The Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) has announced that negotiations between Australia and the European Union regarding Australia’s association to Pillar II of Horizon Europe (2021–2027) have been successfully brought to an end.
Until today, Australian institutions were involved in Horizon Europe projects only in a very few cases and often only on self-financed basis. In 2027, equal participation in all Pillar II calls will be possible, including receiving EU funds as well as the option to lead project consortia.
On June 18th, 2026, we hosted a topic table at the KoWi Annual Conference at Leipzig University, to provide information on opportunities for cooperation with states like these that are newly associated Horizon Europe members, and also with so-called third countries. Dr. Tae Young Han, Managing Director of K-FAST, and Dr. Avinash Chekuru, a strategy consultant for partnerships with institutions in the Global South at Dresden University of Technology, joined us to share their project insights. Most important take-home message was that region-specific collaborations with new institutions can benefit enormously from intercultural experienced interface managers as well as experienced strategy advisors.
Click here to access the article from the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (RTD) on Australia’s association to Horizon Europe: https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/news/all-research-and-innovation-news/european-union-and-australia-successfully-conclude-horizon-europe-negotiations-2026-06-09_en