Over the years, Sweden has been successful in the EU’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. In the Seventh Framework Programme, which ran from 2007-2013, Swedish stakeholders received about 4 percent of the total budget. In Horizon 2020, which is the eighth Framework Programme, this figure dropped slightly to 3.3 percent in the first round of calls. Statistics and detailed information on Swedish participation in Horizon 2020 can be found in VINNOVA’s 2015 Year Book (in Swedish).
To further strengthen Sweden’s position in the European research programmes, the national coordinating body EU-Sam (which involves the Swedish research funding bodies – the Swedish Research Council, VINNOVA, Forte, Formas, the Swedish Energy Agency and the Swedish National Space Board) decided to launch calls to finance national advocacy platforms. VINNOVA has been responsible for managing the calls and funding of the advocacy platforms, and several rounds of calls have taken place since 2013.
The initiative has been entirely bottom-up, with actors within so-called Swedish areas of strength being encouraged to define and organise themselves. The purpose of the national advocacy platforms is to stimulate cooperation between Swedish stakeholders that have common visions, goals and needs in order to be able to position Swedish areas of strength at a European level with a clearer and single voice.
The overall aim of the national advocacy platforms is to influence different parts of Horizon 2020’s future work programmes to ensure that future funding calls reflect Sweden’s areas of strength. The hope is that more Swedish stakeholders will participate in successful project consortia and that an increasing share of EU research funding ends up in Sweden. To date, some thirty advocacy platforms have received funding for a period of two years to work on concrete advocacy activities, adapted to meet the requirements of each area of strength.
National advocacy platforms for increased participation in Horizon 2020:
- Mapping of civil society actors VA (Public & Science)
- National Advocacy Platform in Energy – Energy-efficient and climate-neutral energy systems within the Horizon 2020 Mälardalen University
- Advocacy Platform Health ICT SWEDISH ICT RESEARCH AB
- CultureCloud Horizon 2020 National Archives
- Development of a Swedish advocacy platform for nanosafety and nanomaterials Nordmiljö O. Grahn AB
- National advocacy platform for increased Swedish participation in SwafS VA (Public & Science)
- Advocacy platform with a focus on wind energy operation and maintenance in cold climates Strömsund County
- Advocacy platform for Health and Care in the Information Society SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden
- National advocacy platform for Urban Ecosystem Services Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Active ageing and cultural heritage The Nordic Centre of Heritage Learning and Creativity AB
- Renewable production of heat, cooling and electricity in combination with heat production SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden
- Daily emergency response in European security research University of Linköping
- Advocacy Platform for Transport in Horizon 2020 LINDHOLMEN SCIENCE PARK
- CelluTex – cellulose-based textiles Swerea IVF AB
- Swedish knowledge and innovation platform for a resource efficient Europe IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute
- National Platform for the Water Sector The Swedish Water & Wastewater Association
- National advocacy platform for sustainable construction KTH – Royal Institute of Technology
- National advocacy platform for service innovation ALMEGA
- Sustainable use of the forest resources Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Advocacy Platform for Industrial Safety SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden
- Precision agriculture Sweden AGROVÄST
- Swedish space research 4% KTH – Royal Institute of Technology
- Formation of a network for climate adaptation for Horizon 2020 Sweish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute
- An interdisciplinary advocacy platform for water: Hydro-solidarity University of Lund
- Platform for the development of semiconductor-based radiation detectors University of Mid Sweden
- Biobanks and multi-generation data explore research potential within Horizon 2020! University of Umeå
- The sustainable workplace – a resource for health, innovation and growth University of Lund
- Swedish food in H2020 SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden
- Blue Growth Sweden University of Gothenburg
- Sweden solar energy platform University of Uppsala
- How to live and eat – a strategy for contemporary elderly life University of Lund
- A voice for Swedish life sciences SMF in Horizon 2020 SwedenBIO Service AB
