar 2 – Global Challenges: €577 million secured, with particular strengths in health, digital technologies, agri-environment, and climate/energy/mobility.
• Pillar 3 – Innovative Europe: €118 million secured, driven by SMEs’ success in accessing EU innovation finance and networks.

Ireland now ranks sixth among EU Member States on a per-capita basis for Horizon Europe funding. Participation has been particularly strong from higher education institutions (58%), private-for-profit entities (30%), with further contributions from public bodies, research organisations and other groups.

Minister Canney concluded: “This achievement shows the strength and competitiveness of Ireland’s research and innovation system at European level. Most importantly, it demonstrates how our SMEs – the backbone of the Irish economy – are leveraging Horizon Europe to innovate, collaborate, and compete globally. I strongly encourage more Irish enterprises to explore the opportunities that Horizon Europe presents.”